DOSSIER WORKSHOP

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DOSSIER WORKSHOP

• 3rd, 4th, 5th Year Retention
• Eileen Barrett
• Office of Faculty Development
• 12-07-06

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Tips for Compiling Your Retention Dossier

• Due January 15th

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SEVEN BASIC TIPS FROM SUE SCHAEFER

• START NOW DONT STOP
• APPEARANCES COUNT
• FOCUS ON THE DOCUMENTS
• EXPLAIN
• USE PROBLEMS POSITIVELY
• ASK FOR ADVICE
• DONT DRAW CONCLUSIONS

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1. Start Now Dont Stop

• Tenure is a cumulative process it recognizes
  accomplishments anticipates your future
  contributions. Promotion recognizes
  accomplishments
• Include an up-to-date and complete c.v.
• Use selected evidence to show your ongoing
  development achievements
• Include a narrative that explains directs the
  reader to appropriate evidence

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FOCUS SUBSTANCE

• Exclude redundant material
• Use representative instructional materials
• Include substantive evidence of student
  achievement
• Include recent versions of scholarly work
• Make the dossier lean mean

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2. APPEARANCES
Typical size would be two binders and a third for
student evaluations

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APPEARANCES

• Use between one and three binders put your name
  on all sides (remember focus substance)
• Include an index of all materials in the dossier
• Organize your materials within the 5 categories
  degree, instructional, professional, internal
  service, external service
• Use legible font, clean materials
• Use readable tabs, use 4.0 numbering
• Invite your audience to read your materials

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3. FOCUS ON THE DOCUMENTS

• Read and refer to the Promotion, Tenure, and
  Retention (PTR) document
• Be aware of the expectations criteria (see 4.0
  general see 6.0 tenure 8.0 promotion to
  associate 9.0 promotion to full)
• Know that instructional (1) and professional (2)
  achievement have highest priority
• Understand the profile approach (See 1.0
  Introductory Statement)
• Check the deadlines
• Review your Personnel Action File (PAF) and each
  years retention letters

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PERSONNEL ACTION FILE (PAF)

• Maintained by The Office of Academic Affairs
• Designated Custodian Provost Vice President of
  Academic Affairs
• Call to schedule an appoint to review your PAF
  (before Feb. 1)
• Ms. Gina Traversa
• Warren Hall 945, 885-3714

• PAF

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Working Personnel Action File (WPAF)

• 1 WPAF

• 2 WPAF (Dossier)

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Promotion, Tenure, and Retention Policy and
Procedures Document

• Explains the policies and procedures
• Describes the criteria for retention, tenure, and
  promotion
• Suggests the kinds of evidence that support
  instructional professional achievement,
  internal external service.
• Conforms to the Collective Bargaining Agreement
  (CBA) between Cal State University (CSU) and
  California Faculty Association (CFA)
• Is governed by the Academic Senate and approved
  by the President

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The PTR document is available

• Online at the Senate Office
• http//www.csueastbay.edu/senate/documents/PTR20d
  oc20as20amended20by2005-0620FAC204.pdf
• PTR for Librarians is governed by a separate
  document

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4. EXPLAIN

• Know your audience anticipate what they must do
• Be aware that they include your Department
  Committee, your Chair, your Dean, the Provost,
  the President ( might include the College
  University committees)
• Explain the evidence you include to this audience
• WRITE THEIR LETTERS FOR THEM

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Write a cover letter, introductory statement, or
narrative

• Consider using department letterhead
• State what youre applying for
• Follow the format your readers will use
• Mention your degree
• Describe your instructional goals achievement
• Describe your professional goals achievements
• Describe your contributions, interests, goals
  for internal and external contributions
• WRITE THE LETTER FOR THEM

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Use What You Have

• Update last years cover letter
• Highlight summarize key evidence in each
  category
• Include or describe your probationary faculty
  plan
• Revisit your teaching philosophy
• Mention your publications
• Dont draw conclusion point to the evidence so
  that the readers can draw the conclusion

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INDEX, C.V., DEGREE

• Index should identify everything you include in
  the dossier (for your protection)
• Submit a copy to your PAF
• Use Index as a Table of Contents
• Include an up-to-date c.v.
• Include a copy of your terminal degree or
  transcript showing completion of the degree

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Instructional achievement

• If you have one, begin with a summary or teaching
  philosophy that highlights what youd like the
  reviewers to notice
• Include a range of evidence but be selective
• Include evidence of student learning
• Recognize that instructional achievement is the
  first category

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Tips for teaching narrative or philosophy

• Describe your approach style of teaching
• Explain how your course goals support the goals
  and objectives of relevant curriculum
• Describe your development as an instructor
• Tie your philosophy to Department, College, or
  University mission, our unique student
  population
• Address any concerns about your teaching from
  previous reviews
• Write with your reader in mind

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• BREAK TIME!

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Evidence of teaching might include

• Range of undergraduate courses
• Range of graduate courses
• Range of formatsLarge lecture, Mid-size
  lecture/discussion, seminar, online or partially
  online courses
• Revision of frequently taught courses
• Incorporation of assessment and general education
  objectives

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Evidence of student learning might include

• Designs for group work and group projects
• Organized role playing, debates, performances
• Students projects and papers
• Guidelines for assignments
• Use of Blackboard discussion groups

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Evidence of advising teaching beyond the
classroom might include

• Logs of student visits to office hours
• Independent studies, theses
• Supervisions of students presentations or
  performances at conferences, festivals,
  galleries, meets, etc.
• Sample letters of recommendations
• Work with student groups students campus
  functions
• Involvement in mentoring programs

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EVIDENCE OF CLASSROOM COLLABORATION

• ACTIVITIES THAT CREATE RAPPORT AMONG STUDENTS
• DESIGNS FOR GROUP WORK AND PROJECTS
• ORGANIZED ROLE PLAYING, DEBATES, PERFORMANCES
• STUDENT GENERATED ACTIVITIES PROJECTS
• GUIDELINES FOR PEER EVALUATIONS
• STUDY GROUPS AMONG STUDENTS
• USE OF BLACKBOARD DISCUSSION GROUPS

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FOCUS SUBSTANCE

• The above mentioned materials can be described in
  your cover letter or instructional summary rather
  than included
• Avoid padding the dossier
• Describe how you integrate your teaching with
  your professional achievement and service
  whenever possible

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PEER EVALUATIONS

• SUMMATIVE EVALUATIONS FROM COLLEAGUES WHO VISIT
  YOUR CLASS
• FORMATIVE EVALUATION FROM FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
• LETTERS FROM COLLEAGUES IN WHOSE CLASSES YOU HAVE
  PRESENTED
• LETTERS FROM COLLEAGUES WITH WHOM YOU HAVE SHARED
  SYLLABI, ASSIGNMENTS, OR COLLABORATED IN OTHER
  WAYS

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STUDENT EVALUATIONS

• Impartially administered student course
  evaluations with tabulated results from Office of
  Assessment Testing
• unedited summaries of student comments
• Unsolicited letters from students
• Unsolicited emails with substantive comments from
  students
• Informal feedback on student learning

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Informal class evaluation

• Informal, anonymous questionnaires about teaching
  learning in the course
• Snapshot assessment of daily learning for
  example, the muddy point activity
• Final student self-evaluations about learning

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Professional Achievement

• Begin with a summary of your accomplishments that
  highlights what youd like the reviewers to
  notice
• Explain how you are meeting your research,
  scholarly, and creative goals
• Tie your professional to your instructional
  achievement
• Write to help your supporters make the best case
  for you
• Refer to PTR section 4.1.3

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Documenting Professional Achievement

• Scholarly books or papers published in
  professional journals
• Creative and professionally reviewed performances
  or creative exhibits
• Publications that are considered credible within
  the intellectual community
• Unpublished scholarship or work in progress
• Conference presentations

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Evidence might include

• Articles submitted to a scholarly journal.
• Published textbooks and other published
  instructional materials.
• Scholarly activities funded by grants.
• Submitted grant proposals.
• Research reports or scholarly papers presented at
  conferences, colloquia, and other professional
  forums.

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Additional Evidence includes

• Participation in professional meetings as a
  discussant, committee member, or organizer of
  colloquia/seminars.
• Service as a reviewer, an editor, a speaker, an
  officer of a professional organization, or a
  consultant.
• Publication of expository material in a
  newspaper, journal, or on a refereed web site.
• Scholarly awards and honors.

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Consider a Research Agenda

• Apply for internal and external grants
• Revisit your dissertation
• Collaborate with colleagues
• Join a writing circle
• Visit research and sponsored programs
• Get a clear idea of expectations

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Internal University Contributions

• Begin with a summary of your departmental,
  college, and university service
• Tie service to pedagogical professional
  interests
• Include evidence when appropriate of your
  particular contributions to committees

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External Representation

• Summarize your community service
• Show its relevance to your discipline
• Connect your community service to our students

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Sue Schaeffers Tips for University Service

• One Day Wonders
• Al Fresco
• Commencement
• Orientation
• Honors Convocation
• Graduate Recruiting

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More from Sue

• Use your skills
• Second language fluency-let colleagues know
• Guest lecture, student clubs, international
  students, study abroad, translation, greeting
  visitors to campus
• Music, Art, Technology
• Design logos, or flyers, create web sites

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Sue Schaeffers Creative Tips for External Service

• Have your church/temple host a CSUH student group
• Bring the soccer team you coach to campus
• Arrange a campus tour for the school your
  children attend or thats in your neighborhood
• Invite your reading group to a campus event

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THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
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5. USE PROBLEMS POSITIVELY

• Address concerns raised in retention letters
• Demonstrate efforts to improveworkshops,
  observations in teaching publications and
  presentations in professional
• Describe how you have solved any problems show
  your new pedagogy
• Stay positive in tone

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6. ASK FOR ADVICE

• Ask your chair and dean for advice
• Consult with your mentors both in and outside the
  department
• Talk to colleagues who have successfully
  navigated the process
• Ask trusted colleagues/friend to read your
  materials
• We are happy to review your letters and materials
  in one-on-one consultations through Faculty
  Development
• If there is a difference of opinion, defer to
  those who are part of the decision making process

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7. DONT DRAW CONCLUSIONS

• Never say, I deserve tenure because . . .
• Let your reviewers draw their own conclusion
• But make that positive conclusion as easy for
  them to draw as possible

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Focus and Substance

• Weed out redundant materials
• Stay lean mean
• More than

Is often a
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Enjoy the process

• Take pleasure in all your accomplishments
• See the process as an opportunity for
  professional reflection
• Set some post-tenure professional goals
• Share the experience with colleagues
• Come to the faculty development pizza party
• Dont sweat the small stuff!

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Celebrate your accomplishmentswith your
colleagues!

• Come to the Faculty Development Pizza Party,
  Tues. Wed.
• January 9th 10th
• from 1130-130