(Revised 2023)

This document serves as a guide and describes the criteria recognizing faculty for promotion, clarifies the criteria, and defines some of the special activities and outcomes which help to distinguish individuals for merit promotion.  It is not intended to serve as a checklist.

I. Submission of a Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of selected materials and documents that describes a faculty member's leadership, teaching, service, professional activities and impact.  Preparing a portfolio requires thoughtful self-evaluation and reflection.  The faculty member is responsible for submitting a portfolio that demonstrates through narrative and documented examples quality performance at the Community College of Philadelphia. 

Portfolios must be submitted electronically as a unified hyperlinked document.  All portfolios must include a Table of Contents.  Typing, spelling, or grammatical errors as well as poorly organized portfolios may have a negative impact on promotion decisions.  It is important to include dates for all activities. Portfolio narratives should not exceed 65 pages and must be formatted in Times New Roman or Arial 12-point font, one-inch margins, single-spaced.

II. Meeting Requirements for Promotion Consideration

Faculty who are interested in being considered for promotion should show significant involvement in the College in the furtherance of its goals, both stated and implied.  In order to be considered for promotion, faculty must demonstrate that they have not only met their basic job responsibilities but have demonstrated significant contributions to the College in terms of leadership and improvement of teaching and learning effectiveness, service to students, contributions to the life of the College, and service to the larger community.  The expectation is that faculty clearly articulate the positive impacts their contributions have made.  Successful promotion candidates will demonstrate both contributions and meaningful outcomes.

For promotion to Associate Professor, candidates:

• Must have completed at least four years of full-time service in rank as Assistant Professor at Community College of Philadelphia; that is, the earliest the portfolio can be submitted is during the fifth year employed full-time as an Assistant Professor at Community College of Philadelphia
• Must show contributions and resulting outcomes to the College in categories B, C and D.  Providing information for E (Service to the Profession) is optional for promotion to Associate Professor
• Must include an up-to-date curriculum vitae
• Must include a Teaching/Advising/Counseling Philosophy
• Must include actual peer observation for the current calendar year, 2023, and for one year within the previous four calendar years (i.e., 2018-2022)
• Must include other evaluation criteria as defined in the current departmental evaluation plan
• Should only include contributions made and resulting outcomes since the date of promotion to or hiring at the rank of Assistant Professor

For promotion to Full Professor, candidates:

• Must demonstrate significant outcomes from leadership over a minimum of four years beyond the promotion to Associate Professor; that is, the earliest a candidate may apply is in the fifth year after serving full-time as an Associate Professor at Community College of Philadelphia
• Must show significant outcomes for leadership in categories B, C, D and E described below
• Must show significant contributions and resulting outcomes beyond the department
• Must, with a Doctorate, have eight (8) years of full-time teaching experience at Community College of Philadelphia (or for counselors, learning lab faculty, and library faculty, the appropriate professional experience at the College)
• Must, without a Doctorate, have ten (10) years of full-time teaching experience at Community College of Philadelphia (or for counselors, learning lab faculty, and library faculty, the comparable amount of professional experience at the College)
• Must include an up-to-date curriculum vitae
• Must include a Teaching/Advising/Counseling Philosophy
• Must include peer observation for the current calendar year, 2023, and for one year within the previous four calendar years (i.e., 2018-2022)
• Must include other evaluation criteria as defined in the departmental evaluation plan.
• Should only include contributions made and resultant impact since promotion to Associate Professor

For promotion to Associate and Full Professor

Examples of ways that faculty can demonstrate their contributions and resultant impact in these areas are included in this document (see examples); however, the examples do not list all of the possibilities.  In requesting consideration for promotion, faculty members are encouraged to provide other examples of activities and outcomes that document the contribution and impact the faculty member has had on the mission of the College.  The promotion review is a process that considers those activities that enhance student learning and the student experience.  A promotion review will consider both the quantity and the quality of faculty contributions and the positive impact of their activities.  Student evaluations of teaching are considered as part of the promotion review process. Promotion may be withheld if there are persistent student complaints which are judged to be egregious by the department head and/or the dean.

A. Routine Responsibilities

This category covers the basic responsibilities of faculty.  All routine responsibilities must be met before the faculty member will be considered for promotion. 

The underlying assumption for eligibility for promotion is a faculty member's demonstration of active contributions to the effective operation of the College.  It is expected that faculty members perform their duties in a manner that is consistent with the mission, goals and core values of the College. Faculty members explain how or document how they meet all expected responsibilities, specifically as listed below.  If there is a responsibility that does not apply to your faculty role, note that.

1. Meeting all classes or fulfilling assigned job responsibilities
2. Holding scheduled office hours as required by contract
3. Punctual attendance based on assigned work hours
4. Having a current syllabus on file for each class taught or documented outlines for group workshops, programs, or services as applicable
5. Participation in faculty evaluation as required by the department and College (i.e., student evaluation of teaching); documentation must be included
6. Teaching according to approved course outcomes or adhering to departmental guidelines for performance in programs and services
7. Participating in assessment of student learning outcomes as defined by department and College which could include course learning outcomes, program learning outcomes, general education
8. Attending graduation and professional development activities as required by contract
9. Participating in advising as required by contract
10. Participating in the life of the department (e.g., departmentally scheduled activities such as workshops, curriculum review, department meetings, departmental committees). Please provide specific detail.
11. Consistency and timeliness in responding to College required reports (20% attendance reporting, grade reports, etc.)
12. Providing timely feedback to students on their academic performance and progress or issues and concerns
13. Responding in a professional way to student complaints

Satisfactory completion of basic job responsibilities is expected of all faculty and must be demonstrated over a period of four years before there will be any consideration of promotion to a higher rank.

B. Teaching Effectiveness, Support for Learning and Leadership

Activities which improve the quality of teaching and increase the opportunities for learning are valued because they respond to the needs of students and faculty alike while improving the academic offerings and intellectual atmosphere of the College.  An on-going assessment of the outcomes of instruction, and related services and interventions, is critical if we are going to accomplish the mission of the College and enable students to meet their goals.  Faculty who systematically evaluate the impact of traditional and non-traditional teaching techniques and materials on student learning, who make modifications based on their findings and/or who share the results with their colleagues demonstrate their commitment to the improvement of teaching and student success.  Faculty who consider issues related to diversity and inclusion as part of their teaching support the College's commitment to equity.

Faculty members who take courses directed toward working with students with special learning needs, who attend seminars or workshops on non-traditional teaching modes and materials, who participate in learning opportunities that focus on inclusion, diversity and equity, who improve their teaching skills in traditional teaching modes, or who do other things which will better equip them to teach our students will find that such activities are valued in the promotion process.  They must go beyond the taking of courses and seminars, however, to implementing new methods, demonstrating new skills in the classroom and/or providing evidence of disseminating this information to members of the department or other appropriate faculty.  This is distinguished from meeting one's basic responsibility for staying up to date in one's discipline.

Faculty are encouraged to create new teaching materials and to develop effective use of varying types of instructional materials to meet the many different educational needs of the Community College of Philadelphia students.  Included in this effort are the development of materials for non-traditional students, new course content to serve the interests of different constituencies and emerging technologies and the demands of an ever-changing work place.  In addition, faculty in areas requiring outside certification are expected to maintain and upgrade certification as appropriate.  It is expected that faculty creating new methods and materials will share these with colleagues and will document the effectiveness of their efforts.

Questions faculty may want to consider as they develop this narrative include:  How do I know that my courses have had an impact on students?  What have I done to update materials?  How have I used feedback from colleagues and students for improvement?  How has my teaching changed over time and what plans do I have to continue improving?  How have I demonstrated leadership in the areas of teaching and student learning in the department, division, College, academic profession, or in my own professional development?

In addition to the information described above, there are a number of ways faculty members may demonstrate that they have met these criteria.  Some examples are listed under each of these categories.

1. Teaching/Advising/Counseling Philosophy
2. Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness
   1. Conducting classes in a manner which will insure the greatest opportunity for student success.  This may be demonstrated by considering retention in courses, students' performance in subsequent courses, evidence of student intellectual growth and student satisfaction (e.g., as indicated on the College student evaluation of teaching)
   2. Working effectively with students from diverse backgrounds.  This may be demonstrated by examining and presenting student outcome data.
   3. Recipient of awards for teaching
   4. Use of assessment for continuous improvement
   5. Regular engagement with PD around assessment
   6. Intentional promotion of diversity and inclusion in the classroom (e.g., use of Cultural Responsive Teaching; choice of course materials; etc.)
   7. Effective use of technology to improve student learning
   8. Facilitation of high impact practices (e.g., service learning; research opportunities for students; collaborative learning, etc.)
   9. Documenting student improvement on core competencies, program learning goals and/or course level outcomes
   10. Directing/supervising student research projects
3. Course or curriculum development, revision or review
   1. Document the impact of developing or revising a curriculum
   2. Document the impact of developing a course
   3. Document the impact of revising and updating a course
   4. Document that course materials are current
   5. Participate in a College self-study or audit
4. Course materials/special projects development
   1. Develop teaching materials for department/division use and document the impact
   2. Develop approved teaching materials for individual use and document the impact
   3. Review and evaluate teaching materials for acquisition
   4. Obtain grant funds for a College project and document impact on student learning
   5. Participate in an innovative project related to teaching
   6. Incorporate equity by design in course and/or curriculum projects and document how these practices promote inclusion
   7. Adopt OER or low to no cost material wherever and whenever possible
5. Leadership in teaching and student learning
   1. Lead department, division, or College committees, groups, or activities related to teaching or the support of student learning
   2. Attain advanced degree or credential from an accredited institution related to your teaching or the support of student learning
   3. Successfully complete a college/university credit course related to your teaching or the support of student learning at a regionally accredited institution
   4. Attend professional development related to one's academic and/or teaching career and explain how new information was used to benefit the College
   5. Complete a diversity certificate and/or a silver project and/or a gold project and provide examples of how knowledge gained from these professional development opportunities have been incorporated into courses and/or extra-curricular activities
   6. Participate in college sponsored professional seminars and explain how new information was used to benefit the College
   7. Do a presentation for faculty for professional development and provide data from an assessment that shows the effectiveness of the presentation
   8. Leadership of assessment practices or processes at the program, department, or divisional level
   9. Invitations to present on teaching to the academic community

C. Service to Students

An integral and critical goal for the College is to provide students with the co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that enhance their goal achievement.  Student development is enhanced by services provided to students by faculty that occur in addition to and distinct from their defined role as a faculty member.  To that end, the College seeks to recognize faculty who demonstrate their commitment to students by creating, actively supporting, and participating in activities which enrich students' college experience beyond the primary role of the faculty member (e.g., beyond advising, tutoring, counseling, or classroom teaching).  Examples of demonstrated activities and subsequent outcomes meeting these criteria include:

1. Creating opportunities for students to participate in community service
2. Serving as a mentor to students
3. Involving students in cultural activities which enhance their understanding of college values
4. Including students in scholarly work (e.g., academic presentations, research projects, conferences)
5. Offering learning activities outside of class (e.g., study groups, service learning, field trips, study abroad)
6. Participating in or collaborating with Student Life sponsored events (e.g., orientation, athletics, career activities, leadership retreats)
7. Engaging students in activities that will increase their preparation as active and concerned citizens
8. Serving as an advisor to an active student club or organization
9. Participating in activities to enhance students' transfer and/or employment opportunities (e.g., providing opportunities for experiential learning like internships)

With each of the above activities as applicable, faculty should document their work and provide the outcomes related to their efforts.

D. Contributions to the Life of the College

Faculty members are expected to demonstrate commitment to the College mission, core values and goals.  Most often, this requires working collegially and collaboratively at the College with a diversity of individuals and groups.  Recognition will be given to faculty members who provide leadership within the institution. Leadership in areas that are consistent with College strategic directions is particularly valued. This includes activities related to College planning, as well as active participation in College initiatives such as Guided Pathways. Participating in development activities which bring funds into the institution and engaging in activities which enhance the College's relationships with businesses, schools and other colleges to provide significant support for the College is valued.  Some individuals conceive ideas that move us forward, and others implement them.  Both actions are valued.

Finally, the College recognizes contributions that faculty make to the community.  Faculty who have meaningful participation in activities which are important to the community while they are identified as faculty of this College provide a service to the wider community and have the potential to enhance the reputation of our institution.  It is important to document the impact of service to the community and indicate how that service benefits the College. Faculty must document the outcomes that are linked to their efforts in various activities.  Examples of demonstrated activities meeting these criteria include:

1. Service as a leader (e.g.. Department Head, Curriculum Coordinator, Standing Committee Officer, Teaching Center Facilitator, Officer of Faculty Federation, etc.)
2. Service on a Re-Accreditation Committee
3. Active service on a College-wide committee
4. Involvement in College recruiting activities
5. Obtaining grant funds to help support College objectives
6. Initiation of innovative projects and/or leadership of major projects
7. Participation in activities which enhance the College's relationship with the community, secondary schools and/or colleges and universities (i.e. secondary school outreach; developing and offering programs; and establishing articulation agreements)
8. Service as mentor for faculty
9. Participation in activities to recruit and hire College employees
10. Work that emphasizes workforce development, economic development and continuing education (particularly by assisting with the College's workforce and economic development initiatives)
11. Active participation in a community group and/or civic organization that is of value to both the organization and the College
12. Development of professional development opportunities that contribute to diversity certificate options

E. Service to the Profession

The College recognizes contributions that faculty make to the profession.  Questions faculty may think about in relationship to service to the profession include:  How have my professional activities enhanced my teaching or provided opportunities for students?  How have I shared my expertise with colleagues at the College?  What plans do I have for continuing contributions to the field or discipline?

Examples of demonstrated activities meeting these criteria include:

1. Serve on a regional, national or specialized accreditation team
2. Active participation in a community group and/or civic organization
3. Peer reviewed publication
4. Serve as an editor or on an editorial board for a scholarly publication
5. Production and/or performance of recognized creative works
6. Publications in proceedings of conferences or in national media
7. Serve as officer in a professional organization
8. Give public lectures, speeches, etc., by invitation
9. Presentations at national, state or local professional conferences
10. Work with state or national education groups
11. Teach an upper level course in one's field at another accredited college or university
12. Receipt of grants related to one's scholarship
13. Citations of one's work in the scholarly work of others
14. Invitations to participate in national seminars or institutes
15. Hosting scholarly conferences or meetings
16. Development of new programs

Examples – Administrative Criteria for Promotion

Please note:  These examples are provided as a guide to assist faculty applicants in the development of their promotion portfolios.  In order to be considered for promotion, faculty must demonstrate that they have met their routine responsibilities and have made significant contributions to the College in terms of teaching effectiveness/support for learning and leadership, service to students, contributions to the life of the College, and service to the profession.

This document provides examples on how best to articulate “significant contributions” to the College.  Faculty must demonstrate the impact that their work has had in each of the FOUR sections (see below) outlined in the criteria for promotion.  The outcomes shared in the portfolio must distinguish individuals for merit promotion.   

Criteria: Teaching Effectiveness/Support for Learning/Leadership

LESS EFFECTIVE (Only Lists Activity)	MOST EFFECTIVE (Lists Activity, Role, & Resulting Outcome)
Developed a curriculum for three (3) different career exploration workshops.	Developed a series of Career workshops in partnership with the Liberal Arts program.  Over 150 student participated in five different sessions that helped to confirm their pathway of choice.  As a result, all the students completed an educational plan for the next academic year.
Created a new course for the Photographic Imaging program.	Analyzed student needs, technical skill requirements, and the cultural knowledge competencies needed to create two new courses in the Photographic Imaging program. Both courses were approved and will run in Fall 20XX.
After trial and error in my own classroom, I revamped the way that the research paper is taught in ENGL 102.	After piloting a modular approach to teaching the research paper for three semesters, I was able to document increased retention and passing rates in my classes. I shared the approach with the English department, and the department subsequently adopted the method as the predominant approach to teaching ENGL 102.
Earned an EdD in Educational Leadership	As part of completing my EdD in Educational Leadership, I studied the effectiveness of XYZ in the retention of high-risk students.  I suggested we apply my findings in the department two years ago, and since then there has been a beginning trend of increased retention of all students, including high-risk students. See Exhibit “XX” for data charts indicating improvements over the last two years.
Led a subgroup of faculty in developing strategies to increase student retention and pass rates in Business 101.	Led a subgroup of faculty in developing and implementing retention strategies for First-Time in College Students in Business 101. I coordinated all meetings and was the point person to ensure strategies were implemented in all sections of Business 101. (See attached list of strategies [Exhibit “XX”]). As evidenced by tracking FTIC students’ enrollment, pass rate, and surveys, the outcomes were positive. See attached Data and Survey results (Exhibit “XX”).
Participated in the analysis of student learning outcomes for several courses in the department.	In the Creative Arts department, I have been instrumental in using assessment of student learning to drive curriculum development and to improve teaching practices. Specifically, I designed and shared rubrics for all program courses. This facilitated the evaluation of student learning outcomes and serves as a vehicle for program-level assessment. I also collect and analyze the data, and then lead discussions of the outcomes with the department faculty. Subsequently, the faculty implement necessary adjustments in instructional practices or course materials as a result of the assessment.

Criteria: Service to Students

LESS LESS EFFECTIVE (Only Lists Activity)	MOST EFFECTIVE (Lists Activity, Role, & Resulting Outcome)
Served as the advisor to the Reader’s & Writer’s Club for four (4) years	Served as the advisor to the Reader’s & Writer’s Club which produced five students who placed in the top three for creative essays/poems in the state of Pennsylvania.  Moreover, the club started with eight core members and after three years, there were an average of 22 active members attending monthly meetings.
Take students on field trips to local museums and galleries.	Leads student field trips to venues in the local art community, utilizing professional network to arrange presentations by the featured artists for students.  Students do more than venture off campus; they engage in artistic discussions with artists about craft, journey, and philosophy.
Conducted a service-learning project in my CIS 105 course every semester.	Each semester in my CIS 105 course, students engage in a service learning project which requires the students to teach members of the Philadelphia community how to use their computers, troubleshoot minor issues, and protect themselves with basic security precautions. Students create the flyers to advertise the event, organize themselves regarding how to interact with their “customers,” and create their own lesson plans.  After each event, we spend time in class reflecting on their experiences and how those experiences relate to their future careers in the computer technology field.
Mentored student workers in the Library.	Mentored student workers in the Library by holding monthly meetings, reviewing Library standards, and instituting a semester luncheon. Students were assessed at the beginning of the program and at the end, to assess students’ development. See attached (Exhibit “XX”) pre and post results, which indicate an increase in students’ knowledge of Library standards

Criteria: Contributions to the Life of the College

LESS LESS EFFECTIVE (Only Lists Activity)	MOST EFFECTIVE (Lists Activity, Role, & Resulting Outcome)
Served on the Summer Bridge Committee	Served as the chair of the Summer Bridge Committee, which produced a proposal that was adopted by the College for implementation.
Participated on the Guided Pathways Developmental Education Subcommittee.	Served as a lead faculty on the Guided Pathways Developmental Education Subcommittee. As such, I trained faculty in best practices for contextualizing developmental coursework.
Served as a mentor to a new faculty member during the 2022-2023 academic year.	I served as a mentor to Jane Doe during her first academic year at the College, 2022-2023.  I welcomed her during an initial meeting that included a tour of the campus and a highlight of the various areas of the College.  We then met monthly throughout the year, focusing on questions she had and generally talking about life as a College faculty member, as well as the benefits and challenges of working in Philadelphia.
Participated on the Student Success Team.	Served as an active member of the Student Success Team and led the initiative of History 111 faculty sending students their mid-term grades via CANVAS with input on how the student could improve, if needed. One-on-one meetings were offered to all students by their instructor. Assessment of initiative compared students’ mid-term grades with final grades. 45% of students increased their grades from mid-term to final grades.

Criteria: Service to the Profession

LESS LESS EFFECTIVE (Only Lists Activity)	MOST EFFECTIVE (Lists Activity, Role, & Resulting Outcome)
Submitted article for publication in NACADA Journal	Served on the Chamber of Commerce and was appointed the chair of the education committee.  We were able to establish a fundraising project that yielded over $2,500 for scholarships for first generation students attending the Community College of Philadelphia.
Served on the Chamber of Commerce in my town.	Presented at the Achieving the Dream Conference on Advising Reform at Community College of Philadelphia. Presentation highlighted a best practice on a national level of implementing proactive advising and lessons learned for future development. Institutional data was presented related to increased student persistence who have assigned advisors.
Presentation at National Achieving the Dream Conference	Presented at the Achieving the Dream Conference on Advising Reform at Community College of Philadelphia.  Presentation highlighted a best practice on a national level of implementing proactive advising and lessons learned for future development.  Institutional data was presented related to increased student persistence for students who have assigned advisors.