Section 3: Comprehensive Standards
3.7.1 The institution employs competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the institution. When determining acceptable qualifications of its faculty, an institution gives primary consideration to the highest earned degree in the discipline in accordance with the guidelines listed below. The institution also considers competence, effectiveness, and capacity, including, as appropriate, undergraduate and graduate degrees, related work experiences in the field, professional licensure and certifications, honors and awards, continuous documented excellence in teaching, or other demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes. For all cases, the institution is responsible for justifying and documenting the qualifications of its faculty.
Judgment of Compliance:
Compliance
Narrative/Justification for Judgment of Compliance:
Christopher Newport University is in compliance with this comprehensive standard. CNU has a comprehensive recruitment and selection procedure for hiring faculty and a multi-level evaluation system for evaluating the effectiveness of instructional faculty. Policies and procedures for recruiting and employing instructional faculty and administrative and professional faculty are found in the University Handbook Section XI.2.c. The University Handbook is published on the University website and in print format. Minimum qualifications for instructional faculty rank are listed in Section XI.8.c.3.
Each faculty member is expected to meet the requirements of rank. An instructor normally holds at least the master's degree with a minimum of 18 hours of graduate level work in the academic discipline in which service is rendered, preferably having completed work toward the accepted terminal degree in this discipline. Evidence or promise of competence in teaching, research and service is expected of faculty at the rank of instructor.
An assistant professor normally holds the terminal degree in the appropriate field of expertise. Evidence of exemplary performance in teaching; evidence of professional development, and academic service; predominately positive evaluations; and relevant professional experience, both academic and non-academic is also expected.
An associate professor must have the terminal degree in the appropriate field of expertise, or functional equivalent authorized by the Provost. Evidence of exemplary performance in teaching; continuing evidence of professional development, and outstanding academic service; predominately positive evaluations; and history and promise of being a strongly contributing member of the department, college/school, university, and academic discipline is expected.
A professor must have the terminal degree in the appropriate field of expertise. Sustained evidence of truly outstanding teaching effectiveness; widely-respected professional development; leadership and high achievement in academic service; great stature as a member of the department, college/school, university, and academic discipline; and evidence of a history of strongly positive evaluations is expected.
The academic rank of distinguished professor is an extraordinary honor that may be accorded only those few teacher-scholars who have attained the rank of professor and who have excelled to an exceptional degree in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service.
Adjunct faculty are expected to meet minimum requirements for teaching. Adjunct faculty are selected by the appropriate department chairs and approved by the appropriate dean. Department chairs evaluate the effectiveness of each adjunct and determine whether or not the adjunct will be employed the next semester. Adjuncts' classes are evaluated using the same student evaluation of teaching measure (IDEAS) used in classes taught by full-time faculty.
To teach a graduate level course, the faculty member must meet the standards set by the Graduate Faculty Council. All graduate faculty must be approved to teach graduate level courses by the Graduate Faculty Council. The Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Studies insures that only approved faculty are scheduled to teach graduate level courses. With few exceptions, graduate faculty must have the terminal degree in the appropriate field of expertise. Exceptions may be made if the faculty member has other professional credentials or certifications to warrant the exception.
The instructional faculty evaluation system is explained in Comprehensive Standard 3.7.2. Faculty evaluations occur as stated in the University Handbook, Section XI. 8.a. and 8.b. The University Handbook gives the following overview of the procedure: “The evaluation procedures for decisions concerning retention, promotion, and tenure are predicated on the propositions that peers ought to have first hand familiarity with the accomplishments, limitations, and potential of each faculty member; thus, members of the department and, to a lesser extent, members of related departments are directly involved in an initial recommendation. The dean reviews the recommendation and acts on it from the perspective of academic management. A University committee of members of the faculty provides University wide faculty perspective in its review of all recommendations and forwards its recommendation, together with that of the dean, to the Provost, who makes the final recommendations to the President. The President makes the final decision and, subject to the approval of the Board of Visitors, authorizes a contract reflecting that decision.” The criteria for retention, promotion, and tenure at Christopher Newport University are teaching, professional development, and service. As the University Handbook clearly states, at Christopher Newport University the first, teaching, is of paramount importance, and poor teaching cannot be redeemed by superiority in the other two areas.
Transcripts and other records for full-time instructional faculty are housed in the Office of the Provost. Transcripts and other records for adjunct instructional faculty are housed in the appropriate dean's office. Graduate faculty folders documenting that requirements are met to teach graduate level courses are kept in the Office of the Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Studies.
Support Documentation:
University Handbook 06-07, Section XI.2.c
University Handbook 06-07, Section XI. 8.a through 8.b.7)d)
University Handbook 06-07, Section XI.8.c.3
Graduate Faculty Membership and Governance Document
Peer Review, Annual Evaluation, and Merit Evaluation calendar
Instructional Faculty Roster:
The Instructional Faculty Rosters can be accessed by returning to the opening page of the flashdrive and clicking on Faculty_Administrative_Roster. This will open a main menu offering the following four choices:
The first option, PowerPoint Overview on Viewing Roster Databases, explains how to view and navigate the databases. It is recommended that you review this presentation before using the databases. The CNU Instructional Faculty Roster Spring 2006 (choice 2) or CNU Instructional Faculty Roster Fall 2005 (choice 3) are the appropriate rosters for this comprehensive standard.
When you click on CNU Instructional Faculty Roster Fall 2005 or CNU Instructional Faculty Roster Spring 2006, you may get warnings concerning macros or code. Please click the appropriate responses (e.g., “open” or “continue”) to enter the selected database. A second menu will offer the options of viewing the database by subject and course numbers or by faculty members’ names. After you select your preferred option, you should be able to navigate through the database.
Additional Live Web Resources:
None