Compliance Status

Louisiana State University and A&M College is in compliance with this principle.

Narrative

The success of Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) is, in large part, built upon the ability to attract and retain well-respected teachers, scholars, and practitioners.  Keys to success and retention of faculty include feedback in the form of faculty reviews and support from the university for continuing professional development. LSU supports faculty development through a variety of policies, procedures, and programs on an institution-wide basis as well as within specific colleges, schools, and departments. A variety of initiatives are in place to develop faculty as effective teachers, productive scholars, and responsible practitioners within their respective fields.

Faculty Reviews

Performance reviews are conducted for each faculty member at the university as required by Policy Statements 36-T for tenure-track and tenured faculty [1] and 36-NT for faculty other than tenure track [2], and by Permanent Memorandum 23 [3]. Additional details of faculty evaluation are presented in Comprehensive Standard 3.7.2. Faculty evaluations take several forms:

Annual Faculty Reviews

Department Chairs/School Directors are responsible for conducting systematic annual reviews of the faculty.  The procedure and criteria vary by departmental or college policies; however, these policies cannot conflict with LSU policies [1].  Fundamental to this process is an evaluation of job performance, whereby the chair highlights areas in need of improvement and offers appropriate advice and assistance.  Examples of factors and evidence for judging scholarship, teaching, and service are provided in university Policy Statements (PS) 36-T [1] and PS 36-NT [2].  The evaluation is provided to the faculty member in writing and, where required or requested, discussed with the faculty member.

Reappointment Reviews

Tenure-track faculty members whose contract ends prior to the mandatory tenure year undergo a review for reappointment.  For new incoming assistant professors, this is a third-year review; for other ranks, the time differs. Department chairs/school directors, under the oversight of their respective deans, are responsible for assessing the faculty member’s performance, with input from faculty above the rank of the member undergoing the review. This formative evaluation process primarily is designed to inform assistant professors that they have made reasonable progress toward meeting the criteria for tenure. Faculty members are notified of the decision in person by the dean or chair, as well as in writing [1]. If the decision is reached not to reappoint a faculty member, the person must be notified, according to the following timeline:

1. Not later than March 1 of the first academic year of service, if the appointment expires at the end of the year, or, if an initial one-year appointment terminates during an academic year, at least three months in advance of its termination;
2. Not later than December 15 of the second academic year of service, if the appointment expires at the end of that year, or, if an initial two-year appointment terminates during the academic year, at least six months in advance of its termination;
3. At least 12 months before the expiration of an appointment after two or more years of service.

Promotion Reviews

Comprehensive reviews are conducted in order to promote a faculty member from assistant professor to associate professor and from associate professor to professor.  The tenure review process often coincides with evaluation to promote from assistant professor to associate professor.  To help assure rigorous and thorough reviews, advisory committees, established in advance and composed of faculty above the rank to the faculty member seeking promotion, will be employed by the provost and by the deans of departmentalized colleges when considering recommendations for (1) promotion or tenure or (2) tenure with an initial appointment.  In each departmentalized college, an advisory committee advises the dean regarding an individual faculty member [1].

Post-tenure Reviews

All faculty members, regardless of rank, are evaluated annually except when the faculty member is being reviewed for reappointment, promotion, or tenure; has been given notice of non-reappointment or termination; or suffers from an illness or condition which prohibits the normal evaluation process from occurring.   Permanent Memorandum (PM) 35 [4] states that, if a faculty member has had two consecutive unsatisfactory regular reviews or three unsatisfactory reviews in a five-year period, tenured faculty shall be reviewed by tenured faculty in the department.  This review could result in a remediation plan for the faculty member or potentially lead to dismissal with cause [5].

Finding of Unsatisfactory Job Performance

Board policy PM 35 requires a process through which the campus provides assistance to a tenured faculty member who has had two consecutive or three reviews in a five-year period that have been deemed unsatisfactory [4]. LSU PS 109 states that if a faculty member receives unsatisfactory job performances as outlined in PM 35 and described above, a Peer Review Committee is established that, if unsatisfactory job performance is confirmed, advises and assists the faculty member on developing and carrying out a plan for improvement [4] [6].

Faculty Development Programs and Opportunities

The university provides a wide range of resources, programs and opportunities that assist faculty in developing to their fullest.

Voluntary Assistance Program

When a tenured faculty wants to achieve excellence in a new or evolving discipline or who must overcome a problem of underperformance, the faculty member may take advantage of the Voluntary Assistance Program. A tenured faculty member may request, or a department chair may recommend, assistance through this program. A plan to support the faculty member is developed by a team consisting of the faculty member, chair, and team of other tenured faculty members. This plan specifies timelines and expected outcomes as well as the conditions, resources, and commitments necessary to assist the faculty member [1].

This program assists a faculty member to achieve excellence in scholarship or teaching, to change the direction of his or her scholarship to adjust to changes in the discipline, or to overcome a problem of underperformance. The Voluntary Assistance Program is not a substitute for, and does not supersede or replace, the remediation program mandated by Permanent Memorandum 35 [4].

Faculty Leave Opportunities

The university recognizes the importance of concentrated time away from official duties to enhance teaching effectiveness and scholarly productivity. To that end, the following support is granted to qualified faculty for professional development activities requiring time away from the university in LSU PS 12 [7]:

Sabbatical Leave

Sabbatical leave is awarded based on the qualifications of the faculty member, the merit of the proposal, and potential benefit to the faculty member and the university in the advancement of research and scholarship. Research can take place at research sites away from the university or be completed in Baton Rouge. Faculty members receive varying percentages of pay, depending on the length of the sabbatical leave [8].

Leave Without Pay

Faculty have the opportunity to take a leave in order to participate in an activity that will enhance their teaching or scholarly prominence and that is beneficial to the university. Programs such as an Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignment and special leave with part pay to take advantage of a prestigious fellowship are two examples [9].

Leave to Obtain an Advanced Degree

Faculty members at the level of instructor or above who have completed three years or more of service may petition for a leave of absence with part pay for a maximum of one year of study which will culminate in the receipt of an advanced degree within five years [10].

Faculty Development and Productivity – Internal Grant Programs

The university invests in opportunities to enhance faculty development and productivity through various internal competitive grant programs. The goal of these programs is to provide resources that will increase opportunities for faculty to maintain cutting edge skills as teachers and scholars.

Research Grants

• The Faculty Research Grant program [11], administered by the Office of Research & Economic Development [12], provides seed funding for new research projects.  Preference is given to faculty who are in the initial stages of building a research career, who are returning to the funding arena, or who are exploring a new research focus.
• The Summer Stipend Program, administered by the Council on Research and available to assistant professors, enables junior faculty recipients to spend a portion of the summer term in research activity without the disruption of other employment obligations [13].

Travel Grants

• The Faculty Travel Grant Program provides faculty with funding to present original research at national and international conferences, conduct data-gathering trips, and make confirmed visits to program directors at federal funding agencies [14].
• The Junior Faculty Travel Grant Program [15] limits competition for resources to assistant professors presenting at a national or international conference. These programs are managed out of the Office of Research & Economic Development [12]. 
• The Office of Academic Affairs [16] administers the Teaching Enhancement Fund grant [17], through which faculty are awarded travel funds to attend conferences that contribute to the enhancement of teaching and learning.

Recurring Faculty Development Opportunities

Faculty are afforded recurring opportunities for professional development offered by various campus units. Programs, workshops and other resources are offered as support for teaching, research, and community engagement.

Learning & Teaching Collaborative

This centralized resource, composed of units that provide faculty assistance, was formed to facilitate and coordinate faculty development activities such as workshops and seminars addressing the improvement of teaching and learning. This collaborative sponsors an annual faculty colloquium that consists of a keynote address and breakout sessions in which faculty discuss the application of good teaching and learning practices in the classroom [18]. The collaborative focuses on boosting retention and graduation rates, as well as providing training in new technology and active learning pedagogy.

Communication Across the Curriculum (CxC)

This department-level unit is a national leader in improving the writing, speaking, visual, and technological skills of undergraduate students [19]. CxC offers faculty development workshops in the summer [20] and “lunch and learn” seminars during the semester, and provides curricular design resources to faculty who incorporate communication-intensive components into their courses.

Center for Community Engagement, Learning and Leadership (CCELL)

CCELL offers resources for faculty to develop service-learning classes and incorporate meaningful service as part of any given course [21]. CCELL provides course design assistance as well as help in identifying and engaging community partnerships. Funding is available through CCELL for an Annual Service-Learning Faculty Scholars Program, and the University Presbyterian Church awards grants. An Outstanding Service-Learning Faculty Award is presented annually.

Faculty Technology Center (FTC)

The FTC supports the integration of academic technologies into both teaching and research [22]. This department provides technical support to departments, oversees multimedia components in classrooms across campus, and offers numerous tutorials and training sessions for faculty. Some sessions are regularly scheduled, and others are available on demand. The FTC also provides self-help resources available online via the GROK knowledge base [23].

Office of Research & Economic Development Workshops

This major division supports and enhances research productivity and impact on an international level. To facilitate this, multiple avenues of assistance are available to faculty. Workshops, in seminar style, are led by administrators and faculty with successful records of securing support from various external agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the National Endowment for the Arts, among many others. A basic grant-writing workshop is offered for novices who seek to develop and refine proposal development skills. Other topics include incorporation of undergraduates in research programs, media relations, budget preparation, and sponsored program administration.

Diversity

Equity, Diversity and Community Outreach (EDCO) [24], a division in the Office of Academic Affairs, provides support to faculty by fostering an atmosphere of inclusiveness and cultural awareness at the university [16].  EDCO staff members are available to conduct diversity awareness trainings and guidance for search committees seeking to enhance diversity. The LSU Women’s Center and the University Council on Women, affiliates of EDCO, are instrumental in ensuring that effective policies are developed in such a way that promotes equality at LSU. A Spring Faculty Enrichment Series focuses on multicultural issues in university classroom settings.

New Faculty Orientation

In addition to the employment orientation held by the Office of Human Resource Management, the Office of Academic Affairs hosts an annual orientation that provides an overview for new faculty of effective teaching strategies, university policies, and available campus resources needed for successful instruction and research [16].

Faculty Awards for Outstanding Teaching, Research and Service

Outstanding teaching, research, and service to the university are recognized annually through a variety of faculty awards programs. Recipients are selected by a committee of previous award winners from a cohort of campus-wide nominees. These awards come with monetary stipends and are publicized to the campus and the external community.

Distinguished Faculty Awards

In addition to college- and department-level awards, the Office of Academic Affairs  administers a portfolio of distinguished faculty awards aimed at recognizing excellence in teaching, research, and service [16].

Rainmakers Awards

Emerging Scholar, Mid-Career Scholar, and Senior Scholar awards are presented annually to faculty members in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and in Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Engineering in recognition of outstanding research/creative productivity and scholarship. Recipients are selected by members of the Council on Research, and the program is supported by the Office of Research & Economic Development [25] [12].

Distinguished Research Master

The Council on Research annually presents a university-wide award of Distinguished Research Master in recognition of outstanding career accomplishments in research and scholarship development [26].  One faculty member in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and a second faculty member in Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Engineering are selected.  This program is supported by the Office of Research & Economic [12].

Faculty Leadership Development

In an attempt to promote leadership among faculty on campus, the Office of Academic Affairs offers numerous opportunities for faculty and administrators to participate in professional development activities aimed at mentoring a corps of engaged, knowledgeable, and skilled current or potential administrators. Discussions regarding policies, procedures, responsibilities, and issues relevant to academic leadership are the focal points of these workshops.

Academic Leadership Development Program

Southeastern Conference Academic Consortium (SECAC) Academic Leadership Development Program: LSU is an active participant in the SECAC, the Academic Initiative of the Southeastern Conference, of which the ALDP is one component of Development [27]. This   leadership development program allows several junior administrators or faculty who are interested in administration to attend two conferences and various campus workshops and meetings during an academic year as an SECU ALDP Fellow. Selection is competitive from among campus-wide applicants and nominees. Participants gain best-practices insight from senior university administrators within the SEC at the conferences and from senior LSU administrators during campus workshops and meetings.

Campus Administrative Development

The Office of Academic Affairs [17] offers a half-day Administrative Roundtable [28] seminar before the start of classes in the fall and spring semesters. Topics cover a wide range of campus issues relevant to those who serve in administrative leadership roles. In addition, the Office of Academic Affairs hosts “brown bag lunches” twice a semester for administrators at the level below that of dean. These smaller gatherings provide for a relatively informal sharing of ideas and discussion regarding those issues and resources available to campus administrators.

Information regarding professional development is disseminated to faculty in a variety of ways.  The LSU Website serves as a central source of current information for faculty. The Office of Academic Affairs also sends out a monthly electronic newsletter that highlights faculty development opportunities. Both the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Research & Economic Development [12] send regular correspondence to faculty regarding specific special events or programs. E-mail serves as the primary mode of communication for this correspondence. Department chairs and associate deans also provide information and guidance within colleges and schools.