Insights on Integrating the Teacher-Scholar Model into the Tenure and Promotion Processes at a Teaching-Focused Engineering College
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Two surveys were conducted to gain insights about evaluating faculty work within the context of the teacher-scholar model at a primarily undergraduate engineering college that is part of a large state university system.Survey participants include college faculty and engineering deans from the system.The faculty results strongly reflect the baccalaureate mission of preparing graduates for the practice of their professions.This was evident in the responses to the question about preferred methods for evaluating faculty research.Private consulting was valued by the faculty, because it maintains disciplinary currency that is believed to support higher quality, state-of-thepractice learning environments.In many cases, the responses of the faculty and deans were similar.Both groups agree that "striking a balance between Retention, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) standards and the teaching workload" is the most important reason for the review and revision of RPT criteria.They were in general agreement on the top four methods for evaluating teaching, including: student evaluations, self-evaluations, professional development, and peer review.They were in agreement on the methods for evaluating research and scholarship, including: self-evaluation, student participation, impact on teaching, development of new techniques, and judgments by colleagues from within the institution.Both groups disfavored evaluation by scholars external to the institution.Throughout the survey, the deans had stronger preferences than the faculty for externally validated artifacts of performance such as teaching awards, publications, and funding. BackgroundCalifornia Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) is a member of the twentythree California State University (CSU) campus system, which was created by the Donahoe Higher Education Act in 1960.This legislation followed the recommendations of A Master Plan for Higher Education in California 1960 -1975, whereby different functions were assigned to the University of California, the CSU, and the California Community Colleges 1 .The CSU's primary mission was to prepare the state's workforce through superior teaching and service to students.Research assumed a minor role.This mission was modified by a 1989 revision of the Educational Code acknowledging the centrality of scholarship, research and creative activity to the CSU mission (CA 66010.4).This was followed by a 1997 Cornerstones Report 2 that identified these faculty activities as essential components of the CSU teaching-centered mission.Finally in 2007, the Provosts of the CSU asserted the importance of faculty scholarship to keeping California competitive in a global marketplace, and keeping faculty at the cutting edge of their disciplines so they can participate as a member of the world's scholars leading to enhancements of their teaching and student interactions 3 .The Provosts recommended strategies of reallocation, realignment, and reassignment to support and encourage increased faculty and student research and scholarship.
Author: Debra Larson
Institution: California Polytechnic State University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4409668260