7. PROMOTION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
This section will describe
policies and procedures to be followed in considering and recommending
promotion of JCA Faculty members. The qualifications of each rank of
seniority in the "Research Professor" track are listed in the UMBC
Faculty Handbook, along with its equivalent rank in the "Research
Scientist" track. The distinction between the two tracks is that
faculty in the "Research Professor" track are also expected to fulfill
academic teaching duties. Consequently, appointments and promotions
within the latter track require concurrence by the UMBC Physics
Departmental Faculty. The JCA promotion criteria and procedures
summarized in this document are intended to be consistent with those
in the UMBC Faculty Handbook for tenure and tenure-track
promotions. However, it is understood that procedures considered here
are for faculty with non-tenure-track research appointments.
a)
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General Policy
The Director of JCA has the responsibility and
authority to recommend promotion of JCA faculty within the ranks of
the "Research Scientist" track. Recommendations for promotion actions
will be presented to the Chairman of the JCA Executive Board for
concurrence, to the UMBC Dean of Arts and Sciences for concurrence,
and to the UMBC Provost for implementation.
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b)
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Promotion Procedures
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The JCA Director shall request from each promotion candidate
supporting material, to be described below, and shall initiate a
schedule of actions leading to his decision and recommendation.
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order to arrive at a judgment, the Director shall be assisted by a JCA
Promotion Committee (JPC), assembled separately for each candidate,
which shall include the JCA Director (with a voice and a vote) and all
JCA Faculty at a rank senior to the candidate under consideration. The
Director, at his discretion, may also add members to the JPC from
outside of JCA, in order to insure credible representation of all
aspects of the candidate's field of expertise. They may be drawn from
organizations such as UMBC Academic Departments, the NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, and other appropriate Scientific and Academic
Organizations. A Subcommittee, and its Chair, shall be appointed by
the Director, chosen from members of the JPC, charged with the
responsibility for collecting and summarizing all of the data provided
by the candidate, as well as relevant information from other sources
to be listed below.
- The Director shall call a meeting of the JPC,
at which the Subcommittee will present both a written and an oral
report on their findings with respect to promotion of that candidate.
The JPC shall then vote, by secret ballot, as to whether or not to
recommend promotion of the candidate.
- In the event of a positive
recommendation, the Director shall send the Subcommittee report,
together with an account of the JPC determination and his
recommendation for promotion action, to the Physics Department Chair,
and to the Dean of Arts and Sciences. Upon concurrence of the Dean and
the Provost, the Provost will issue a letter of re-appointment to the
candidate, which confirms the new title.
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c)
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Criteria for Promotion
JCA
Faculty are expected primarily to engage in Research and/or Mission
Support appropriate to their particular position, and, therefore, that
aspect of their abilities, accomplishments, and expectations will
normally receive the greatest weight in arriving at a promotion
recommendation. However, other factors may be considered. Candidates
will also be judged on their contributions and service to JCA, to
UMBC, to their Profession, and to the community. For faculty in the
Research Professor Track, their effectiveness in teaching and advising
students will also be considered.
- Candidates will be judged
according to their demonstrated research proficiency, reputation, and
accomplishments, in relation to the seniority of their rank, as
defined in the UMBC Faculty Handbook. The JPC will consider scholarly
publications and other evidence of professional achievements and
creative activity. It will look for competence to direct the work of
others, such as technicians and graduate students, capability to
obtain and maintain financial support, and for ability to initiate
research projects independently, to organize and present successful
proposals to sponsoring agencies, and to serve as Principle
Investigators or Co-Investigators.
- Candidate interest in and
contributions to the improvement and operation of JCA, the surrounding
UMBC community, and the growing interactions between UMBC and GSFC are
also considered important factors. Evidence will include active
participation in committees and willingness to serve in outreach
opportunities.
- A candidate's suitability for promotion will also
be based upon such factors as the candidate's willingness to accept
class assignments in his/her academic department, initiative in
designing special graduate and undergraduate courses, effectiveness in
lecturing, and success in advising Masters and Ph.D students.
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d)
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Supporting Documents and Information
- The candidate will be requested
to provide the JPC Subcommittee with a current curriculum vita,
reprints of recent significant publications, preprints of books and
papers accepted for peer-reviewed publications, and a narrative
self-assessment in which the candidate may summarize his
accomplishments, contributions, and expectations for future JCA
activities and service. The candidate will also be asked for the names
of four references familiar with his recent professional
accomplishments and abilities, who would be willing to provide
supporting statements to the JPC.
- The JPC Subcommittee may
supplement the candidate's list with additional references in order to
insure availability of external opinions relating to all relevant
facets of the candidate's work. The Subcommittee will request written
letters regarding their opinion of the candidate's suitability for
promotion, from all of the references, after describing the objectives
and organization of JCA to them, and explaining the required
performance expected of the candidate after promotion. These letters,
together with all the other documents supporting this action, and a
summary cover letter signed by the Subcommittee members, will be
presented to the Director of JCA and to the JPC, and become a
permanent record in the Candidate's file.
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e)
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UMBC Academic Appointments to Research Professor Track
- In addition to their
research duties, it is expected that JCA members will contribute to
UMBC Academic and outreach activities. For those on the Research
Professor track, this will involve teaching a course in the University
Departments appropriate to their field of expertise. The teaching load
will be limited to 1 course per 2 year period. The following table
shows the equivalence of ranks in the "Research Scientist" track, and
the "Research Professor" track, for which Academic Departments have
authority for appointments and promotions:
JCA RANKS
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DEPARTMENT RANKS
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RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
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RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
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ASSISTANT RESEARCH SCIENTIST
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RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
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ASSOCIATE RESEARCH SCIENTIST
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RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
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SENIOR RESEARCH SCIENTIST
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RESEARCH PROFESSOR
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- In
the event of a positive JCA promotion action in the Research Professor
track, the Director of JCA shall present a complete record of the JCA
promotion deliberations to the Departmental Chairman for approval by
the Department Promotion Committee . Normally, the procedures and
documents required for JCA promotion requests, as described above,
will be consistent with those dictated by Departmental regulations, so
the file presented to the Department should, in general, not require
augmentation. The Departmental recommendation should be sent to the
appropriate Academic Dean and Provost for concurrence. Upon
concurrence of the Dean and the Provost, the Provost will issue a
letter of re-appointment to the candidate, which confirms the new
title.
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