This does not constitute an employment contract. 

Department of World Languages and Cultures 
Criteria for Tenure and Promotion 
(Scholarship, Teaching, and Service) 

June 2023 

The Department of World Languages and Cultures is committed to recommending tenure and promotion of faculty who engage in excellent scholarship, are dedicated and successful teachers, and contribute to the administrative success of the department, the College, and the university. We look for clear evidence of strong future potential for continued scholarly publications. 

As a multi-disciplinary Department, World Languages and Cultures recognizes multiple paths to tenure. The multi-disciplinarity within World Languages and Cultures is characterized by multiple vectors of diversity. Faculty in the Department represent faculty from both traditional book fields and traditional article fields. Faculty are appointed in different language areas, with each area having distinct intellectual traditions and publishing venues, and in some cases, publication in both English language and non-English language venues is necessary for the engagement of faculty in World Languages and Cultures with scholars and scholarly outlets within and across academic fields. 

To this end, we build upon the base-line criteria for tenure and promotion that are articulated by American University’s Faculty Manual by setting up criteria that specifically apply to the Department of World Languages and Cultures in the areas of scholarship, teaching, and service. 

TENURE AND PROMOTION TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR 

Scholarship 

The Department of World Languages and Cultures specifies that, by the sixth pre-tenure year, a faculty member must demonstrate solid, consistent evidence of significant scholarly and/or creative contribution to their field and/or significant cross- disciplinary achievements. The assessment of a faculty member’s scholarship will be based on their achievements since degree completion, including continued productivity since arrival at American University. Non-linguistics faculty in the Department are expected to complete a single-authored book or a co-authored book, which has been published (or for which there is a completed manuscript fully accepted to be published, with an editor’s letter confirming acceptance) by a respected press in the faculty member’s field. A co-author should specify the nature of the collaboration. By respected press, we refer to book publishers widely known for rigorous peer review processes that publish field-relevant work by researchers in other research intensive, peer institutions. Generally speaking, such presses may be university presses, commercial academic publishers, or open-access outlets with highly rigorous review processes that are also among the top venues for publishing. As noted above, given the range of fields represented in World Languages and Cultures, presses will necessarily vary by language and disciplinary area. In addition, book publication will be accompanied by other scholarly publications and cross-disciplinary endeavors, with importance given to articles both in refereed journals with competitive acceptance rates and in refereed journals in emerging or traditionally overlooked areas. Likewise, value is placed on book chapters published in scholarly rigorous volumes. We also recognize that invited chapters and articles demonstrate high regard in one’s field, as do invitations to deliver keynote addresses at conferences or to speak at other scholarly institutions. External reviewers will be asked to assess the significance of publication venues in the candidate’s field(s). Candidates should explain their role in and contributions to co-authored books. 

Scholarship, per the glossary in the Faculty Manual, includes research, creative, and professional, and/or community-based activities and outputs. Therefore, scholarship may manifest, for example, in the form of translation and interpretation, critical editions, creative works, public education contributions (e.g., K-12, continuing education), media work, and other community engagement. 

For faculty working in linguistics, in which non-book areas are common, the department considers acceptable a substantial number of articles in important refereed journals in lieu of a book, with importance given to articles both in refereed journals with competitive acceptance rates and in refereed journals in emerging or traditionally overlooked areas. Assessment of the strength of journals again requires a consideration of the particular area of linguistics in which the work is situated and will include factors such as selection rate of the journal, as well as indicators such as impact factor when relevant. It is expected that the majority of the volume chapters and/or articles will appear in peer-reviewed venues ranging from well-known, competitive journals to smaller and more specialized journals doing work in traditionally overlooked areas. External reviewers will be asked to assess the significance of publication venues in the candidate’s field(s). The department also recognizes that in many areas of linguistics, collaboration and co-authorship are common for journal articles and book chapters. In co-authored work, candidates must articulate the precise nature of their contribution to the collaborative work. In linguistics areas in which collaboration is the norm for journal articles, WLC anticipates that the candidate will be the first author on at least some of the co-authored publications. 

Articles or books published electronically in peer-reviewed venues will be assessed based on the merits of the scholarship and the respectability of the venue in the field of the faculty member who is being considered for promotion. An additional statement by the Modern Language Association (MLA) on electronic publishing is here:

• Statement on Electronic Publishing: https://www.mla.org/About-Us/Governance/Committees/Committee-Listings/Professional-Issues/Committee-on-Information-Technology/Statement-on-Electronic-Publication 

In addition to the publication expectations outlined above, junior faculty members are expected to demonstrate a record of other scholarly activity and/or cross-disciplinary work, such as preparing their own grant and/or fellowship applications; actively participating in professional conferences, as evidenced by authoring talks or poster presentations related to their fields; serving as invited lecturer in national and/or international venues; refereeing manuscripts or grant applications; engaging in community-based scholarship; creating scholarship with public impact and participating in public forms of communication relevant to research. When submitting a file for action, submission of the file for action to the first-level reviewer is the last date for placement of scholarship material in the file, with updates allowed for reporting publication acceptance(s) of material already referenced in the file. 

In addition to internal and external file review, a variety of metrics and qualitative considerations of impact may support evaluation of scholarship, especially in new fields, cross-disciplinary work, and areas related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Candidates should explain their role in and contributions to their scholarship. 

Teaching 

The Department of World Languages and Cultures specifies that, by the sixth pre- tenure year, a faculty member must have demonstrated excellence as a teacher, evidenced by student evaluations of teaching that generally are in line with the department’s averages; comprehensive syllabi along with other effective teaching materials; willingness and ability to propose and develop new courses; availability to students through regular office hours, and willingness to mentor students. Building on the department’s longtime commitment to promote diversity and inclusion, faculty’s syllabi or other pedagogical materials and forms of engagement should demonstrate efforts to make all students feel included in their classes and office hours through openness to diverse backgrounds, learning styles, and abilities. 

Faculty shall provide timely, fair, and objective assessment of student performance. The Department will examine comprehensively all questions and responses in the students’ SET scores. The Department anticipates that tenure candidates will enrich the pedagogical mission of WLC through such activities as engagement with student research (e.g., by mentoring student research activities and by nurturing student participation in research conferences), participation in departmental assessment activities, experimentation with pedagogy, and appropriate use of technology in their courses. 

To demonstrate excellent teaching, candidates should submit a teaching portfolio, as explained below under Teaching Portfolio Content. 

Service 

The Department of World Languages and Cultures specifies that, by the sixth pre-tenure year, a faculty member must have demonstrated continuing and substantive participation in the department’s and the university’s collective work, ranging from service on departmental, college, and/or university committees to other forms of service. Depending on the area of WLC, such service can take numerous forms, such as participation on graduate thesis and comprehensive exam committees; reading graduate applications; directing capstone projects; participating in freshman visiting days; advising graduate and/or undergraduate students; participating in recruitment efforts at the program, department and college levels; serving on search committees; providing Fulbright language assessments; serving on Fulbright, Truman, or Boren advisory panels; or conducting language evaluations for study abroad. In addition, faculty should demonstrate how their service activities promote inclusive excellence, diversity, and anti-racism at the department, college, university or professional level. 

It is anticipated that the majority of service by pre-tenure faculty will be at the departmental level. However, candidates are encouraged to begin engaging with the college and the university regarding service contributions, as well as to begin laying the groundwork for subsequent significant contribution to service within the profession. At the pre-tenure level, such activities might include, for example, participating in the work of scholarly organizations. 

PROMOTION TO PROFESSOR 

The Department of World Languages and Cultures, in accord with the principles outlined in the section for promotion to associate professor, specifies that the faculty member must demonstrate solid evidence of continuing scholarly or creative achievement and academic distinction in their field beyond the work presented for promotion to Associate Professor. For non-linguistics faculty, continued evidence of scholarly activity is expected and valued (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles and/or book chapters, edited or co-edited works, or review articles). Additionally, another single-authored or co-authored book is expected. 

For faculty members working in linguistics in non-book areas, the expectations regarding publications for promotion to Professor continue to be that the faculty member should exhibit a record of publication of original research in strong, peer reviewed venues, with a priority on peer reviewed journals and with value also given to chapters in high visibility volumes. As in the case of promotion to Associate Professor, assessment of the strength of journals requires a consideration of the particular area of linguistics in which the work is situated and will include factors such as the generally accepted reputation of the journal, and the presence of work by scholars at peer research intensive institutions in the journal, as well as indicators such as impact factor when relevant. 

As in the case of pre-tenure faculty being considered for tenure, WLC recognizes that in some fields within our department (especially in some areas of linguistics), collaboration and co-authorship are common and often the norm, particularly in the case of journal articles and book chapters. Again, candidates must articulate the nature of their collaboration in order for the Rank and Tenure Committee to be able to assess the weight of the candidate’s contributions to the co-authored work. WLC anticipates that for candidates working in areas that are by norm collaborative, they will be the first author on some co-authored publications. 

In addition, for promotion to Professor, the Department also requires clear evidence of continued excellence in teaching, as measured both by success in the classroom and by additional ongoing pedagogical involvement such as creating new courses, engagement with student research (e.g., by mentoring student research activities and by nurturing student participation in research conferences), participation in departmental assessment activities, experimentation with pedagogy, and appropriate use of technology in their courses, and active participation in the curricular evolution of the faculty member's area within the Department. 

Successful candidates for Professor will also demonstrate substantial contributions to the faculty member’s WLC program (i.e., language area or TESOL program) and to WLC as a whole (e.g., serving as program director or departmental chair), mentoring junior faculty, and significant service on College and/or university committees. Moreover, WLC considers the candidate’s contributions to the profession beyond the university. While such contributions will vary from candidate to candidate, contributions might include being elected to office of a professional organization, serving on national or international grant review panels, serving on editorial boards of scholarly journals, refereeing scholarly manuscripts, organizing conferences, or appearing in media venues. 

In sum, for promotion to the rank of Professor, WLC expects continued excellence in both research and teaching, together with evidence of strong leadership through service. 

TEACHING PORTFOLIO CONTENT 
The WLC teaching portfolio approach is adapted to the needs of the department from the condensed version of the 2019 Senate instructions. When applying for third-year review, tenure, promotion, or teaching awards, tenure line faculty should submit a teaching portfolio containing each of the four categories that follow. Faculty members may choose more than one method (if available) from each category, but only one per category should be required. The page limit for the teaching portfolio is 8 pages. The portfolio must include all 5 required categories, but the faculty member may choose the weight for each category from the available range: 

1) Teaching narrative weighted 10%-20% of portfolio 

Reflections on performance of courses (what worked, what actions to change/improve, etc.) and discussion of achievements, including engagement with students beyond the classroom and any new curricular initiatives. Discussion of instruction methodology and teaching philosophy of the faculty member is encouraged. 

2) SET numerical scores weighted 30%-50% of portfolio 

OIRA will generate SET summary data for each faculty member going up for tenure, promotion, third-year review, or multi-year term appointment. 

3) Self-assessment weighted 20%-30% of portfolio 

a) Professional development related to teaching, including CTRL events attended 

b) Examples of feedback to students such as comments on their work 

c) Annotated syllabus with comments on design, purpose of elements, innovation, etc. 

d) Written self-evaluation of video of teaching a class 

e) Written self-evaluation of teaching outside the classroom 

f) Written self-evaluation of DEI practices implemented by the faculty member 

4) Student assessment of teaching other than numerical scores weighted 10%-20% of portfolio 

a) Report based on classroom observation by committee of students not enrolled in the faculty member’s class. CTRL & SOE can help with this. 

b) Results of one or more focus groups of faculty member’s students led by colleague(s) or CTRL instructional staff 

c) Narrative comments portions of SETs. Reviewers are encouraged to weigh numerical scores in light of any expressions of bias related to physical characteristics and the like. Faculty are encouraged to respond constructively to issues raised in the narrative comments with ideas or steps for addressing valid student concerns. 

5) Faculty peer assessment of teaching weighted 10%-20% of portfolio 

a) Peer observation of classroom video by one or more colleagues and follow up conversation, at least twice before each major review: Reviewers, templates/rubrics, and response as above. Video need not be submitted. 

b) Review of course materials and report by appropriate standing or ad hoc committee at teaching unit level designated by the chair: Materials to include syllabi, course assignments, lecture notes, or other materials chosen by faculty member to convey pedagogical approach and quality.