Jacobs School of Music Promotion and Tenure Handbooks

The first phase of dossier preparation focuses on the preparation of materials to be sent to expert evaluators. These materials typically include:

• a CV (see Appendix 1: Suggestions for Faculty CVs)
• a short statement (4-7 pages) defining the candidate’s area of excellence as defined in their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and contextualizing the materials included for review (see Appendix 2: Suggestions for Preparing Short Statement and Evidence for Expert Evaluators)
• a sample of evidence for review by expert evaluators. This evidence will be specific to each position as outlined in the MOU. Suggestions in the areas of service, teaching and research/creative activity are provided under “Components of the Final Dossier” in Procedures in the Jacobs School of Music for Long-Term Contracts.
  
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See additional suggestions under "Evidence of Teaching" in Procedures in the Jacobs School of Music for Long-Term Contracts and Promotion Decisions.

Candidates will consult with their review committee chair and with the ADFARCA to determine the appropriate scope and quantity of materials to be sent out. All files should be converted to PDFs when appropriate.

This phase also includes the identification of letter writers in two categories:

Evaluative letters for the dossier may be drawn from expert evaluators within the School, or from the profession at large. Evaluators from within the School should not also be serving on the candidate’s review committee.

The candidate will supply a list of four people from outside their department or area to serve as expert evaluators. The candidate should include a short statement about their connection to each person.

After discussion with the review committee, the review committee chair may compile a separate list of a maximum of four additional expert evaluators from outside of the department if desired. The connection of the candidate to these evaluators (if any) should also be explained.

The review committee chair should contact all potential evaluators to determine their willingness to write a letter evaluating the candidate. The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity will send the candidate’s dossier, a copy of the Jacobs School of Music procedures for academic specialist appointments, and a copy of the candidate’s MOU (with amendments) to all those correspondents willing to participate. The dossier should include the candidate’s personal statement and Curriculum Vitae, and evidence that demonstrates excellence in the areas of evaluation specified in the MOU.

The final dossier should include a minimum of four evaluative letters. The final dossier may also include letters solicited from former students of the academic specialist.

Unsolicited letters from anyone including present students, mentors outside or inside the Jacobs School of Music, professional colleagues, retired faculty, etc. may be submitted for inclusion in the dossier in a special section.

See also “Letters for the Dossier" in Procedures in the Jacobs School of Music for Long-Term Contracts.

Following the submission of materials in Phase 1, the candidate will begin compiling the complete dossier to be submitted for review.

Candidate’s Personal Statement

One of the most important parts of this phase of dossier preparation is drafting the candidate’s personal statement. The short statement provided for expert evaluators may be used as the basis to expand the personal statement as desired. Research/creative activity and service in support of teaching may also be addressed in this expanded version of the statement. This is also the place to describe the candidate’s background, philosophy, etc., as appropriate. Although there are many ways to write an effective statement, the final statement should follow these guidelines as closely as possible:

• Length: 6-10 pages
• The statement should begin with a brief introduction containing biographical or philosophical context for the discussion of the candidate’s work.
• The narrative should go beyond a prose summary of the CV and should explain why individual contributions are significant to the candidate’s work as a whole and to their field.
• The narrative should refer to specific evidence in the dossier and should include links to specific portions of the dossier whenever possible. Evidence can only be used in support of one area.
• The statement should end with a brief conclusion and may include discussion of future plans.

The candidate is encouraged to submit drafts of the statement to the ADFARCA as early as possible. (The first draft should be submitted no later than June 15.) The Scholarly Writing Program (SWP) is also an excellent resource for those seeking additional assistance with their personal statements.

Compiling Materials for the Dossier

Candidates should consult “Components of the Final Dossier” in Procedures in the Jacobs School of Music for Long-Term Contracts for recommendations regarding the compilation of substantiating evidence.

The candidate may add new items to the CV as appropriate. Revised drafts of the CV may be shared with the ADFARCA at any time.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to create an index of materials included in the complete dossier. This index should provide links to specific items in each folder to give each reviewer a clear overview of the materials submitted. Please consult the Office of the ADFARCA for assistance with the preparation of these indices.

Starting September 1: Electronic dossiers are reviewed by the department for an exact vote on each area and an overall recommendation. Review committee chair writes departmental summary and separate chair’s letter by Friday, September 19.

Starting September 22: Electronic dossiers are reviewed by the School Committee for an exact vote in each area and an overall recommendation. Chair writes letters on behalf of the committee by Friday, October 31.

November 3: The Dean of the School begins reviewing electronic dossiers.

February 1: Notification of Dean's decision.

Academic specialists who are appointed on a probationary contract are eligible for consideration for a long-term contract any time after three years as a full-time faculty member.  Such consideration must occur during the sixth year of appointment. Promotion within this classification is not possible. Recommendations to the Dean for a long-term contract will be based on an assessment of excellence in assigned responsibilities, and will come from the candidate’s review committee, their academic supervisor, chairs of departments in which any courses have been taught, and the Jacobs School of Music Non-tenure Track Promotion and Policy Committee (NTT Promotion and Policy Committee).

At the time of appointment, an academic specialist shall receive a letter of appointment from the Dean or the Dean’s designee. The Office of the Dean, the academic specialist, and the academic supervisor to whom the academic specialist reports will, during the first semester of appointment, complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which articulates how the elements of the job description in the appointment letter are to be fulfilled and evaluated. Additionally, the MOU will identify which elements from the dossier checklist may contribute evidence of excellence in fulfillment of the duties of the position. The MOU will be discussed and signed by the academic specialist and by the academic supervisor designated by the Dean. The MOU will also be reviewed and signed by the Dean.

At the time of appointment, the academic supervisor, together with the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity, will convene a review committee of at least five members for the academic specialist, of which the academic supervisor shall be chair. If the academic supervisor is the Dean, or an associate dean, then the chair shall be appointed from the other members of the committee. Where possible, the review committee shall include members of the permanent faculty of the school who have expertise in, or relating to, the job responsibilities of the academic specialist. When the responsibilities of the academic specialist fall within the clear purview of a single department—or if the academic specialist’s appointment is specific to a single department—the review committee may be drawn from a single department. Otherwise, representation on the review committee will be drawn from a subset of departments whose mission is supported by the academic specialist’s responsibilities. As personnel in the School may change over time, changes in membership of the review committee will be documented and recorded in the academic specialist’s file. In the event of the retirement or resignation of the academic supervisor or committee chair, a new supervisor or chair will be appointed by the Dean.

As the needs of the School and the interests of the academic specialist evolve, it is possible that the assigned responsibilities of the academic specialist may undergo change. In this event, the academic specialist, the Dean or the Dean’s designee, and the academic supervisor should meet to develop an amendment to the MOU that explains the revised duties and the nature of and reasons for the changes. This amendment should be signed by the academic specialist, the academic supervisor, and the Dean and kept in the faculty member’s file.

The review committee shall have responsibility for conducting annual reviews of the work of the academic specialist during the probationary appointment and will advise the candidate on areas of work which are progressing towards the demonstration of excellence and areas which need improvement in order to advance the case for a long-term contract in accordance with the MOU. The review committee should solicit evaluations from peers or colleagues identified in the MOU as a part of each annual review. The review committee will also examine whether the MOU is an accurate representation of the duties of the academic specialist, and as part of the annual review, will recommend possible amendments.

In order to recommend appointment of an academic specialist to a long-term contract, the reviewing committees of the School must be satisfied that the faculty member has achieved or exceeded the standards of the Jacobs School of Music as reflected in the letter of appointment and the MOU, and as expressed to the candidate in writing by the review committee and academic supervisor, following annual reviews.

In the first year of appointment, academic specialists and their academic supervisors will be notified in writing by the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity about policies and procedures for reappointment and long-term contracts. They also will be given a dossier checklist of items to assemble. Reappointment and long-term contract decisions will be final within the School and will not involve committees and administrators outside the Jacobs School of Music. Non-reappointment and dismissal decisions, however, will be reviewed by the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs.

Appointment of academic specialists to a long-term contract is based on demonstrated excellence in the assigned duties as reflected in the letter of appointment and the MOU, together with any amendments.

Academic specialists should submit materials to substantiate their impact on the School and the university community related to their assigned duties. Dossiers are in an electronic format. Possible materials include evidence of service, teaching, research, creative activity, mentorship, organizational activities, and projects.

Evaluative letters for the dossier may be drawn from expert evaluators within the School, or from the profession at large. Evaluators from within the School should not also be serving on the candidate’s review committee.

The candidate will supply a list of four people from outside their department or area to serve as expert evaluators. The candidate should include a short statement about their connection to each person.

After discussion with the review committee, the review committee chair may compile a separate list of a maximum of four additional expert evaluators from outside of the department if desired. The connection of the candidate to these evaluators (if any) should also be explained.

The review committee chair should contact all potential evaluators to determine their willingness to write a letter evaluating the candidate. The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity will send the candidate’s dossier, a copy of the Jacobs School of Music procedures for academic specialist appointments, and a copy of the candidate’s MOU (with amendments) to all those correspondents willing to participate. The dossier should include the candidate’s personal statement and Curriculum Vitae, and evidence that demonstrates excellence in the areas of evaluation specified in the MOU.

The final dossier should include a minimum of four evaluative letters. The final dossier may also include letters solicited from former students of the academic specialist.

Unsolicited letters from anyone including present students, mentors outside or inside the Jacobs School of Music, professional colleagues, retired faculty, etc. may be submitted for inclusion in the dossier in a special section.

At the beginning of the fifth year of appointment, the academic specialist and the academic supervisor will conduct a final review of the MOU and propose any amendments prior to beginning the review process.

After the dossier is complete, including the evaluative letters, it is submitted to several stages of review within the School as described below. Retired/emeritus faculty and the spouse or partner of the candidate may not participate in the discussion or voting at any level.

Committees at each stage of review will conduct votes assessing the achievements of the candidate as reflected in the MOU. The MOU will describe those areas which are to be assessed and voted on in the review process. All academic specialists will be assessed in the area of Service and may be assessed in Research/Creative Activity and/or Teaching as specified in the MOU. Possible votes in Service, and Research/Creative Activity are: Excellent, Very Good, Satisfactory, and Unsatisfactory.  Possible votes in Teaching are Excellent, Very Good, Effective, and Not Effective. Each area of expected activity will receive a separate vote, and there shall be an additional, separate, overall vote (Yes, No, Absent, or Abstention.) on the question of recommending appointment to a long-term contract. Academic specialists may be judged in one or more areas of review. If they are assessed in more than one area, at least one area must be Excellent, and the result must be at least effective or satisfactory as appropriate for each category in the other areas assessed. A committee member must vote Excellent in at least one area to vote yes overall. The votes shall be recorded and reported in the Dossier.

The first stage of review is the assessment and vote by the review committee. The members of the review committee must have been involved in a discussion of the dossier and normally will be present when the vote is taken. If necessary, faculty may participate by various means of distance communication. Faculty members, however, may not give a proxy vote to another faculty member. The review committee letter will include a summary of comments both pro and con from all voting faculty.

The academic supervisor also writes a letter evaluating the candidate and makes a recommendation regarding appointment to a long-term contract. The academic supervisor’s letter includes comments on the contribution of the candidate to the mission of the School.

The next stage of assessment and voting is conducted at the school level by the NTT Promotion and Policy Committee, which is appointed by the Dean and includes two non-tenure track faculty on long-term contracts and three tenured associate or full professors. The voting categories and requirements are the same as those at the review committee level.  Members of the NTT Promotion and Policy Committee must all be present for a vote. If necessary, faculty may participate by various means of distance communication. Faculty members, however, may not give a proxy vote to another faculty member.

Each member both of the review committee and the NTT Promotion and Policy Committee will have access to all the materials in the dossier. Faculty members and administrators may make a recommendation or vote only once on any given case and cannot participate at more than one level. All deliberations are confidential and should not be communicated to anyone outside the process. At all levels of review, however, the recommendation and its rationale should be clearly communicated to the candidate and to the subsequent levels of review.

The candidate will be notified by the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity if there is a negative vote for appointment to a long-term contract by the academic supervisor, and/or if there is a majority review committee or school committee vote against appointment to a long-term contract. The candidate may then write a letter of rebuttal or clarification, if desired, to be added to the dossier. The candidate may also write a letter clarifying remarks by anyone who has submitted material to the dossier. These letters should address matters of substance in the dossier rather than procedural matters. Questions about procedure should be directed to the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity.

After the initial review of the dossier has begun, the contents of the dossier will be frozen. No person other than the candidate may add rebuttal letters or comments based on the confidential materials and letters in the dossier. In exceptional circumstances, the candidate may add important additional materials to the dossiers, provided that all previous review committees are aware of the added material and are given an opportunity to respond.

To be recommended for a long-term contract, the review committee, the NTT Promotion and Policy Committee, and the Dean must be satisfied that the faculty member has achieved or exceeded certain standards of the Jacobs School of Music. These standards relate to the major criteria of the University and to the mission of the School.

The Dean of the Jacobs School will notify the candidate in writing of the final decision.

Administrative

• Vote record
• Internal review letters (review committee, chair, school, dean)
• External review letters (outside department)
• Any other solicited letters

General

• A copy of the MOU will be included in the dossier, and the nature of the MOU will substantially guide the shape of the dossier and the type of evidence assembled.
• The candidate will provide a current CV including educational and employment history and achievements in the area of service, teaching, and research and creative activity.
• The candidate will provide a statement (4-5 pages), which should begin with a brief introduction outlining a professional mission statement. The remainder of the statement should focus on specific evidence demonstrating the quality of activities and achievements required by the Memorandum of Understanding. The statement should contextualize the evidence provided and address its significance. Candidates should describe how their professional activities have evolved over the course of their appointment and discuss innovations in their work.
• Lists of external evaluators, and their biographies will be assembled by the candidate and the Review Committee as appropriate.
• The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity will include copies of department and/or school criteria.

Evidence of Service (required)

Academic Specialists typically have greater service expectations than other faculty ranks. Service expectations are described in the Memorandum of Understanding and may include service contributions beyond those listed below. Contributions in the service area may be substantiated by the following:

• a list of the candidate’s service activities, including committee work
• contributions to auditions, hearings, rehearsals, student recitals, concerto competitions, and other similar activities
• reviews and publications (including pre-publication reviews) that are related to professional service
• social media on behalf of the School and/or the IU community
• program notes, pre-concert lectures and panels, and other service to the public
• mentoring students, which may include student advising, letters of recommendation for students, etc.
• recruitment
• program committees for festivals and conferences
• participation in professional organizations
• judging contests, administering exams, etc.
• community engagement activities
• performances and/or presentations in support of music service
• collaboration with stakeholders both within and beyond the Jacobs School

Evidence of Teaching

Contributions in the teaching area may be substantiated by the following, as appropriate to the specific discipline:

• a list of specific courses taught (including ensemble direction, chamber music coaching, and independent study supervision) and the enrollments listed by semester and academic year (including numbers and levels of applied students)
• student evaluations over time (summaries of teaching evaluations, transcriptions of student comments)
  
• reports of annual observations by peers (usually from within the review committee, as well as selected outside evaluators, where appropriate). Guidelines for peer evaluations will be provided by the Office of the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity.
• other peer evaluations as available
• a list of independent study supervision, supervised minor field candidates, and doctoral committee work, if appropriate
• evidence of student achievement
• the ability to attract and retain qualified major students in a specific performance area
• evidence of course development: syllabi, descriptions of innovative approaches to instruction, special curriculum design, incorporation of new technologies
• performances related to pedagogy
• copies of pedagogical books, articles, educational recordings, and other materials authored by the candidate
• pedagogical presentations, both invited and competitive at regional, national, or international meetings or for a similar professional gathering
• workshops, festivals, and lectures; including peer evaluations of presentations and materials, if available
• guest teaching and presentations
• grants for curriculum development
• teaching awards and recognition

Evidence of Research/Creative Activity

Contributions in the research/creative activity area may be substantiated by the following:

• publications of any sort
• recitals on the Bloomington campus and elsewhere, including solo performances and performances with chamber groups, orchestras, or other ensembles
• performances and/or presentations related to scholarship
• creative activity such as choreography, stage direction, and stage design
• recordings and recording contracts
• development of new technologies
• digital scholarly projects
• interdisciplinary activities
• reviews of books, articles, compositions, performances, and other creative activity
• grants and contracts for research and/or creative activities
• awards and honors for research/creative activity

November, Year 5

The candidate is notified of deadlines and advised of procedures for collection of material. The supervising faculty member and the candidate should review the Memorandum of Understanding at this time, and draft final amendments to it if necessary.

Late Spring, Year 5

The candidate submits to the office of the ADFARCA a curriculum vita and a list of names of possible evaluators for the dossier.  If the candidate desires, names of external evaluators may also be submitted. The academic supervisor and the review committee shall, if desired, submit names of possible evaluators.

Early Fall, Year 6

The candidate’s completed dossier must be ready for action by the review committee.  The dossier will be approved by the supervising faculty member after discussion with the candidate.

The dossier is submitted to the review committee.

The dossier, including recommendations from the review committee and the academic supervisor, is submitted to Jacobs School of Music Non-tenure Promotion and Policy Committee.

Mid-Fall, Year 6

The dossier, including recommendations from all previous evaluations, is submitted to Dean.

General Suggestions

• Dated entries should be in reverse chronological order in each section.
• Non-dated entries should generally be in alphabetical or alpha-numeric order.
• Short narrative passages are acceptable (and even encouraged) to contextualize contributions in a particular area.
• Your area of excellence should be the first section after Section 3 below.

Format

• Include page numbers!
• Use 1-inch margins on all four sides.
• Use the same 12-point font throughout the document. (The only exception may be some larger headings.)
• Headings should be bolded.
• Use the tab bar to create indented content (rather than individual spaces or tables).
• Single-space each section but leave enough white space so text can be read easily.
• Use of a pre-formatted CV template is not recommended.

Order

1. Personal information

• name in larger font, bolded
• school address, phone, e-mail
• home address, phone, if desired

2. Education

• Degrees, diplomas (name of degree/diploma)
  • Major (minors if desired)
  • School, date
  • Dissertation title/research advisor or major teachers
• Other certificates/kinds of study

3. Academic and other employment

• Indiana University positions (titles, dates)
• Other university positions
• Other kinds of teaching
  • Summer camps/festivals/music programs
  • Invited short-term teaching at other schools/musical organizations
• Other kinds of educational employment

For sections 4, 5, and 6:

Include all activities prior to the date of hire, including work at other schools or musical organizations.

Academic Specialists typically have greater service expectations than other faculty ranks. For some academic specialists, it may make sense to list service activities first.

4. Service

• Service to the Profession
• Service to the University/Campus
• Service to the School
• Service to the Department
• Service to the Community

Entries within each of the above categories may include:

• Adjudication
• Panels/conferences organized and coordinated
• Editorial work, including reviewing
• Service publications/performances

In each listing, include role, especially if chair of committee, chair of a department, officer in an organization, etc.

5. Teaching

• List of courses taught Sample format: MUS T151, Music Theory and Literature I (3 cr.)
• Curriculum development (courses you have developed or significantly revised and/or development or revision of degrees, minors, certificates, etc.)
• Pedagogical publications, compositions, and arrangements, including instructional materials of any sort
• Guest master classes/clinics/lectures (if long-term or recurring, could go under Teaching Experience) Format should be consistent within each category.
• Doctoral advisory/research committees
  • Names of students and their degrees; position on the committee (chair, research director, minor field representative, etc.)
  • If relevant, include titles of dissertations/documents
• Teaching awards/grants
• Student awards and accomplishments
• Independent studies

6. Research/Creative Activity

• Publications (books, book chapters, articles, compositions, etc.)
• Performances (including performances of compositions, choreography, conducting, etc.)
• Work in progress/under editorial review
• Invited papers/presentations
• Discography: CDs/video or other media
• Research grants/awards
• Reviews/citations of research/creative activity

7. Additional categories

If desired:  memberships in professional organizations, special awards/honors, etc.

Further Suggestions:

For Research and Creative Activity listings, masterclasses/clinics, and pedagogical publications:

• Make sure citation is complete (article name, journal title, date, page numbers, etc. or book title, publisher, date or CD/video citation, etc.).
• Indicate importance of activity:  refereed/invited articles, conference presentations, etc. should be starred or listed separately.
• Avoid repetition (listing several times separately the same paper presentation, performance, master class at the same place) by grouping together all instances of the same/similar activity and indicating a series of dates.
• Do not list chronologically by year a series of ungrouped activities; group research/performances/compositions/masterclasses/pedagogical publications in some logical way:
  • Work in progress, published books/compositions, published articles….
  • Invited papers, refereed papers, etc.
  • Performances/masterclasses internationally, nationally, regional/state, local (all IU activities grouped together)
  • Performances could also be grouped by type of ensemble (e.g. solo, chamber, orchestral) or by repertoire (listed by composer)
• Consider moving a lengthy list of performances to a separate appendix.
• Look at all of your listings to see if the most important items are immediately apparent to a new reader.
• Include citations and reviews of your work, if relevant, either with specific citations or electronic links. If there are extensive reviews, consider moving to a separate appendix.

Select substantiating materials for the dossier that most strongly support your case (see “Components of the Final Dossier” for suggested types of evidence). Answer the following questions about each piece of evidence that you select.

• Why did you select this evidence?
• What is its significance for your case?
• How does it contribute to your department, the school, and/or your national or international stature in your field?

Item #1: _________________________

Item #2: _________________________

Item #3: _________________________

Item #4: _________________________

Item #5: _________________________

Item #6: _________________________

Your short statement (3-5 pages) should have a brief introduction (1-2 paragraphs at most) that provides brief background and context. The bulk of the statement should present the evidence that you have chosen and address the questions above. It is helpful to embed links to the evidence in the statement. Conclude with a paragraph that summarizes and looks to the future.