Committee on Academic Priorities Guidelines for Position Requests

Guidelines for Requests for Tenure Track and Continuing Non-TenureTrack Positions for 2013-2014

17 April 2013

Departments or programs that would like to request a tenure-track or continuing non-tenure track position are required to send a 1-2 page outline of the concept and a full proposal. The outline of the concept must be sent to CAP in electronic format by Wednesday, September 18, 2013.  Please see the schedule below to determine the deadline for submission of the full proposal.  Proposals should not exceed 20 pages, should use the template located below, and also be submitted in electronic format to the Committee on Academic Priorities, via Linda Butler Livesay – llivesay@brynmawr.edu.

September 18: 

  • Department/program submits a 1-2 page outline of the concept (this is an expansion of what was previously called the statement of intent) that includes the following:
    • a brief statement of the reason/need for the position
    • a list of other departments, programs, or individuals who might want to be part of the conversation about conceptualizing this position
  • Position request outlines will be posted to the Provost’s web site
  • CAP chair sends message to all faculty inviting everyone to look at these proposals and contact CAP if they feel that they might want to be part of conceptualizing/developing the proposal
  • The proposing department/program directly communicates with other departments, programs, and individuals identified in the position request outline as those that might play a role in conceptualizing the position

September 19-Fall Break:

  • CAP conducts listening meetings with proposing departments/programs
  • CAP encourages proposing department/program to link up with other departments, programs, and individuals who should be or want to be part of conceptualizing the position
  • All conversations between departments regarding the proposed position should be documented

Six weeks after the Listening Meeting:

  • Full proposals due to CAP (using template and submitted electronically)
  • A representative from CAP and CC is assigned to each request

November 15-December 19:

  • CAP works with Curriculum Committee to develop list of questions/foci for formal meeting with CAP and CC representative

January-March

  • CAP and CC representatives conduct formals meeting with departments/programs

These revisions are intended to support the College’s new models of curricular organization and increased emphasis on flexibility and communication across disciplines. CAP expects interdepartmental cooperation and the sharing of resources and, in particular, requires documentation that other departments or programs were consulted about the nature of a possible proposal for a position before the final proposal was written. Collaborating/supporting departments or programs and letters of support from other departments and programs should specify the kinds of courses that the proposed position could contribute to the major or minor in those outside fields, and when a search is authorized, those departments or programs agree to sustain engagement with the process of searching for and hiring a new faculty member (e.g., attend candidate talks and/or meet with candidates).

As in the past, this year CAP will examine each position request in terms of:

  • its relation to the College’s mission and academic priorities,
  • its contributions to short and long term departmental and disciplinary directions,
  • its impact on overall faculty resources at Bryn Mawr and in the BiCo, including our
  • capacity to respond to sabbatical leaves,
  • opportunities to enhance the diversity of our faculty,
  • the history of previous requests from this department or program to CAP,
  • and in the case of CNTT requests, the established guidelines on the nature of CNTT appointments (see Attachment).

A proposal for a tenure track or continuing non-tenure track position must use the template document (located below) and must include the following:

1.   A detailed description of the proposed position as well as any alternatives that have been considered.

2.    A description of the applicant pool for the proposed position. It is particularly important that this document contain specific information on the potential candidate pool from underrepresented groups within the professional discipline(s) being recruited and the specific area(s) being proposed. All requests must identify how the position has been defined so as to attract candidates from underrepresented groups. Relevant professional educational association data on minority recruitment should be included if available.

3.    A long-range (5-year) plan that outlines the department or program’s goals in relation to the College’s mission, the department or program’s staffing needs, other relevant department or program staffing needs, and the future intellectual and pedagogical directions of their specific academic area. This plan should also reflect on the history of the department or program over a minimum of the last five years.

4.    Rationale for the requested position*:

a.    Reflecting on your 5-year plan, how do you believe the proposed position contributes to short- and long-term departmental needs and disciplinary directions?

b.   How does the proposed position contribute to the offerings, curricular demands, and the long-range goals and plans of other departments and programs?

c.    What is the position’s relationship to the College’s mission and academic priorities (including any contribution to interdisciplinary programs, Emily Balch Seminars, postbac or graduate programs, Praxis program, etc.).

d.   What is the position’s impact on Bi-College cooperation. Please include letters from appropriate counterpart departments or programs at Haverford commenting on the proposal, as well as an account of the process of consultation with those departments and programs that contributed to the development of the proposal and the kinds of commitments made by other departments and programs to use these new resources.

*Note: Proposals for CNTT positions need address only (a) and (d).

5.   An estimate of the costs associated with the position, e.g., laboratory construction or renovation and startup funds.

6.   Staffing and student enrollment figures for the past five academic years. (Note: student enrollment should be broken down by introductory and advanced courses; include numbers of majors and, for departments with graduate programs, numbers of graduate students. This should also include some analysis of trends in the data. The Registrar should be able to provide raw data, which can be included in your request).

7.   Attach all letters of support from outside departments or programs to this proposal.  These letters should specify the kinds of courses that the proposed position could contribute to the major or minor in those outside fields and should indicate in what ways departments or programs that write letters of support will sustain engagement, if a search is authorized, with the process of searching for and hiring a new faculty member (e.g., attending candidate talks and/or meeting with candidates).

8.   Anything else you would like us to know as we consider your proposal?

Template for Proposals for Tenure Track and Continuing Non-Tenure Track Positions for 2013-2014:  Template for Proposals