Rank, Tenure, Promotion

[JulieChew1]

Is anyone using Canvas for rank, tenure, promotion?   We have been using a commercial product which is a considerable financial outlay as well as a substantial cost in human capital.  We think Canvas could be a solution to the issue.  We could ideally create the perfect template along with instructions and training for the faculty member.  What do you all think?  Is anyone doing this already? 

[JamesSekcienski]

@JulieChew1,

Can you provide more details about what you are hoping to accomplish?

We use Canvas to provide staff/faculty trainings.  We also have our trainings connected to LearningStream as our Training Management Platform.  This allows us to keep track of trainings that staff and faculty have completed.  In addition, we have set-up pathways for them to earn different competency levels on our Pathways to Instructional Excellence (P.I.E.) based on the trainings they complete.

We also use Canvas to provide on-boarding training for new faculty to get them introduced to Canvas, teaching expectations, policies, and recommendations for teaching practices.

In addition, we create courses when a faculty member applies for a promotion in rank to use as a portfolio for the faculty member to submit evidence of meeting the standards for promotion and for the committee to review.

[JulieChew1]

Hi James:

We are wanting to do the final thing in your email where a faculty member applies for promotion and uses Canvas to create a portfolio of evidence.  Would you be able to provide more details on how you do it? 

[JamesSekcienski · Accepted solution]

@JulieChew1 

I'm not directly involved in that process, but here is a general overview.

1. An instructor will apply to be considered for a promotion.
2. If approved for consideration, then they will be enrolled in a course as a teacher that is a copy of our faculty promotion template.
   1. The template includes pages for the different areas that the instructor is being evaluated on.
   2. The pages have information for the instructor to know what information is expected and the instructor would update the page with the relevant information.
3. After an instructor completes their updates with evidence for meeting all the requirements, they notify the review board.
4. The review board is enrolled in the course to review the evidence and information shared by the instructor.
5. The review board makes a recommendation for approval/denial based on the provided evidence/information.

[DrTerriC]

We do something similar here..  I wonder if anyone has the applicant as student to hand in in assignments? 

[KristelKoukoua]

We are investigating using Canvas to facilitate this process.  When the review board is enrolled...under what status or usuer role are they enrolled?

[DrTerriC]

Our University changes roles all the time. 

For example, Dean is Admin. For submission faculty  member is teacher, and then after upload time, they are changed to student or unenrolled.  The review team has a special role that does not have write priveleges - basically an observer.  Then after the whole review is done, and letters are sent, the instructor is back to being teacher again.   

We looked at another way of using it just as files - to create file folders for each year and not mess with things like pages etc..we have not gone that route.. would love to hear others ideas too. 

[KristelKoukoua]

Thank you, @DrTerriC, for your reply!

The way I've been brainstorming would be to create course templates for each iteration of candidate (4-year Union/non-Union, 2-year, etc.), then each year, create a "live tenure course", enroll the Provost as the Instructor, then perhaps the committee members as Observers, as I imagine the committee members would vary based on the department/college each candidate were applying under.  Each part of the submission portfolio could be set up as distinct assignments that would be not graded, but marked as Complete or Incomplete.  They could have their deadlines, and the instructions for each would be embedded in the assignment instructions.  

Anyway, again, just getting started, but that's what I'm currently chewing on.  I also considered doing it as a cross-listed course with a parent and a child/children courses, but I'm not sure that will work if they have distinctive assignments that don't mirror the parent course.

[DrTerriC]

whatever you decide to do, make sure to have your general counsel look at it too... Who can write etc.. has implications for any potential lawsuits. 

[KristelKoukoua]

Thank you so much!  That's very helpful!