October 7, 2020
This message was sent to tenure-track faculty at IU Indianapolis, IU Columbus, and
IU Fort Wayne (except the School of Medicine)
Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer
Dear Colleagues,
This year all deans and department chairs have been asked to lead a review of their criteria and standards for promotion and tenure to consider new ways of engaging in a more comprehensive review of the totality of the faculty members' work and the impact that it has on the discipline, the campus, and the community.
This type of review should consider activities within and spanning across the domains of research, teaching, and service as well as the impact of these activities on enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion on the campus, in the broader community, and in professional disciplines. Chancellor Paydar frequently champions the importance of a welcoming, inclusive campus climate, and we both recognize the tremendous role that faculty play in influencing this climate for the students that they teach, through their professional service, as well as in their research and creative activity. As diversity, equity, and inclusion are critically important campus priorities, it is essential that we ensure that the procedures we use to review faculty work--for promotion, tenure, and merit--align with these campus values.
A website has been developed to provide guidance for this important work, to solicit your feedback and questions, and to share examples from other higher education institutions. As criteria and standards for promotion and tenure are under the legislative authority of the faculty, I write at this time to urge you to participate actively in the review process.
This work is tremendously important for the future of IU Indianapolis, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and responding to your questions.
Sincerely,
Kathy E. Johnson, Ph.D.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer
Professor of Psychology
