XIX. Granting the Rank of Professor to Faculty with Tenured Appointments

A. Standards

1. College Standards. The rank of Professor will be granted to those members of the tenured faculty who, in the Provost’s assessment and after completion of the process specified in this Statement, have met the requirements for tenure and the ongoing expectations for performance of a tenured faculty member as set forth in Section V.B.1. and have, in addition, distinguished themselves through academic careers of leadership and exceptional accomplishment in teaching and teaching-related activities; scholarly or creative endeavor; and service to the College, profession and community (“College Standards”). Demonstration of such leadership and accomplishment requires strong evidence of sustained distinction at the national level, as affirmed by relevant members of the College and by qualified colleagues at other institutions. Faculty members with tenured appointments with the rank of Professor embrace the responsibility to maintain the highest level of academic citizenship and leadership.

2. Department Standards.

a. Content. Because the College Standards set forth in Section XIX.A.1. are of necessity general, they do not fully reflect the standards that the College’s various Departments set for their tenured faculty members with the rank of Professor.

Therefore, each Department of the College shall have a written statement that articulates the standards that their Department will use to evaluate whether a full-time faculty member has met the applicable College Standards set forth in Section XIX.A.1. Each Department’s written statement of such standards (“Department Standards”) must both conform to the College Standards and go beyond them by making clear how the Department will apply the College Standards in the context of its specific subject matter, programs, needs, and aspirations.

Each statement of Department Standards must specify the evidence necessary to document a faculty member’s performance and accomplishments that a full-time faculty member with the rank of Professor should develop and preserve.

b. Creation and Revision. Upon the formation or restructuring of a Department, the Tenured faculty members with the rank of Professor, including the Department Chair if they hold the rank of Professor, to be assigned to the new Department, in consultation with the appropriate School Dean, shall develop the Department Standards.

A review of existing Department Standards may be initiated by the Department, by the School Dean, or by the Provost, and at minimum will be conducted every five years. During a review, the Tenured members in the Department with the rank of Professor, including the Department Chair if they hold the rank of Professor, in consultation with the appropriate School Dean, may consider and propose amendments. 

c. Approval. To ensure that they conform to the College Standards in Section XIX.A.1. and facilitate achievement of the objectives of this Statement, Department Standards will periodically be reviewed and approved by the appropriate School Dean, then delivered to the Provost for review and final approval.

In the event that no Department Standards have been adopted or Department Standards have not been reviewed in more than six years because there are no tenured faculty members with the rank of Professor in the department, only the college standards will be used to evaluate any candidates for promotion in said department.

d. Distribution. The Office of the Provost will publish the Department Standards on the College’s intranet site.

B. Eligibility. Upon holding a Tenured Appointment with the rank of Associate Professor for a minimum of five years, Columbia College Chicago faculty members will be eligible to apply for the rank of Professor. The decision to apply (or withdraw at any stage of review) rests entirely with the applicant.

C. Application Process

Note: Please review Section II. General Principles before reading the following procedures.

1. Declaration of Intent to Apply. No later than the end of the fall semester preceding the year in which the tenured faculty member applies for the rank of Professor, an eligible Associate Professor who wishes to apply for promotion must submit to the respective Department Chair, with copies to the School Dean and Academic Personnel, a letter declaring intent to apply for the rank of Professor during the following academic year.

2. Departmental Committee.

a. No later than the first Monday of March, Department Chairs will notify the persons who will serve on the respective Departmental Committees and ensure that they are acquainted with the responsibilities of the Departmental Committee service in accordance with the following guidelines:

i. All available persons within an applicant’s department holding a tenured appointment with the rank of Professor are obligated to serve on the applicant’s Departmental Committee. The Department Chair, regardless of rank, will not serve on this Departmental Committee since the Department Chair represents a separate level of review.

ii. In departments with three or more Professors (excluding the Department Chair), the departmental Professoriate will constitute the full membership of the Committee.

iii. In departments with 0, 1, or 2 Professors (excluding the Department Chair), the School Dean (in consultation with the Department Chair and the applicant) will select Departmental Committee members from among those holding tenured appointments with the rank of Professor in whatever number is necessary to bring the Departmental Committee’s membership to three persons. The School Dean may select Professors from the department serving in administrative roles and/or Professors from other departments. In most cases, these Professors will be drawn from within the department’s school; however, where appropriate, Committee members may be selected from another school in consultation with the School Dean. In all cases, School Deans will use their best efforts to convene a Departmental Committee with disciplinary expertise as close as possible to that of the applicant.

b. If the applicant is the Department Chair, the School Dean will select a Chair designee who will assume the role of the Chair who would perform the administrative role throughout the process but will not participate in the review of the application.

3. External Reviewer Processes.

a. Selection. Not later than the first Monday of April following the Declaration of Intent to Apply, the applicant and the Departmental Committee will each Deliver to the Department Chair a list of at least five individuals for consideration at External Reviewers. The Department Chair will then hold a meeting with the applicant and Departmental Committee to review the lists and compile a final list of at least ten individuals for consideration as External Reviewers. The Department Chair may also suggest individuals for the list. Not later than the end of the spring semester following the Declaration of Intent to Apply, the Department Chair will Deliver the list of ten potential External Reviewers to the School Dean. The School Dean, in consultation with the Department Chair, will then select at least three individuals from the list and ask them to serve as External Reviewers (see Example B). Should any of the selected individuals decline to serve, the School Dean will select other individuals from the list, as needed, until at least three External Reviewers are secured. If the list of individuals is exhausted before three are secured, the School Dean may, in consultation with the Departmental Committee, solicit individuals not on the list. Not later than the fourth Monday in November, following the Declaration of Intent to Apply, the School Dean will Deliver to Academic Personnel a list of committed External Reviewers.

b. Evaluation. External Reviewers will evaluate the faculty member’s performance in the areas of scholarly or creative endeavor and service to the profession in the years since the applicant was tenured. This evaluation will consist of a review of the faculty member’s curriculum vitae and an exemplary selection of evidence submitted by the faculty member. This evidence must be Delivered to Academic Personnel no later than the fourth Monday of November. Academic Personnel will then Deliver the applicant’s evidence and curriculum vitae to the External Reviewers with instructions that will include the College Standards and respective Department Standards.

c. Reports. Upon completion of the External Reviewers’ evaluation, each Reviewer will prepare a written report (the “External Reviewer’s Promotion to Professor Report”) that (i) identifies all materials reviewed in the preparation of the Report and (ii) sets forth conclusions as to the faculty member’s past performance regarding scholarly or creative endeavor and service to the profession.

d. Distribution. The External Reviewers will each Deliver a signed External Reviewer’s Promotion to Professor Report and a copy of their CV to Academic Personnel no later than the fourth Monday in January. The School Dean may choose to provide an External Reviewer with a deadline extension, where possible. All Delivered External Reviewer Tenure Reports will be appended to the Application after the faculty member submits the Application as described below. If less than three External Reviewer Reports are Delivered, the Application will move forward in the process regardless.

4. The Application. No later than the fourth Monday in November, the applicant must submit to the Department Chair the evidence provided to the External Reviewers plus evidence demonstrating exceptional accomplishment in the applicant’s teaching and teaching-related activities and service to the College and community in the years since the applicant was tenured (the “Application”).

5. Departmental Committee Processes.

a. Evaluation. No later than the second Friday of February, the Departmental Committee will review the Application, and each member will vote to recommend its approval or denial based on the College Standards and appropriate Department Standards. A tie vote in the Departmental Committee will be treated in the same manner as a recommendation to approve.

Upon reaching a recommendation, the Departmental Committee will Deliver that recommendation and supporting rationale reflecting the vote taken to the Department Chair. A copy will be made available to the applicant. If the Department Chair is the applicant, the Departmental Committee will Deliver the materials to the School Dean.

6. Department Chair. No later than the fourth Friday of February, the Department Chair will review the Application and recommend its approval or denial based on the College Standards and appropriate Department Standards.

The Department Chair will Deliver that recommendation and supporting rationale to the School Dean. A copy will be made available to the applicant.

If the applicant is the Department Chair, this step of the process will be waived.

7. School Dean. No later than the third Friday of March, the School Dean will review the Application and recommend its approval or denial based on the College Standards and appropriate Department Standards.

The School Dean will Deliver the recommendation and supporting rationale to the All College Promotion Committee (ACPC). Copies will be made available to the Department Chair and the applicant.

8. All College Promotion Committee (ACPC). No later than the second Friday of April, the ACPC will review the Application, and each member will vote to recommend its approval or denial based on the College Standards and appropriate Department Standards. A tie will be treated in the same manner as a recommendation to approve.

The ACPC will Deliver that recommendation and supporting rationale reflecting the vote taken to the Provost. Copies will be made available to the School Dean, the Department Chair, and the applicant.

9. Provost. No later than the first Friday of May, the Provost will review the Application, approve or deny it, and Deliver a letter informing the applicant of the decision, with copies to the School Dean, the Department Chair, and the associate provost.  The associate provost will inform the members of the ACPC, and the Department Chair will inform the members of the Departmental Committee.

If the Application is approved, the applicant’s tenured appointment with the rank of Professor will take effect at the beginning of the subsequent academic year.

10. Record Retention. All materials developed in the course of the promotion process will be retained in the Office of Academic Personnel.

D. Effect on Post-Tenure Review Schedule

If a faculty member declares an intent to apply for promotion to the rank of Full Professor in an academic year when the faculty member is scheduled to undergo a Post-Tenure Review, the Post-Tenure Review will be held in abeyance. If the faculty member withdraws the intent to apply for promotion to the rank of Full Professor prior to August 16, the Post-Tenure Review will resume as previously scheduled.

Any faculty member who withdraws the intent to apply or application materials after August 16 may not apply for promotion to the rank of Full Professor the following academic year. If the faculty member’s Post-Tenure Review was postponed pending the application for promotion, the Post-Tenure Review will be conducted the following academic year.

If a faculty member is denied promotion to the rank of Full Professor, the faculty member's Post-Tenure Review clock resumes and the faculty member may not apply for promotion to the rank of Full Professor for the following two academic years.

A faculty member who is granted the rank of Full Professor will undergo Post-Tenure Review every third year from the point of the faculty member's appointment to Full Professor.