The University of Washington Faculty Code specifies that promotion to the rank of Research Professor requires outstanding, mature scholarship as evidenced by accomplishments in mentorship and in research as evaluated in terms of national or international recognition. This document elaborates on this section of the Code from the perspective of the College of Arts & Sciences.
Expectations for promotion to Research Professor. The decision about promotion to the rank of Research Professor is based on the same three fundamental criteria that guide evaluations for promotion to the rank of Research Associate Professor, namely scholarship, mentorship, and service. For promotion to Research Professor, the expectations of attainment in these three areas are higher than for promotion to Research Associate Professor. The precise expectations vary widely over the units within the College and across the University, but the common denominator is documented evidence of outstanding quality, productivity, and scholarly impact. As is the case with promotion to the rank of Research Associate Professor, there is no single scale that can be used even within a single academic unit, as there are many compelling combinations of quantity, quality, and pace of scholarly activity. However, there are general principles that are applied as uniformly as possible across all cases by the College Council and the Dean.
Timing. Unlike promotion to Research Associate Professor with its six-year promotion clock, promotion to Research Professor has no mandated time period. Statistically, within the College of Arts & Sciences, time in rank at the Research Associate Professor level varies by division, but there is also a significant range of time in rank within the divisions. By Faculty Code, every faculty member below the rank of Research Professor should be considered annually for possible promotion and has the right to request a promotion review. Also, by Code, Research Associate Professors meet at least biannually with their chair to discuss progress toward promotion. It is important that the faculty member and chair candidly discuss progress toward promotion and the department's and College's expectations for promotion.
Scholarship. As a premier research university, our expectations regarding the independent scholarly record of our faculty are high. In general, quality is more important than quantity, although there must be sufficient quantity to provide evidence of a significant level of scholarly productivity and impact. For promotion to Research Professor, the faculty member should have established him/herself as a major researcher, scholar, or creative artist at the national and often international level. At this stage of career, the scholarly record will normally be larger and also reflect a more mature formulation of questions and a richer exploration of them. A faculty member's entire scholarly career is evaluated, with emphasis placed on work developed since the time of promotion to Research Associate Professor. Several factors influence the assessment of the quality of a scholarly record.
- Quality can be demonstrated by indicators of the impact of scholarship such as citations and prestige of the journals or presses in which the individual publishes or of the exhibit or performance venue.
- Outside funding of research from prestigious foundations and institutes (in those disciplines in which it is available) can be viewed as a significant part of the scholarly record, depending on the relative size of the grant and the significance of the questions posed.
- The impact/significance of the scholarship can be assessed in part through the evaluations from outside reviewers.
- The personal statement provided by the candidate is an important guide to the significance of each scholarly piece and their connections to each other. The statement should articulate the intellectual agenda(s) that motivates the individual’s work.
- In the creative and performing arts, promotion portfolios will reflect the faculty member's creative work, including works of art, exhibitions, performances, and reviews thereof. As with all faculty members, the significance of the work and career trajectory are paramount.
- Invited presentations to talk at other universities and prestigious events add to the scholarly record but generally play a relatively minor role independent of other measures of the scholarly record.
- We do encourage collaborative work; thus coauthored books, articles, and creative works are given important weight by the Council. In general, largely technical achievements do not count as much as contributions of a more fundamental and substantial nature. A significant portion of the overall scholarly record should include works to which the candidate (and as appropriate, his/her students) has made the primary contributions.
- Sustained scholarly activity as seen in conference participation, publications, grants, or performances and exhibitions demonstrates scholarly engagement and attainment.
Research Advising and Mentorship. Research track faculty do not have formal classroom teaching duties as part of their regular appointments. Strong mentorship in research is a necessary part of a successful promotion. The advising of postdoctoral fellows and students, both undergraduate and graduate, is a significant contribution to the teaching mission of the University. At the time of promotion to Research Associate Professor, a faculty member will have a strong record of working with and mentoring students, including, where appropriate, chairing graduate student committees. The demonstrated success of one's students (both undergraduate and graduate) can be valuable testimony of a faculty member's contributions.
Service. Communities thrive when all members contribute to the common good. Thus we expect that candidates for promotion will have been involved in the life of their department, in the life of the University, and in their national associations. The University and the College have also made engagement with the broader public one of our institutional goals, and encourage public scholarship. It is desirable to show evidence of contributions to or engagement with the broader community and in some cases may be part of the job expectations. Whereas junior faculty commit less of their time to service, tenured faculty members are expected to play a greater role in this area.
Conclusion. Faculty members, especially post-tenure, can take various approaches to scholarship, mentorship, and service, emphasizing one or another at different times in a career. The College of Arts and Sciences values the many and varied contributions made by faculty. Promotion to the highest academic rank will be consistent with the expectations of a research university. Each promotion case is evaluated on its own merits, taking into account the specific expectations of each department and the general expectations of the College and the University. The College is eager to work with faculty toward promotion to this rank. It is important to stress, however, that ultimately individuals are responsible for their own professional success.