Approved: October 13, 2011
Edited: August 18, 2021
- The School of Music employs faculty to teach in the School in a variety of positions. These positions are considered in three categories:
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- Tenure-eligible faculty--Those faculty in positions that are tenured, or are tenure-track and subject to a probationary period. All tenure-eligible faculty are formally evaluated by the Dean annually.
- Adjunct faculty/Instructors--Those faculty hired on a temporary/part-time, per-course basis as instruction is needed in the school. Although adjunct faculty may teach multiple courses, they are not considered to be full-time employees. Adjunct faculty are NOT formally evaluated by the Dean but they are observed periodically by the area faculty who report their observations to the dean.
- Professional Track faculty--Those faculty hired at a full-time, annual salary and assigned work (usually, but not always, teaching) that fills a prescribed load that is contracted at that salary. All Professional Track faculty are formally evaluated annually by the Dean.
The School recognizes that faculty employed in Category 3 above, Professional Track, play a vital role in the mission of the unit. The School endeavors to establish clear guidelines for their promotion. These are outlined in this document below.
- Currently, School of Music Professional Track faculty members are provided one of
two titles as defined by both Academic Affairs Policies ACAF 1.16 Non-Tenure Track Facultyand ACAF 1.06 Academic Titles for Faculty: 1. INSTRUCTOR; 2. RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR. The following guidelines apply only
to Professional Track faculty. In order to be considered for promotion, Instructors
and Research Assistant Professors must be re-appointed into Professional Track positions
covered by the promotion guidelines. If in the future the School of Music makes use
of other Professional Track titles (clinical or extension faculty), additional guidelines
will be established.
- All Professional Track faculty members receive an annual performance review written
by the Dean of the School of Music, as well as a report authored by a Colleague Evaluation
Committee assigned the faculty member, as prescribed in School of Music Personnel
Policy FPP 3.00. The annual reports prepared by the Professional Track faculty member,
as well as his/her CEC's report, and the annual performance review authored by the
Dean are part of the faculty member's personnel file. Information from these annual
evaluations is factored into decisions regarding re-appointment, annual raises, and
readiness for promotion.
- The primary duties of Professional Track faculty employed with the title of Instructor
are defined as teaching and the support of teaching. Any evaluation of an Instructor
will focus primarily on his/her teaching and support of teaching responsibilities.
Service and research/scholarship/performance (RSP) activities can receive review as
well if the instructor reports them and requests it—in general, such review will not
be factored into annual conclusions regarding the instructor's performance. In some
cases, a particular Instructor will have some degree of service and/or research/scholarship/
performance (RSP) expectations in his/her job description. In such cases these areas
will be a part of the CEC and Dean's Annual Performance Reviews and will factor into
annual conclusions regarding the instructor's performance.
- The primary duties of full-time Professional Track faculty, employed with the title
of Research Assistant Professor, will be to engage in some teaching, but primarily
in independent research, scholarship, performance, and/or composition. Research Faculty
should have the terminal degree, usually the earned doctorate. Any evaluation of
a Research Assistant Professor will focus primarily on his/her research/scholarship/
performance (RSP), but will also include a review of teaching and support of teaching
responsibilities. Service activities can receive review as well if the Research Assistant
Professor reports them and requests it-- in general, such review will not be factored
into annual conclusions regarding the Research Assistant Professor's performance.
In some cases, a particular Research Assistant Professor will have some degree of
service expectations in his/her job description. In such cases this area will be
a part of the CEC and Dean's Annual Performance Reviews and will factor into annual
conclusions regarding the Research Assistant Professor's performance.
- Professional Track faculty, employed at the title of Instructor, are eligible for
promotion to the title of Senior Instructor after they have served in a regular, full-time
appointment as an eligible Professional Track faculty member at the University of
South Carolina School of Music for a minimum of six consecutive years, and must have
received approval for the promotion by vote of the School's Tenure and Promotion Committee,
the recommendation of school dean, and the approval of the Provost.
- Professional Track faculty, employed at the title of Research Assistant Professor,
are eligible for promotion to the title of Research Associate Professor after they
have served in a regular, full-time appointment as an eligible Professional Track
faculty member at the University of South Carolina School of Music for a minimum of
six consecutive years, and must have received approval for the promotion by vote of
the School's Tenure and Promotion Committee, the recommendation of school dean, and
the approval of the provost.
- Candidates currently ranked at Instructor, who are eligible for and wish to seek promotion
to Senior Instructor, must demonstrate a record of excellent teaching. A record
of excellent teaching will be defined through student evaluations that average in
the strong or very strong range and through peer evaluation (including observations
of teaching and student performance) of activities listed in at least the local or
regional section of the relevant Appendices (School of Music documents FPP 2.20, 2.30,
and 2.40) that achieve an assessment of excellent.
- Candidates currently ranked at Research Assistant Professor, who are eligible for
and wish to seek promotion to Research Associate Professor, must demonstrate a record
of excellence in research/scholarship/performance. Such a record is defined as achieving
a rating of excellent from the School's Tenure and Promotion Committee in their evaluation
of the activities listed in the local/regional section of the relevant Appendices.
Performance at the national level may generally be accepted as prima facie evidence
of excellence.
- Promotion for Professional Track faculty members is voluntary and is not required
for reappointment. A candidate who applies unsuccessfully for promotion may re-apply
after two years. When promotion is granted, every reasonable effort will be made by
the Dean to secure a promotion raise for the colleague.
- A Professional Track faculty member wishing to be considered for promotion should
consult with his/her Colleague Evaluation Committee chair and the Dean of the School
at least one year in advance of initiating the application for promotion. This consultation
will consist of a discussion that constitutes a formal pre-evaluation of the candidate's
progress toward promotion and identifies any deficient areas for improvement.
- When the Professional Track faculty member has met the conditions necessary for promotion,
the Dean will notify the faculty member in writing of his/her eligibility. Any notified Professional
Track faculty, electing to pursue promotion, must then follow all instructions and
guidelines in the School of Music Tenure and Promotion documentation, policies FPP
2.00, 2.10, and the relevant appendix: FPP 2.20, 2.30 or 2.40).
- Complete candidate promotion application files should be drafted by candidates using
the recommendations found in the School of Music Tenure and Promotion documentation,
policies FPP 2.00, 2.10, and the relevant appendix: FPP 2.20, 2.30 or 2.40 for whatever
area(s) the faculty members are contracted to engage (teaching, service, RSP). The
promotion application file must be forwarded to the Dean's office by September 1 of
each year in order to facilitate review by the Tenure and Promotion Committee. As
a result, the preparation of the dossier by the candidate for the review normally
begins in May.
- Procedures for considering the promotion for Professional Track faculty will follow all guidelines specified by the Provost, the Dean of the School of Music, and the School of Music's GUIDELINES FOR TENURE AND PROMOTION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA.