Promotion with Tenure from Assistant to Associate Professor
For Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, it is expected the candidate will continue ongoing engagement in professional and/or creative work outside of Emerson College, and achieve national prominence and excellence in their field. In addition to criteria outlined in Section 8 of the Faculty Handbook, some of the following documentation should be in evidence in the dossier.
8.1 Teaching
- Evidence of experimentation and innovation with instructional methods:
- Painting, sculptural, craft, and graphic samples prepared to illustrate particular instructional information
- Examples of in-class instructor demonstrations
- Instructor PowerPoint presentations
- Syllabus development
- New course development
- Portfolio advising of third year Design/Tech students
- Portfolio advising of senior Design/Tech students
- Peer reviews
- Effective service as an advisor to students
- Course syllabi should demonstrate revisions and additions to address the changing needs of students, as well as incorporate the results of the candidate’s ongoing research/professional experiences and the integration of this research/experience into course requirements.
- Course expectations noted in the syllabi should demonstrate a commitment to academic quality.
- Assignments to students in courses will be rigorous and relevant to the goals and expected learning outcomes of the course.
Teaching excellence may also be documented through the following supplemental evidence:
- Examples of exceptional student work done under a candidate’s mentorship
- Record of alumni accomplishments
- Active mentorship between faculty and students, both for credit and not for credit, in the classroom and out of the classroom. Student transcripts, reviews, playbills, and correspondence can document such activity
These teaching metrics are in addition to the standard evaluation metrics employed across the college, syllabi and teaching materials, peer observations, and student course evaluations.
8.2 Creative/Professional Work
The candidate must excel in Creative/Professional work in professional venues.
Productivity and Criteria for Excellence
Participation in at least two outside projects a year, for a minimum total of ten, during the probationary period. These should be projects at a professional level that represent real growth as a designer/artist. There needs to be a pattern of growth and continued effort to work at the highest level possible to insure development of both artistry and practice. A small design at a prestigious theatre may carry the same weight as a large design at a less prestigious theatre. Production participation should be evidenced by professional reviews of the productions and information regarding the stature of the venue. A maximum of three projects may be community-based. If the work is community-based, project documentation should provide evidence of artistic merit, and engagement with and significant impact on the community, as demonstrated by civic and artistic leaders, community partners, and collaborators.
Evidence of Design expertise should be presented as a portfolio that includes entries such as, but not limited to, the following:
- Evidence detailing expertise in the production of creative works:
- Production process information; for example, concept statements or concept plates
- Scenic, costume and lighting design concept sketches
- Scenographic models, renderings, and draftings
- Plots, working drawings, and revision notes
- Technical draftings, manual and CAD
- Production photographs
- Costume renderings and swatches
- Light plots
- Storyboards
- Documents related to activities in allied fields[ for example, concert; film; television; exhibit; convention design
- Statement of creative or technological innovations
- Designing venues such as museums, convention halls, and concerts
Excellence in design may also be documented through the following supplemental evidence:
- Recognition as shown through the following:
- Evidence of accomplishments in local, regional, and national venues of prestige
- National, regional, and local awards of recognition
- Articles, reviews or other materials that cite or discuss the importance of the candidate’s work
- A list of invited presentations at professional meetings and symposia, research seminars, and professional workshops
8.3 Service
- Professional service:
- Membership in professional organizations
- Offices held in professional organizations
- Participation in professional conferences
- Service as a jurist within the profession
- Pro-bono professional participation within the community
- Professional awards and honors
- Contributing consultative service in a professional capacity
- Promotion and support for the institution of theatre and allied fields
- Service to the College and the Department:
- Portfolio reviews and interviews of prospective students and recommendations regarding their admission
- Portfolio advising of third year Design/Tech students
- Portfolio advising of senior Design/Tech students
For Promotion to Full Professor
8.2 Creative/Professional Work
All of the evidence noted above in the post-tenure period, with demonstrated excellence in one’s discipline at a high professional level, as evidenced by the quality of venue and collaborators, supported by reviews and/or recognition by professional organizations and awards. This recognizes that Boston is a national media center and that some of the work created here may be seen and reviewed as on a national level. This further recognizes that critics do not always mention the contributions of individual artists in a production. This should not be considered to be detrimental to promotion.