Promotion and Tenure Public Statement

School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Public Statement on Promotion & Tenure (P&T)

The School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics was approved by the University of Washington Board of Regents in 2013 in response to the need for a greater number of STEM graduates to meet the demands of industry in Washington state. UW Bothell combines multiple STEM fields in one academic area, allowing for cross-disciplinary training and project work. All faculty are mentored to align their research, teaching and service in light of the School of STEM Vision, Mission and Core values listed below:

Vision:

The School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) will be an indispensable partner in the region, leading in accessible, innovative, and effective education and research to create a diverse workforce that engages ethically and inclusively with our world and society.

Mission:

To provide equitable access to exceptional programs that integrate teaching and research to prepare our students to solve the problems and confront the challenges facing our communities, the region, the nation, and the world.

Core Values:

COLLABORATION across disciplines and among students, faculty, staff, and community and industry partners,
OPPORTUNITIES for all students to succeed and become effective critical thinkers,
RESPONSIBILITY in the development of research and teaching that serve our students and society locally and globally, and
ENGAGEMENT through challenging and active learning experiences, community outreach and enriching student-faculty-staff interactions.

Faculty members should provide evidence of scholarly achievement through a variety of products, provided these products establish measurable outcomes that are publicly available and are subject to scrutiny by the community. We are committed to diverse forms of scholarship and recognize that scholarship and research may contribute to disciplinary or interdisciplinary knowledge. We value faculty scholarly work that uses community-engaged approaches and methods, including activities that engage with the public, students, professional organizations and other communities. We also value the variety of work products that may result from this type of scholarship as contributing to the generation of new knowledge and the advancement of the STEM disciplines. Importantly, the School of STEM highly values mentoring of undergraduate students in research and other scholarly activities, capstones, internships, and other related student independent work. Because of the breadth of scholarly activity and its conduct, the path and gestation period of any scholarly agenda will vary according to the nature of its questions and the means of their pursuit.

All faculty must provide evidence of effective teaching. Teaching effectiveness is critical to the core values of the institution and the School of STEM. Evidence of teaching effectiveness can be demonstrated in a multitude of ways, including, but not limited to, student evaluations, peer evaluations, curriculum development, personal reflections, engagement in activities focused on teaching effectiveness, mentoring of students, and teaching awards. Requirements for student and peer evaluations along with their use and limitations in evaluating teaching effectiveness are covered by separate policies.

The School of STEM values service to our evolving institution, engagement with the community and contributions to the profession. Documentation of impactful service is important. The balance of service to these areas may change throughout one’s career. For example, Assistant Professors may carry a reduced service load to the institution and are encouraged to participate in professional service while developing a national reputation in their field.

The School of STEM highly values any contributions in scholarship, research, teaching, and service to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our campus. The School of STEM identifies inequities of diversity to include disparities in social class and status, differences in social power and privilege, race, ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, visa/documentation status, culture, religion, physical and neurological divergence, and geography. We acknowledge that within the School and Divisions, certain groups are more underrepresented than others, and that this differs across disciplines. Thus, in accordance with STEM’s commitment to these values, any contributions that address diversity and equal opportunity shall be included and considered among the professional and scholarly qualifications for appointment and promotion.

It is critical that faculty members find an appropriate balance of activities in the areas of evaluation (scholarship, research, teaching, and service) for successful promotion and for building a stronger sense of community within the School of STEM. We recognize that there are synergies between areas of evaluation for many activities and we believe it is up to a faculty member to define how they would like their work to be considered.

Teaching-track Faculty: The qualifications for Teaching-track faculty at various ranks are specified in the Faculty Code. See Section 24-34B for details. In the School of STEM, candidates for promotion to the rank of Associate Teaching Professor and Teaching Professor are advised to demonstrate these qualifications using the criteria outlined in the attached Promotion and Merit Criteria for Teaching Track Faculty – Boyer Model (Revised Spring 2021). Section 24-54A of the Faculty Code specifies that “promotion shall be based upon the attainment of these qualifications and not upon length of service.”

Tenure-track Faculty: The qualifications for Tenure-track faculty at various ranks are specified in Section 24-34A of the Faculty Code. The candidate for promotion to the rank of Professor must have a national or international reputation in their field. Candidates for tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor must show promise of attaining a national reputation. It is important for candidates to establish and demonstrate a record of growth in research/scholarship that extends beyond their doctoral work. In the School of STEM, candidates for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor and Professor are advised to demonstrate these qualifications using the criteria outlined in the attached guidelines for promotion for Associate Professor and Professor.

Note: Divisions/disciplines may have culture statements that contain specific information relevant for evaluating faculty in the School of STEM.

Additional School of STEM policies governing procedures, requirements, and review criteria that shall be considered applying and binding to guidelines described in this document whether or not explicitly noted will be named below as attachments.

Resources:

School of STEM Guidelines for Promotion to Full Professor
School of STEM Guidelines for Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure
School of STEM Promotion and Merit Criteria for Lecturer Track Faculty – Boyer Model (Approved April 2016, revision expected Spring 2021)
School of STEM Use of Student Evaluations in Faculty Review Process (expected Spring 2021)
School of STEM External Review Policy (June 2019, expected revision Spring 2021)
School of STEM Creating Promotion & Tenure Dossiers (expected Spring 2021)
School of STEM Divisional Standing Committee Policy (Approved April 2020, expected revision Spring 2021)
University of Washington Bothell Covid-19 Impact Statement (expected Spring 2021)
School of STEM Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness during COVID-19 Emergency Period (Approved May 2020)
School of STEM Resolution to Extend Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness COVID-19 Emergency Period from Winter 2020 through Autumn 2021 (Approved February 2021)

Approvals:

Version v.1 was approved by the School of STEM Faculty Council on April 28, 2016.

Version v.2 was approved by the School of STEM Faculty Council on May 19, 2016.

Version v.3 (final) was approved by the School of STEM Faculty Council on June 7, 2016. Ratified by the faculty of all divisions of the School of STEM on October 20, 2016.

Version v.4 was approved by the School of STEM Faculty Council on March 10, 2021.

Version v.5 was approved by the School of STEM Faculty Council on April 9, 2021. Ratified by the faculty of all divisions of the School of STEM on May 14, 2021.

Version v.6 (v2 approval) was approved by the School of STEM Faculty Council on March 14, 2022.

Version v.7 (v3 approval) was approved by the School of STEM Faculty Council on May 5, 2022.

Ratified by the faculty of all divisions of the School of STEM on June 1, 2022.