10.5 Promotion and Permanent Status--Developmental Research

10.5.1 Board of Regents Policy--FAC-5.231

(1) The concept of permanent status for Developmental Research School employees assures them that they may expect to continue in their academic positions for an indefinite period of time unless suspended or terminated for just cause or laid off in accordance with university procedures.

(a) Developmental Research School employees, excluding supervisors and administrative employees, shall be granted permanent status by the president, or president's designee, provided that such employees:

1. hold the required educational qualifications;

2. have completed three years of full-time or equivalent part-time service in a permanent status-earning position in the school, such service being continuous except for leave duly authorized and granted;

3. have been reappointed for the fourth year; and

4. have been recommended by the Director of the Developmental Research School and approved by the president for permanent status based on successful performance of duties and demonstration of professional competence. Eight weeks prior to the end of three continuous years of full-time service (part-time service of an employee employed at least one semester in any twelve month period shall be accumulated) in a permanent status accruing position, the president or president's designee shall provide notification of the permanent status of the employee. Such notice shall indicate the granting of permanent status or the required one year notice of non-reappointment. The employment of an employee who has not been approved for permanent status prior to the completion of a fourth consecutive year of employment (or its equivalent in part-time service) shall be terminated at the end of the fourth year.

(b) Appointment of Developmental Research School employees to the ranks of University School Assistant Professor, University School Associate Professor, and University School Professor, which appointments do not include the appointment status modifiers "acting," "adjunct," "joint," "provisional," "visiting," "research," "courtesy," "honorary," or "affiliate" (see 6C-5.105(5)) are permanent status-earning. Universities may, by rule, make employees appointed to the rank of University School Instructor eligible of permanent status. Appointments which include the appointment status modifiers "joint," "provisional," "visiting," or "research," or "affiliate" may or may not earn time toward permanent status, as determined by the university at the time of appointment. If a Developmental Research School employee is initially appointed to the rank of University School Instructor or to a rank including the appointment status modifiers "joint," "provisional," "visiting," "research," or "affiliate" determined by the university not to earn time toward permanent status, and is subsequently appointed to a permanent status-earning position, all or a portion of the employee's prior service in the non-permanent status-earning position may be counted toward permanent status, provided the university agrees in writing to credit such service.

(c) Permanent status shall be achieved at the beginning of the school year following the completion of all requirements.

(d) The annual contract of employees enjoying permanent status shall contain provisions for dismissal only for just cause, in addition to such other provisions as may be prescribed in the contract.

(e) Each person to whom a permanent status contract has been issued, as provided herein, shall be entitled to continue in his or her position or in a similar position in the Developmental Research School, at the salary schedule authorized, without the necessity for reappointment until such time as the position is discontinued, the person resigns, or the contractual status is changed.

(f) Permanent status earned by any Developmental Research School employee prior to assuming an administrative or supervisory position shall be retained in the position in which it was attained. Upon release from an administrative or supervisory position, the employee shall be entitled to reassignment to the same or a similar position in which permanent status was attained, at the classification level and salary range that would have been earned had the position been held continuously.

(g) Any employee of a Developmental Research School may be disciplined for cause at any time during the school year in accordance with the procedures outlined in the BOR/UFF Agreement.

10.5.2 BOR-UFF Agreement, 1991-1994, see Articles 14 and 15.9

10.5.3 Developmental Research School Policy

A. Notification for eligibility for continuing contract or promotion

Faculty will be advised by the Director to begin collecting data to support application for continuing contract and/or promotion at the time for employment for new faculty and at the last general faculty meeting of the academic year for regular faculty. Areas in which data should be collected are those related to the mission of the school, i.e. teaching, research, dissemination and service. All letters from the administration requesting letters of recommendation for candidates' folders shall be uniform.

B. Promotion

(1) Each faculty member shall be apprised by the Director of what is expected of him/her generally in terms of teaching, research, dissemination and service; and specifically of other requirements and/or duties involved. This appraisal shall be done before being hired for new faculty and for the faculty in general both at the first and last general faculty meetings of the academic year. If and when these expectations change during the period of service of a faculty member, that faculty member shall be apprised of the change in writing at least six (6) weeks before the change.

Each faculty member shall have an Assigned Duty Sheet before the start of each contract year. The assigned duties for any faculty member shall be consistent with the mission of the DRS and assist the faculty member to gain credit toward continuing contract and/or promotion. Faculty members should examine each Assigned Duty Sheet to be sure opportunities are identified within their duties that will aid them in achieving continuing contract and/or promotion. If the faculty member feels such opportunities are not identified, requests for changes in the assigned duties shall be made to the appropriate administrators. That faculty member shall be apprised of the change in writing at least six (6) weeks before the change occurs.

A copy of the promotion and continuing contract guidelines shall be given to each employee at the time of employment and to all faculty who are eligible for promotion (early or regular) or continuing contract in any given year.

Although the period of time in a given rank is normally five years, demonstrated merit, not years of service, shall be the guiding factor. Promotion shall not be automatic, nor may be regarded as guaranteed upon completion of a given term of service. Early promotion is possible where there is sufficient justification. However, normal promotion shall occur after five years in rank. Candidates applying for promotion before the beginning of their fifth year in rank shall be considered early promotion candidates.

To hold the rank of University School Instructor, a faculty member must hold the Bachelor's Degree and have five years of teaching experience or hold the Master's Degree and have three years of teaching experience

Promotion from Instructor to Assistant Professor shall be considered automatic upon completion of the doctorate, but full documentation for promotion of the faculty member receiving the doctorate shall be submitted with other promotion folders.

(2) Criteria for promotion (and permanent status). Candidates for promotion or continuing contract shall submit a folder containing information that will substantiate the effectiveness of the faculty member in the four major areas of teaching; research, development and creative activity, dissemination, and service. A vita and record of teaching assignments for the past two years shall be included. An evaluation of the candidate's success in carrying out duties on the Assigned Duty Sheet shall also be included.

For promotion and/or continuing contract, effective teaching should be considered in equal proportion to the other criteria.

Evidence of teacher effectiveness may be judged from the growth of learners as well as from the skill of the teacher. Items such as observation from the administration, department chairs, and peers may be included in the folder at the candidate's option. Other items such as standardized test scores, letters from parents, teachers, and students whom the candidate no longer teaches may also be included. It may include the following at the candidate's option:

(i) A listing of instructional courses taught and duties performed, contact hours and enrollment each quarter for last two years.

(ii) A statement as to the proportion of time the candidate is assigned to teaching and duties preformed.

(iii) Course materials and methodology; include only statements related to the development of innovative course materials and new programs. (Programs will be interpreted in the broad sense to include media, methodology, etc.)

(iv) Special teaching responsibilities and related assignments; teaching workshops or seminars; honors courses; adult education courses; in-service courses, DIS, supervised research and supervised teaching.

(v) Out-of-class student contact, i.e. coaching, clubs, tutoring, etc.

(vi) Peer, parent, and/or student evaluation. Evaluations form students shall only be from students the candidate will not longer teach.

(vii) Letters of observation from the administration, department, chairs, and peers.

(a) For promotion to University School Assistant Professor, the candidate should be evaluated on evidence of:

Teacher effectiveness.

Competently done research, development and/or creative accomplishments.

Dissemination of same.

Service to the DRS such as participation in committee work and extra curriculum assignments.

Service to the mission of the school and the teaching profession such as membership in professional organizations, participation in workshops, service on SACS committees, etc.

(b) For promotion to the rank of University School Associate Professor, the candidate shall be evaluated on evidence of:

Teacher effectiveness.

Significant research, development and/or creative accomplishments on or above the state level.

Dissemination of same on or above the state level.

Service to the DRS such as: department coordinator, chairperson of committees, and a demonstrated willingness and ability to assume responsibility.

Service to the mission of the school and the academic profession such as the originator or leader of inservice workshops or conferences, active membership and participation in professional organization, etc. Recommendation from peers on or above the state level, including one from FSU, one from outside FSU.

(c) For promotion to the rank of University School Professor, the candidate shall be evaluated on evidence of:

Teacher effectiveness.

Significant original research, development and/or creative accomplishments on or above national level.

Dissemination of same on or above national level.

Three (3) letters or critical reviews from outside of FSU evaluating the significance of the candidate's work. Service to the DRS in a leadership role such as election by fellow faculty to posts on the Faculty Senate, Policy Advisory Board, major DRS committee, etc.

Service to the mission of the school and the academic profession such as holding state office and/or membership on state/national level committees of an academic or other professional organization.

C. Permanent Status (Continuing Contract)

All full-time faculty holding the rank of University School Assistant Professor or above in non-administrative positions are eligible for continuing contract. Under guidelines of the BOR/UFF Contract and BOR rules, the normal time to receive continuing contract is the reappointment to the fourth year of employment. Applicants should apply for continuing contract during the third year of full-time employment. Persons not approved at that time shall be eligible to serve one additional year and reapply for continuing contract.

For permanent status, each candidate shall be evaluated on the basis of:

(1) The Assigned Duty Sheet (ADS) for each year of employment at the DRS. (It is assumed that the rank of the applicant will be reflected in the ADS and therefore persons above the rank of Instructor will have more varied duties.)

(2) The evaluations by the director of the applicant's performance of duties identified on the ADS.

(3) Written observation of each candidate in the classroom at least twice a year by the administration. Both visits must concur with the BOR/UFF Contract specification (two weeks notice).

D. DRS Faculty Promotion and Continuing Contract Committee

(1) Each year during the pre-planning days the DRS shall elect a PCC Committee whose members all hold continuing contract and whose members will not be going up for promotion during the academic year.

(2) The Committee shall be made up of nine members elected by vote of the full-time permanent faculty for a one-year term.

(3) Members shall be elected to the Committee from four categories:

(a) Elementary Teaching - 2; (b) Secondary Teaching - 3;

(c) Elementary/Secondary Teaching Special Areas - 2;

(d) Elementary/Secondary Non-Teaching Special Areas - 1.

(4) All full-time permanent faculty shall vote for one person in each category. The person(s) receiving the most votes in each category shall be elected to the Committee.

(5) In case of a tie in any category, the tie will be broken as follows:

(a) Earliest employment date at FSU

(b) Higher rank

(c) Total years teaching experience

(d) Flip of a coin

(6) In case of a Committee resignation, the second highest vote recipient in resigned category will fill in the vacancy.

(7) The chairman shall be elected by the Committee.

(8) The Committee shall be charged with the responsibility of reviewing all folders of prospective candidates in the DRS and of recommending action to the Committee Chairman. Once the PCC Committee begins formal review of the folders, no material may be added or deleted from the folder unless otherwise provided for by the guidelines of the FSU Faculty Handbook. The Committee may, indeed is urged to, review folders informally at first to see if there are missing documents and then to request the missing documents.

(9) The Committee shall have at least one working day per folder for the review of the folders.

(10) The chairman shall submit the folders of all recommended candidates to the Director of the DRS with a report of Committee recommendations for promotion or continuing contract or both.

E. The Director of the DRS shall add his or her recommendations and forward the folders of all candidates to the DRS Policy Advisory Board.

F. The Policy Advisory Board shall add its recommendations and forward the folders of all candidates to the Dean of the College of Education.

G. The Dean of the College shall add his or her recommendations and forward the folders to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President through the Office of the Dean of the Faculties.

H. Folders--Candidates for promotion or continuing contract shall submit a folder containing information that will substantiate the effectiveness of the faculty member in the four major areas of teaching; research, development and creative activity, dissemination, and service. A vita and record of teaching assignments for the past two years shall be included. An evaluation of the candidate's success in carrying out duties on the Assigned Duty Sheet also shall be included. As the application is considered, there shall be added to the folder the results of the vote of faculty holding continuing contract and recommendations by each reviewing level.

I. Appeals--A candidate may appeal a negative recommendation at any level to the next higher level. This is true for both promotion and continuing contract candidates. The candidate shall be given at least ten (10) working days to do so. The appeal statement becomes part of the folder. The folder will not go to the next level until these ten (10) working days have passed.

J. A vote by secret ballot of all DRS faculty holding continuing contract shall be conducted to determine their support or lack of support of each applicant's candidacy for continuing contract. The results of this vote for each individual shall be included in the applicant's folder.

K. University School Instructors--University School Instructors appointed before April 1986 who have been given one or more annual contracts indicating "permanent status earning" may be considered eligible to apply for continuing contract under the above rules. University School Instructors appointed after April 1986 are not eligible for continuing contract.