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CSULB tenure criteria
focuses on students
By Dwight Flenniken III
On-line Forty-Niner
The conflict between
the California Faculty Association and the California State
University administration about the number of tenured professors
raises questions regarding the effectiveness of CSU's Retention,
Tenure and Promotion policy.
Retention is not getting fired, tenure is receiving a permanent
position and promotion is moving up the ranks.
California criteria for evaluating staff in reference to tenure,
is judged in four categories: their ability to teach, how
students rate instructors, constant improvement of teaching
skills and their knowledge of recent developments in their
chosen field.
Beside the four categories for evaluation required by state
universities in California, instructors at Cal State Long
Beach have separate qualifications they also must meet. They
are graded on teaching, research and service, in that order
of importance.
"The CSU has their policy, the university has it's policy
and each college and department has further developed policies,"
said Irene Wood, director of Academic Personnel.
According to university documents, the quality of an instructor's
performance is the most important evaluation criteria.
At many institutions in the United States, research alone
may qualify instructors for tenure. At CSULB, which is not
known for research, evaluations are dominated by teaching
ability.
Professors may qualify for tenure in their sixth year, unless
they have prior experience at other colleges or universities.
Any candidate for tenure has the responsibility to produce
evidence that they have reached the required criteria.
Each department must have in writing the requirements each
faculty member must meet in order to receive a positive response.
Departments must also provide support for each instructor's
development.
Department chairs have many responsibilities in the tenure
process. They must provide guidance, initiate discussions
about career development and serve as a mentor to candidates
in their department.
Each department has a committee in charge of retention, tenure
and promotion. They make the first recommendation to the university
regarding these areas.
After specific department recommendations the professor moves
on to their College Retention, Tenure and Promotion Committee.
For example, an instructor in the civil engineering department
would have to then be approved by the college of engineering.
Once through all these channels, the dean of the college evaluates
the material. It is then forwarded to the vice president of
Academic Affairs.
CSULB President Robert Maxson, has the final say on retention,
tenure or promotion.
Probationary faculty are awarded retention when a performance
review is complete. Probationary faculty are awarded tenure
only if all of the qualifications listed are met.
Early tenure may be given to faculty only in the event of
extraordinary circumstances for exceptional reasons.
All assistant professors, associate professors and professors
may qualify for retention, tenure and promotion as long
as certain goals are met.
Assistant professors must have a doctorate in their specialized
field. Associate professors should have all the qualities
of an assistant, and have experience in teaching. Beside having
shown the qualifications of the previous two, a professor
must have a record of scholarly instruction, effectiveness
and service.
A CSULB professor who requested anonymity said tenure projects
academic freedom. He further stated that part of the process
at a university is to disagree with those in supervisory positions,
disagreements that many without tenure shy away from in order
to obtain a permanent position.
"Lecturers won't exercise their right to grieve, if they
keep quiet it will increase their chance at tenure,"
Armando Vasquez-Ramos, chairman of the job action committee
at CSULB said.
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