Merit Policy

ASU Department of Theatre and Dance
Approved by the department April 13, 2010, effective July 2010.

This departmental document is a guideline to help the faculty member compile their meritorious activities. The items listed in each category include samples of meritorious work, and may flex in weight based on the level of participation (local to international), personal time and monetary expenses involved, number/frequency of occurrences, quality of contributions, etc.

Teaching Merit

The Department of Theatre and Dance supports the mission of Appalachian State University with its focus on teaching supported by scholarship/creative activity and service. The department recognizes the primacy of teaching, therefore it is always weighted at least 50-70% of a faculty member's load.

Teaching Activity	1-5 Points (Satisfactory)	5-10 Points (Good)	10-15 Points (Exceptional)
Curriculum Development	Substantial revision of a course (research, workshops, and courses) Preparation of a new course	Development/Implementation of a new course (research, workshops, and courses) Preparation of multiple new courses or a new track	Major curriculum development (minor, major, substantial revisions)
Guest Teaching	Guest teaching on campus	Guest teaching, workshops or presentations at other colleges and universities	Lengthy residencies at other institutions
Instructional Effort	Organize field trips for students Organize or host outside resource(s) for performances or course related activities	Organize or host outside resource(s) for course-related activities, involving other campus disciplines	Organizing/Hosting outside resource(s) international or nationally recognized professionals, scholars, and performances for course-related and multidisciplinary activities
Faculty Development	Participate in faculty development/teaching pedagogy workshops, etc.	Participate in a faculty learning community on scholarly teaching and learning, or documenting other means of self critique and assessment	Participate in faculty development leading to new areas of expertise and curriculum development Document new scholarly approaches to teaching and learning
Applied Teaching/Effective Mentoring	Independent and/or individual studies, internships, face to face supervision	Mentoring, numerous independent and individual studies, internships, face to face supervision beyond course load Mentoring new faculty members	Mentoring a significant number of students on noteworthy project with evidence of student success
Evaluations	Student evaluations at or above the departmental average when teaching an above average percentage of students	Student evaluations consistently above the departmental average Excellent peer evaluations	Student evaluations are excellent Exceptional external and internal peer evaluations
Student/Faculty Honors	Nominations for faculty honors or student awards	Faculty honors or student awards at the department or college level	Exceptional teaching awards, student awards, recognitions, fellowships, university and beyond
Overloads	Teach teaching within the department, without full load credit	Teaching assignments resulting in an overload, due to number of students or number of contact hours Evidence of successful interdisciplinary teaching	Sustained involvement in extra courses/projects resulting in an overload (as defined by official workload guidelines) Evidence of leadership in interdisciplinary teaching
Other Activities	Faculty presents evidence of activity, weight is determined by the chairperson

All faculty members are expected to meet the minimal criteria for teaching in the Theatre and Dance Promotion and Tenure guidelines. Failure to engage in the baseline activities will result in a reduced teaching ranking.

Scholarship/Creative Activity

The Department further recognizes that an important component of scholarship/ creative activity is in the production and performance of works of theatre and dance, which is a significant part of the departmental mission. For arts faculty engaged in research, scholarship achievement functions as the equivalent of artistic achievement.

Scholarship/Creative Activites	1-5 Points (Satisfactory)	5-10 Points (Good)	10-15 Points (Exceptionsal
Production/Performance	Local recognition of creative work Public papers or presentations including workshops, lectures, guest artist work, critiquing, and adjudication at the local level	Assisting Scholarship/creative activity inside/for the department Public papers or presentations including workshops, lectures, guest artist work, critiquing, and adjudication at the regional or state level	Scholarship/creative activity outside the department (paid, unpaid, invited, volunteered) Major scholarship/creative activity (production directing/coaching, choreographing, designing, technical work, performing, managing, playwriting, dramaturgy, residencies, guest artist work, etc.) uncompensated by reassigned time Public papers or presentations at the national or international level
Scholarship	Peer reviewer of articles or manuscripts Papers or presentations at conventions of professional meetings, chairing or participating on a panel Evidence of submission of an article, book, or creative work for publication, presentation, or adjudication Published book reviews	Peer reviewer of books, journals, or other lengthy manuscripts Peer reviewed publication of a chapter in a book, an article, or other form of "publication" including digital media Editor of books, articles, journals, or manuscripts Evidence of submission of a juried article, book, or creative work for publication, presentation, or adjudication Publication of juried book reviews	Publication of a peer-reviewed book by an academic press Peer reviewed publication of books, articles, or manuscripts in juried journal or by academic press Peer reviewed publication of a chapter in a book, an article, or other form of "publication" including digital media
Research	Evidence of research in progress intended for publication or presentation	Evidence of research in progress intended for major publication or presentation
Evaluations		Serve as a peer reviewed of peers for other institutions	Receives positive critical reviews of creative activity by both external and internal peer evaluators
Honors, Awards	Honors, awards, fellowships for scholarly creative activity on a local level	Honors, awards, fellowships for scholarly or creative activity on a regional level	Honors, awards, fellowship for scholarly or creative activity on a national or international level
Grants	External/internal grant (below $1,000)	External/internal grant ($1,000-5,000)	External/internal grant ($5,000 or more)
Interdisciplinary Collaborations	Project on campus	Project involves campus and the community	Project impacts on a national or international level
Other Activities	Faculty presents evidence of activity, weight is determined by the chairperson

All faculty members are expected to meet the minimal criteria for scholarship/ creative activity in the Theatre and Dance promotion and tenure guidelines. Failure to engage in the baseline activities will result in a reduced scholarship/ creative activity ranking.

Service

In addition to teaching and scholarship, all faculty members are expected to provide service to the department, the college, the university and to their professions.

Service Activities	1-5 Points (Satisfactory)	5-10 Points (Good)	10-15 Points (Exceptional)
Department	Serve on departmental personnel search committees Contribute/maintain elements of the departmental recruitment materials Nominations for awards, recognition for service Voluntary or assigned ad-hoc committee service or task force beyond expectations of rank	Voluntary or assigned ad-hoc/ongoing committee service or task force beyond expectations of rank Chairing a committee Recruitment (prepare, set up and recruit using display, etc.) Advising a student organization Area coordinator -acility space coordinator Multi-section coordinator w/o reassigned time	Service which is uncompensated by reassigned time (see Reassigned time document) Chairing more committees within a year beyond expectations of rank Advanced recruitment (recruitment involving travel and professional time at conferences) Serving on departmental personnel search committees Honors, awards, recognition for service Author a major departmental document Maintaining the departmental web site
College Service		Participation on ad-hoc college committees and taks forces	Participation on ongoing college committees and task forces Chairing college committees Honors, awards, recognition -Co-author a college document
University Service	Participation on university search committees Participation on ongoing/ad-hoc university committees and task forces beyond expectations of rank Contributing for campus events	Participation on ongoing/ad-hoc university committees and task forces beyond expectations of rank Charing a university committee Faculty Senate member System-wide activity Board member to a university student organization Leadership in campus events	Faculty Senate officer Chairing a university committee/task force Faculty Fellow Leadership on ongoing/ad-hoc university committees and task forces beyond expectations of rank Advisor or board member to a university student organization Honors, awards, recognition Co-author a university document
Regional, State or National Service	Consultant related to discipline expertise Participating member in professional organizations	Participating member in committee, advisory council, board meetings	Adjudication/review/representation for state/regional/national organizations Officer, administrative, organizational, or leadership role Leadership in committee, advisory council, board meetings Serve as an invited program reviewer for other institutions Honors, awards, recognition
Community Service	Consultant in discipline expertise Engagement with the community (service learning course, performance, workshop, etc.) Attending committee, advisory council, board, meetings Nominee for community honors, awards, or recognition	Participating member in committee, advisory council, board meetings Participation and contributions to professional organizations Community honors, awards, recognition	Professional coordination/creation of a community program Officer, administrative, organizational, or leadership role Professional collaboration with community arts organizations related to the faculty's professional specialization and field, and/or holding appointive or elective office National or regional honors, awards, recognition
Other Activites	Faculty presents evidence of activity, weight is determined by the chairperson

All faculty members are expected to meet the minimal criteria for service in the Theatre and Dance promotion and tenure guidelines. Failure to engage in the baseline activities will result in a reduced service activity ranking.