We recognize that meaningful assessment of faculty performance requires both clarity about minimum expectations and inspiration toward exceptional achievement. These two elements are not in opposition but rather form a continuum of professional development and institutional excellence.

We affirm that:

• Clear articulation of baseline performance standards provides essential transparency for all faculty members
• Faculty have the right to know the fundamental expectations of their positions
• The college has a responsibility to communicate these expectations explicitly
• Without defined standards, fair and consistent accountability becomes impossible
• Baseline standards establish the floor, not the ceiling, of our expectations

These standards of competence and performance are not designed to constrain faculty achievement but rather to establish the fundamental platform upon which excellence is built.

We equally affirm that:

• Our institutional mission depends on faculty who aspire beyond minimum standards to true distinction
• Academic leadership in research, teaching, and service emerges from passion, creativity, and ambition that cannot be reduced to metrics
• Our greatest contributions to knowledge, student development, and society come through pursuing excellence rather than mere competence
• The most meaningful faculty achievements often transcend predictable pathways and standardized measures
• Our university's reputation and impact depend on a culture that nurtures and rewards exceptional achievement

We commit to creating an institutional culture that:

• Honors both accountability and aspiration as essential academic values
• Provides clear baseline expectations while actively encouraging faculty to exceed them
• Evaluates minimum competence fairly while celebrating and rewarding distinction
• Supports faculty at all career stages in moving from competence toward excellence
• Recognizes diverse pathways to excellence across disciplines and specialties

DEOs and collegiate leaders commit to:

• Communicating standards clearly and consistently
• Providing constructive feedback and meaningful development opportunities
• Recognizing and rewarding excellence in its many forms
• Addressing performance concerns promptly, directly, and supportively
• Creating departmental cultures that value both accountability and aspiration

Faculty members commit to:

• Meeting baseline standards as a fundamental professional responsibility
• Pursuing excellence in research, teaching, and service beyond minimum requirements
• Contributing to a collegial culture that upholds high standards
• Mentoring colleagues and students in both professional competence and distinction
• Advancing their fields through leadership and innovation

CLAS stands at its strongest when we balance clear expectations with boundless aspiration. The standards of competence and performance we establish do not represent constraints on faculty achievement but rather the solid foundation upon which academic distinction is built. We are committed to fostering an environment where faculty understand what is required while being inspired and supported to achieve their highest ambitions.

Teaching

• Create a welcoming classroom environment that encourages free inquiry.
• Teach courses assigned by the DEO.
• Regularly update course materials to align with best practices in the field, current disciplinary content, and modern examples.
• Provide timely and constructive feedback to students to support their learning and development.
• Mentor and advise students to help them achieve their academic and career goals.
• Respond to feedback from peer and student evaluations to demonstrate iterative growth and improvement.
• Abide by the CLAS Policies for Graduate and Undergraduate Education, including:
  • Create and maintain an approved syllabus that complies with CLAS guidelines.
  • Meet at scheduled class times and in approved modality.
  • Use ICON to record and share student grades.

Service

• Comply with university and collegiate policies.
• Demonstrate civil and professional behavior in interactions with colleagues, students, and staff.
• Refrain from personal vilification; threatening, intimidating, or abusive language; or conduct that creates a hostile work environment (Policy Manual III.15.4).
• Provide timely and professional communication to faculty and staff colleagues and departmental leadership.
• Actively participate in departmental service to contribute to the effective functioning of the institution.
• Accept and satisfactorily complete service assignments from the DEO.
• Attend faculty meetings.

All Ranks

Research

• Produce original research, scholarship, and creative works that contribute to the advancement of their field.
• Develop a national reputation by presenting work at academic conferences and seminars or colloquia at other institutions.
• Regularly publish and present research, scholarship, and creative works in reputable and peer-reviewed venues.
• Seek and obtain external funding consistent with disciplinary norms to support research activities and build a sustainable scholarly and/or creative program.

Service

• Engage in professional service activities. Examples may include serving on editorial boards, organizing conferences, and reviewing grant proposals, manuscripts, and/or monographs.

Assistant Professor

No additional unique expectations beyond the basic expectations for all faculty and those for all tenure-track faculty ranks.

Associate Professor

Teaching

• Mentor and advise both undergraduate and graduate students to support their academic and career development.
• Participate in curriculum development and assessment activities to ensure continuous program improvement.

Research

• Develop a national and, where appropriate, international reputation through conference presentations and scholarly contributions.
• Expand and vary the service portfolio to strategically include collegiate and/or university service to contribute to institutional effectiveness.
• Mentor and support assistant professors working toward tenure and promotion.

Service

• Expand and vary the service portfolio to strategically include collegiate and/or university service to contribute to institutional effectiveness.
• Mentor and support assistant professors working toward tenure and promotion.

Full Professor

Teaching

• Mentor and advise both undergraduate and graduate students to support their academic and career development.
• Participate in curriculum development and assessment activities to ensure continuous program improvement.
• Vary teaching portfolio strategically to meet departmental needs and reduce burdens on early-career faculty.

Research

• Develop a national and, where appropriate, international reputation through conference presentations and scholarly contributions.
• Expand and vary the service portfolio to strategically include collegiate and/or university service to contribute to institutional effectiveness.
• Mentor and support assistant and associate professors working toward tenure and promotion.

Service

• Expand and vary the service portfolio to strategically include collegiate and/or university service to contribute to institutional effectiveness.
• Mentor and support assistant and associate professors working toward tenure and promotion.

Assistant Professor of Instruction/Practice

No additional unique expectations beyond the basic expectations for all faculty.

Associate Professor of Instruction/Practice

Teaching

• Participate in curriculum development and assessment activities to ensure continuous program improvement.

Service

• Expand and vary the service portfolio to strategically include collegiate and/or university service to contribute to institutional effectiveness.
• Mentor and support assistant professors working toward promotion.

Full Professor of Instruction/Practice

Teaching

• Participate in curriculum development and assessment activities to ensure continuous program improvement.
• Vary teaching portfolio strategically to meet departmental needs and reduce burdens on early-career faculty.

Service

• Expand and vary the service portfolio to strategically include collegiate, university, profession, or community service to contribute to institutional effectiveness.
• Mentor and support the professional development of both assistant and associate professors working toward promotion reviews.

All Ranks

Clinical Practice

• Maintain certification or licensure consistent with the standard practices of their discipline.
• Demonstrate competence in clinical practice and supervision of clinical practice students.
• Remain current in evidence-based best practices for providing clinical services in their field.
• Maintain and instill in students ethical standards consistent with the code of ethics of their accrediting body.
• Engage in appropriate professional productivity that supports and enhances clinical practice activities.

Clinical Assistant Professor

No additional unique expectations beyond the basic expectations for all faculty and those for all clinical-track faculty ranks.

Clinical Associate Professor

Teaching

• Mentor and advise both undergraduate and graduate students to support their academic and career development.
• Participate in curriculum development and assessment activities to ensure continuous program improvement.

Clinical Practice

• Partner with their departmental leadership to pursue the goals of the clinical program in support of the department's mission.

Service

• Expand and vary the service portfolio to strategically include collegiate and/or university service to contribute to institutional effectiveness.
• Mentor and support assistant professors working toward promotion.

Clinical Full Professor

Teaching

• Mentor and advise both undergraduate and graduate students to support their academic and career development.
• Participate in curriculum development and assessment activities to ensure continuous program improvement.
• Vary teaching portfolio strategically to meet departmental needs and reduce burdens on early-career faculty.

Clinical Practice

• Partner with their departmental leadership to pursue the goals of the clinical program in support of the department's mission.

Service

• Expand and vary the service portfolio to strategically include collegiate and/or university service to contribute to institutional effectiveness.
• Mentor and support the professional development of both assistant and associate professors working toward promotion reviews.