Published November 16, 2023
Summary of Progress:
The Scholarship, Tenure and Recognition Subcommittee recommended numerous changes to UB tenure and promotion (T&P) guidelines and criteria. These included the addition of several statements about research and community engagement to the guidelines, one of which the subcommittee had already drafted. Changes to UB’s T&P guidelines and criteria will need to be approved by the Faculty Senate.
During the 2022-23 academic year, the Faculty Senate Tenure, Promotion and Privileges Committee, along with the Equity and Diversity Committee, reviewed and updated the subcommittee recommendations and presented them to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. On October 24, 2023, a resolution on the changes to the T&P guidelines passed the Executive Committee and will be be presented to the full Faculty Senate for consideration.
Several subcommittee recommendations related to better supporting and recognizing civic/community engaged faculty research. In April 2023, in collaboration with the Vice President for Research and Economic Development (VPRED), the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (VPFAC) hosted a workshop for faculty to discuss civic/community engaged research initiatives at UB, for which 57 people registered. This workshop highlighted examples of engaged research across the university with 10 faculty presentations and included conversations on how UB can best support faculty who conduct and/or plan to conduct this type of research. This includes community-based research broadly, participatory action and activist research, civically engaged research and/or other community-oriented research initiatives. As part of the workshop, UB created an inventory of community-oriented research being done across the university.
Following this workshop, the VPRED and VPFAC submitted a report to the Provost that summarized the workshop and offered recommendations for supporting community engaged research initiatives. As a result, a new Civic Engagement Research Fund was established to support projects with grants up to $5,000. In the first round of grants, UB received 24 proposals from faculty. A review committee of faculty from across three academic units identified 12 projects to fund. Moving forward, UB is planning to create an advisory group to help guide future rounds of funding for research and to create more dialogue and an enhanced community on campus for people engaged in this kind of research.
UB’s Director of Faculty Recognition continues to work directly with deans, chairs, faculty and department awards committees to identify, support and manage faculty award nominations. In Spring 2023, the Office for the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs held a panel session focused on tips for forming productive external awards committees and best practices for promoting an awards culture within departments. This panel session included discussion of how to promote equity during the nomination and application process. As a follow up to this session, the VPFAC expanded its website to include a dedicated page on "Equity in Recognition and Awards Efforts." The Director of Faculty Recognition has also developed a database of award opportunities that specifically recognize underrepresented faculty, as well as those whose research, service, teaching, and/or mentoring are focused on equity and social justice. This database of awards will be featured on our website in 2023-24.
In addition, several other recommendations have been implemented/moved forward:
The Scholarship, Tenure and Recognition Subcommittee recommended numerous changes to UB's tenure and promotion (T&P) guidelines and criteria. These included the addition of several statements about research and community engagement to the guidelines, one of which the subcommittee had already drafted. Changes to UB’s T&P guidelines and criteria will need to be approved by the Faculty Senate.
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (VPAC), Bob Granfield met with the Faculty Senate Tenure, Promotion and Privileges Committee and the Equity and Diversity Committee to deliver the recommendations related to T&P so that they can review them, draft any additional statements needed, and shepherd the changes through the Faculty Senate during the 2022-23 academic year. The VPAC also shared the T&P recommendations with appropriate Associate Deans.
In Spring 2022, UB welcomed a new Director of the new Office of Faculty Recognition, housed in Faculty Affairs. Faculty Recognition works directly with deans, chairs, faculty and department awards committees to identify, support and manage faculty award nominations. In Spring 2022, Faculty Recognition polled chairs to see which departments already have awards committees. About half of respondents indicated that they already have committees in their departments. Starting in 2022-23, the Director of Faculty Recognition plans to host workshops to help guide departments in setting up awards committees and to share best practices from existing awards committees on campus, including promoting equity during the nomination and application process.
In addition, several other recommendations have been implemented/moved forward:
Recommendation | Timeline | Status |
Add a vision and research statement to preamble of UB T&P guidelines that directly connects faculty contributions to the university’s mission and acknowledges the myriad kinds of scholarly work faculty undertake | AY 2022-23 | In progress – statement drafted by subcommittee |
Better recognize and support civic engagement and service activities in T&P:
| AY 2022-23 | In progress |
For T&P dossiers, broaden the groups from which letters of recommendation are solicited beyond AAU to ensure the most appropriate evaluators are assessing faculty contributions. In soliciting letters from evaluators, remove question “would this person be promoted at your university” | AY 2022-23 | In progress |
For T&P, provide faculty with more power in choosing how to present teaching and demonstrate effectiveness in the classroom. | AY 2022-23 | In progress |
T&P materials should address contributions to advancing racial equity and social justice to assure accountability for advancing UB’s goals. | AY 2022-23 | In progress |
Ensure that T&P guidelines/standards at all levels are clear, written out, and well defined to help clarify processes. | AY 2022-23 | In progress |
To advance UB’s research and engagement missions, provide university-wide support for public engagement, particularly that which addresses racial and social justice (e.g., civic engagement grant, research institute, endowed chairs, etc). (similar recommendation referred from Community Engagement Subcommittee) | Fall 2022 | In progress |
Ensure that all departments/schools have an equitable system (i.e., a faculty awards committee) and sufficient resources for faculty award nominations to assure that departments are equitably and actively pursuing awards for faculty, and particularly those faculty members who have historically been overlooked. | Fall 2022 | In progress |
Require chairs/deans to equitably and transparently assign service and create a process for faculty to report when they are undertaking unassigned service such as mentoring or community engagement. | Fall 2022 | In progress |
Require each unit to develop policies of accountability and training to prevent abuse of power and bias at the department, school and university level for faculty T&P and recognition. Ensure that faculty who serve on tenure/promotion/awards committees and/or as internal reviewers are committed to upholding equity. | Fall 2022 | In progress |
Include contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in the 5-year decanal review and chair review procedures. Require chairs and deans to describe the contributions they have made and plan to make moving forward, and also asking for constituent feedback, where appropriate. | Fall 2022 | For 5-year decanal review: Completed
For chair review: In progress |
