Jacobs School of Music Promotion and Tenure Handbook

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

• a CV (see Appendix 1: Suggestions for Faculty CVs)
• a short statement (4-7 pages) defining the candidate’s chosen area of excellence as teaching 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 is specific to the area of excellence.) Common items provided to outside evaluators include:
  • pedagogical materials (syllabi, sample assignments, etc.)
  • videos of teaching or conducting
  • peer observations of teaching
  • evidence of student achievement
  • teaching evaluations
  • reprints of articles
  • Tables of Contents and parts of books
  • recordings
  • scores of compositions or arrangements with accompanying sound sources

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:

1. Expert evaluators. For promotion to senior lecturer, 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 at least six people from outside the department to serve as expert evaluators. After discussion with appropriate members of the department or review committee, the review committee chair may compile a separate list of a maximum of four additional expert evaluators if desired. In both cases expert evaluators may be from the JSoM, the university, or outside of the university, but may not be within the candidate’s department.

For promotion to teaching professor, dossiers must include a minimum of six letters from external evaluators, three from a list prepared by the candidate and three from a list prepared by the review committee or school.

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 and a copy of the Jacobs School procedures for lecturer appointments to all those correspondents willing to participate.

2. Student evaluators. The candidate will identify former students (6-8) from whom to request letters of support.

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

Following the submission of materials in Phase 1, the candidate will begin compiling the complete dossier to be submitted for review. Candidates will be given access to a shared online folder in which to compile their remaining materials.

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 outside 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 introduction should also confirm the candidate’s chosen area of excellence as teaching.
• 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

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 dossier. This index should provide links to specific items in each folder to give each reviewer a clear overview of the materials submitted. Links to each index should also be included at the end of the candidate’s personal statement. Please consult the Office of the ADFARCA for assistance with the preparation of this index.

For additional guidance in preparing the complete dossier, the candidate should consult the following portions of this handbook:

• Procedures in the Jacobs School of Music for Long-Term Contracts and Promotion Decisions

Starting September 1: Electronic dossiers are reviewed by the department for an exact vote in teaching and an overall recommendation for appointment to long-term contract. Department 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 teaching 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.

Professors of practice who are appointed on a probationary contract are eligible for consideration for a long-term contract at 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. Professors of practice are academic appointees whose primary responsibility is teaching. Thus, teaching is the main basis of evaluation. The candidate should demonstrate excellence in their assigned teaching responsibilities. If the letter of hire states additional requirements, those will also be evaluated. Although not required, research/creative activity and service in support of teaching may be considered as well. Recommendations to the dean for appointment to a long-term contract come from the department, the department chair, and the Jacobs School of Music Non-tenure Track Promotion and Policy Committee (NTT Promotion and Policy Committee).

In the first year of appointment professors of practice and their chair will be notified in writing by the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity (ADFARCA) about policies and procedures for reappointment and long-term contracts. They also will be given a dossier checklist of items to assemble. In the case of a small department, a review committee will be appointed at the time of hire. This typically includes members of their department who are eligible to vote on NTT reappointment and long-term contract decisions. For faculty who are not members of a department, a review committee will be appointed by the ADFARCA. The review committee should solicit peer evaluations as part of each annual review. Reappointment and long-term contracts 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 professors of practice to a long-term contract is based on excellence in teaching. Research/creative activity and service as they support teaching may be considered; however, they are not separate voting categories.

Professors of practice should submit materials to substantiate excellence in teaching and evidence of research/creative activity and service in support of teaching. Dossiers are in an electronic format.

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 at least four people from outside the department to serve as expert evaluators. The candidate should include a short statement about his/her connection to each person.

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

The department 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 and a copy of the Jacobs School procedures for professor of practice appointments 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 teaching.

The final dossier should include a minimum of four letters from expert evaluators.

Candidates should also provide a list of six to eight former students to be solicited for letters. Current students may not be on this list, including anyone for whom the candidate has degree responsibility, such as students still finishing dissertations or final recitals.

After consultation with the candidate and the review committee chair, the ADFARCA will solicit letters from peer observers of the candidate’s work (teaching or other activities in support of teaching) including video recordings, student recital hearings and juries, or on other performances or activities of students or the faculty member.

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.

After the dossier is complete, including the evaluative letters, it is submitted for several stages of review within the Jacobs School of Music.

At the department level, all tenured faculty and tenure-ineligible faculty on long-term contracts may vote on dossiers for appointment to long-term contracts of other non-tenure track faculty. A departmental committee needs to include a minimum of three faculty, and ideally will include at least five. If the department itself does not provide enough people to comprise a full review committee, the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Research, and Creative Activity will appoint additional members from departments with complementary interests.

A current faculty member within the department who has served as a mentor for the candidate may participate fully in the departmental discussion and voting. Retired/emeritus faculty and the spouse or partner of the candidate may not participate in the discussion or voting on reappointment cases at any level.

The letter from the departmental faculty should include an exact vote in teaching. The possible votes are: Excellent, Very Good, Effective, and Ineffective. The letter should also indicate an overall vote on the recommendation for long-term contract. The vote will indicate the number in each category:  Yes, No, Absent, and Abstention. An overall vote recommending appointment to a long-term contract necessitates that the candidate receive a majority vote of Excellent in Teaching. A committee member must vote Excellent in Teaching to vote Yes for a long-term contract.

Voting departmental faculty 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 departmental letter will include a summary of comments both pro and con from all voting faculty.

The chairperson of the department also writes a letter evaluating the candidate and makes a recommendation for reappointment. The chair’s letter includes comments on the contribution of the faculty member to the mission of the department and to 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 departmental level. Members of the School 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 of both of the review committees 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 both 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 reappointment by a department chair and/or if there is a majority department or school committee vote against reappointment. 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 (including mentors and departmental chairs) 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.

Jacobs School reviewers take several factors into consideration in arriving at a recommendation to be submitted to the Dean. The appointment a long-term contract is based on excellence in teaching with research/creative and service in support of teaching considered as appropriate. Long-term contracts will be granted to colleagues who have demonstrated a commitment to continued professional growth and currency with pedagogical developments in their fields. Materials to substantiate these criteria should be submitted for the dossier.

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 Dean’s decision.

Administrative

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

General

• The candidate will provide a current CV including educational and employment history and achievements in the area of teaching, and research/creative activity and service in support of teaching.
• 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. 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 expert evaluators, and their biographies (to 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 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) 
• sample of course materials (syllabi, exercises, assignments, exams, student work)
• student evaluations over time (summaries of teaching evaluations, transcriptions of student comments)
  
• student awards, honors, achievements (undergraduate, graduate) (professional positions, competitions, etc.)
• undergraduate research experiences and mentoring
• 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 in support of Teaching

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

Evidence of Service in support of Teaching

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 JSOM 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
• 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

November, Year 5

The candidate is notified of deadlines and advised of procedures for collection of material. 

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 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
  • (tenure CVs could include graduate school teaching and adjunct positions, if desired)
• 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.

4. 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

5. Research/Creative activity in Support of Teaching

• 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

6. Service in Support of Teaching

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

• 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.

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 for "Excellence" in Teaching (see "Evidence of Teaching" in "Procedures in the Jacobs School of Music for Long-Term Contract and Promotion Decisions"). 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 (4-7 pages) should have a brief introduction (1-2 paragraphs at most) that states your chosen area of excellence and 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.