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Contact UsBiola University offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs. Since the content and emphases of these programs vary greatly, the credentials of faculty are expected to be diverse. The evaluation of faculty for promotion and tenure takes into account the nature of the program and school in which the faculty member is involved, as well as the contributions of research, teaching, and service made by the faculty member at the university. A faculty member whose major responsibilities are in a graduate program may have a different balance of expectations than one whose responsibilities lie primarily in an undergraduate program. A faculty member in a liberal arts and sciences area may have a different balance than one in a creative area such as art or music or in an applied program such as nursing or athletics. It is neither possible nor desirable to spell out the factors unique to every area in this document. Nevertheless, quality of performance must always be evaluated according to standards of excellence appropriate to the department or school and the responsibilities of the faculty member, as well as to spiritual considerations appropriate for all faculty members in this distinctive Christian university.
Earnest Boyer (1990) suggests that one of the greatest deficiencies of universities and colleges is their failure to recognize the rich mosaic of talent existing among their faculties. The typical university defines the career path of faculty primarily in terms of research and teaching and defines its rewards system very narrowly so as to keep faculty on an unrelenting grind for the duration of their careers. He concludes that such a program is destructive to both the individual and to the academic community.
Boyer notes four basic requirements that he believes are essential to a healthy faculty in any university. All faculty members must maintain their credentials as researchers, the foundation skill prerequisite for entry into a faculty career. Faculty must also stay professionally alive, by keeping in touch with the developments in their particular disciplines. Faculty must also be held to the highest standards of personal integrity. Finally, peer evaluation is essential for sustaining inspiration and a commitment to excellence. Beyond these minimal criteria, Boyer suggests that faculty should also be rewarded for excellence in the classroom and for contributions to the service, performance, and administrative agendas of the university.
Biola seeks to acknowledge this paradigm of professional service by recognizing three categories of scholarship: the Scholarship of Research, the Scholarship of Teaching, and the Scholarship of Service. The latter category combines administrative service (program director, department chairperson, and dean), other forms of service to the university and service to the community at large. Together, these three types of scholarship form Biola’s promotion structure.
The rank structure is designed to strike a balance between what might be called "automatic promotion" at one extreme and "impossible promotion" at the other. To put this in perspective, it is the intent of the rank structure that at the entry levels (Instructor and Assistant Professor) new faculty should move relatively easily upward, given acceptable performance in the three categories.
Beginning with the Associate Professor rank, a higher level of faculty initiative, creativity and contribution is expected. Since at the Instructor and Assistant Professor levels the faculty member is just completing (or has recently completed) his/her terminal degree, the first appointment is looked at as a new professional discipline with new responsibilities. Consequently, faculty members at this level are beginning to initiate scholarly and creative activities. For appointment to the Associate Professor and Professor level, however, the faculty member must demonstrate increased breadth and depth in the scholarship of research, teaching, and/or service.
Criterion Areas
The criteria for promotion falls into three categories: The Scholarship of Research, the Scholarship of Teaching, and the Scholarship of Service.
The Scholarship of Research includes a broad range of activities that signify mastery of and contribution to one's area of academic expertise. This includes demonstrated awareness and integration of current research in fields relevant to one's academic responsibilities, presentations at scholarly societies, publication of college level textbooks, scholarly monographs, articles in refereed journals or scholarly works in other recognized publications, and leadership and involvement in scholarly societies. Non-traditional projects, such as computer software, comprehensive course syllabi, and curricular program design are of considerable merit. When they are included in the application for promotion instead of, or in addition to, more traditional forms of scholarship, they must be accompanied by professional reviews by off-campus experts in the field approved by the department chair/dean or other evidence of their value to the larger profession. In certain applied fields such as fine arts and business, scholarship may also be demonstrated by creative productions, professional credentials and a high level of leadership-participation and acknowledged expertise in one's field.
The Scholarship of Teaching is defined as problem posing about an issue of teaching or learning, study of the problem through methods appropriate to disciplinary epistemologies, application of results to practice, communication of results, self-reflection, and peer review (Carnegie Teaching Academy, p. 10). It involves the entire process of learning including classroom performance, course preparation and student advisement. Promotion decisions in this area take into consideration factors such as quality of organization of course material, clarity and appropriateness of assignments, effectiveness in working with a wide range of students (majors and non-majors, able and struggling), ability to motivate and challenge students, awareness and/or utilization of innovative and appropriate instructional techniques, an understanding of students as individuals, a positive attitude toward students and their needs, involvement in curriculum planning and other departmental affairs.
The Scholarship of Service refers to special contributions that go beyond the routine responsibilities that all faculty are expected to share. This includes areas such as major efforts in program development, highly significant leadership in committee or departmental work, exceptional modeling of the integration of faith and learning in university programs and activities, work with students that goes well beyond the norm, involvement in community activities that have a direct or indirect benefit to Biola, and Christian service activities that further Biola's objectives. This category may include such activities as political and other civic involvement, consultation to other individuals and organizations; lecturing and writing for lay audiences as well as significant work or service rendered within the general church community. Although not considered either scholarly activity or a direct teaching responsibility, these latter activities further Biola's general institutional objectives, aid in student recruitment, and have a positive impact on Biola's recognition and acceptance in the communities in which it is involved and which it serves.
Biola recognizes that the contribution of some individuals may not be limited to just one category of scholarship. However, when viewing the sum total of their professional contributions they achieve a moderate level of performance in each of the three categories of scholarship. This person is referred to as a “Generalist.” Starting at the Associate Professor level, for each promotion period, an individual may choose to apply either as a scholar in one of the three categories or as a generalist.
Selection of Criteria
For the individual who seeks promotion in one of the three scholarship categories (e.g., research, teaching, or service), it is expected that there will be satisfactory and demonstrable performance in each of the three categories; however, one area will receive proportionately greater emphasis based upon a faculty member's specific category of promotion. When this is done, however, the weighting must be agreed upon by the faculty member and his/her chairperson and dean at the time of the faculty member's appointment or at a time of changed responsibilities well before promotion decisions are to be made.
Except in highly unusual circumstances, it is expected that faculty members receiving promotions will be functioning well in each of these three areas. Exceptional scholarship, for example, will not compensate for inadequate teaching skills.
The selection of criteria will of course depend on the category of scholarship that the individual chooses for his/her promotion path. For example, an individual seeking promotion in the Scholarship of Research promotion path will need to have achieved three (3) criteria within the Scholarship of Research category while also achieving one (1) in the Scholarship of Teaching category and one (1) in the Scholarship of Service category. Thus, an individual seeking promotion must have achieved a minimum of five (5) criteria. The person seeking promotion as a Generalist must also achieve a minimum of five (5) criteria but these may be spread across the three categories of scholarship according to personal strength and giftedness. See Criteria for Advancement Chart.
To clarify how this promotion structure works, the following examples are provided for illustrative purposes:
Promotion as a specialist
Example # 1: An Associate Professor, level 1 seeks promotion to level 2. He/she decides to seek promotion as a specialist in the Scholarship of Research category. He/she must have the following number of criteria met:
| Research 3 | Teaching 1 | Service 1 | Total 5 |
Example # 2: An Associate Professor, level 1 seeks promotion to level 2. He/she decides to seek promotion as a specialist in the Scholarship of Teaching category. He/she must have the following number of criteria met:
| Research 1 | Teaching 3 | Service 1 | Total 5 |
Example # 3: An Associate Professor, level 1 seeks promotion to level 2. He/she decides to seek promotion as a specialist in the Scholarship of Service category. He/she must have the following number of criteria met:
| Research 1 | Teaching 1 | Service 3 | Total 5 |
Promotion as a generalist
If, however, he/she chooses to seek promotion to level 2 as a generalist, he/she would choose from one of the following options:
| Research | Teaching | Service | Total | |
| Option # 1: | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Option # 2: | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Option # 3: | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Promotion and years of Service
The following chart gives the number of years of service at different levels before being eligible to apply for promotion to the next level:
| Track A | Track B | |
| Assistant 1 to Assistant 2 | 3 years | 2 years |
| Assistant 2 to Associate 1 | 3 years | 2 years |
| Associate 1 to Associate 2 | 4 years | 2 years |
| Associate 2 to Associate 3 | 4 years | 2 years |
| Associate 3 to Professor 1 | 3 years | |
| Professor 1 to Professor 2 | 3 years | |
| Professor 2 to Professor 3 | 3 years |
The intended purpose for specified “years of service” at each level (in the chart above) is to encourage and allow adequate time for the following: (1) professional growth; (2) academic contributions and service; and (3) development of collegial working relationships within the faculty member’s department, school and university. The above requirements for years in rank are considered entry levels and are not meant to imply that all (or even most) faculty will be ready at this time. Faculty at three-quarter time will likely need even more time to reach the requirements in all categories because of their reduced workload.
Faculty may apply for advancement before these minimum times if in the evaluation of the department chairperson/coordinator and/or dean they evidence exceptionally high levels of scholarship in research, teaching, and/or service that would clearly warrant “fast-track” consideration. “ Fast track” may be applied in these exceptional cases to reduce the required “years of service” at a particular level (chart above) and/or the required “years of teaching experience” listed as prerequisites for Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor (see Section 8.3, pages 7-10). In light of the goals of professional development mentioned above, a professor who applies for “fast track” would manifest not only exceptional accomplishments in two of the three categories of research, teaching, or service with double points in at least two categories and overall cumulative double points. “Fast track” in most cases allows application for promotion one year earlier than the minimum times above, and is limited to two times during a professor’s Biola career.
Faculty who are applying for promotion subsequent to their first advancement should include in their portfolios all accomplishments during the year between when they submitted their application and when their last promotion took effect. This prevents accomplishments from being lost and enables faculty to include an extra year’s accomplishments as part of their portfolio for the next promotion cycle. Thus, someone in Track B seeking advancement from Associate 1 to Associate 2 must have been at the lower rank for two years before applying for promotion but will have a portfolio covering three years’ accomplishments.
A faculty member applying for promotion should list the previous applications for "fast track" and if these were granted on the front page of the Application for Promotion.
Foundation Contributions
Underlying all three basic categories are two special contributions. One is involvement in the spiritual and personal maturing of students. While this factor is especially important in the area of teaching, it is expected that all faculty, in addition to sharing Biola's theological commitment, will be actively involved in the spiritual formation of students in a positive manner which is openly apparent.
The second contribution is a commitment to the process of integration of one's discipline with scriptural revelation. This is what is referred to as the “integration of faith and learning.” We consider this to be a hallmark of Biola’s educational experience. Likewise, it is expected that this dimension will cut across all of a faculty member's scholarship (research, teaching and service) regardless of rank.
It is a basic assumption that the faculty can successfully serve as role models and fully integrate faith and learning/living only as each personally allows for growth in his/her own spiritual life. The faculty is expected to manifest and provide underlying and pervading evidence of such development.
Specific Rank and Level Criteria
Lecturer
Shall hold an earned bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in the faculty member's field of teaching; OR
Shall hold certificates/credentials that qualify for special instructional needs and have demonstrated abilities/performance equivalent to the earned bachelor's degree, as evaluated by the department chairperson and approved by the dean of the instructional school.
Normally a lecturer is a part-time position and is not considered a permanent position.
Instructor
Appointment at the Instructor level is based primarily on academic preparation and evidence of potential for teaching success and scholarly activity. This is generally considered an initial rank for individuals who do not have a terminal degree in their academic area and tenure does not attach to this rank.
An Instructor shall: hold an earned master's degree or its equivalent (45 semester units) toward a terminal degree from an accredited institution in the faculty member's field of teaching; OR
Hold an earned bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in the field of teaching and have demonstrated abilities/performance equivalent to the master's degree, as evaluated by the department chairperson and approved by the dean of the instructional school.
In addition to the above, show evidence of satisfactory ability as a researcher, teacher, and potential contributor to the service needs of the university.
Assistant Professor
Appointment at the Assistant Professor level is based on academic preparation and demonstrated success or strong evidence of potential scholarship in research and/or teaching. This is the first rank with a tenure option, and "years of service" counting towards eligibility for pre-tenure review begins at this rank. While it is possible to achieve tenure at this level, tenure is generally not granted unless the faculty member shows potential for advancing to a higher rank.
Track A: Those without their terminal degree
Level 1
At the time of appointment to Assistant Professor 1A, shall hold an earned master's degree from an accredited institution in academic fields of teaching and have completed the equivalent of four years of college teaching, of which two years are after the conferral of the master's degree.
In addition, shall show evidence of scholarly productivity, satisfactory teaching ability, and contributions to the goals of the university as outlined in the “Selection of Criteria” section (pg. 3) and Criteria for Advancement Chart (pgs. 11-13).
Level 2
Shall show continued evidence of scholarly productivity, satisfactory teaching ability and contributions to the goals of the university as outlined in the “Selection of Criteria” (Section 8.3, pgs. 3-4) and “ Criteria for Advancement” (Section 8.32, pgs. 3-5). One can apply for Level 2 after completing three years at Level 1. (Section 8.3, pg. 5)
Track B: Those with their terminal degree
Level 1
At the time of appointment to Assistant Professor 1B, shall hold an earned doctorate from an accredited institution in academic fields of teaching; OR
Shall hold an earned master's degree from an accredited institution in certain fields of applied arts and sciences where the master's degree (e.g., Master’s of Fine Arts) is usually the terminal degree as determined by the dean of the school and the appropriate departmental and faculty committee(s).
In addition to above, shall show evidence of scholarly productivity, satisfactory teaching ability and contributions to the goals of the university as outlined in the “Selection of Criteria” section (pg. 3) and Criteria for Advancement Chart (pgs. 11-13).
Level 2
Shall show continued evidence of scholarly productivity, satisfactory teaching ability and contributions to the goals of the university beyond that which was demonstrated for promotion to Level 1. See the “ Selection of Criteria” (Section 8.3, pgs. 3-4) and “Criteria for Advancement” (Section 8.32, pgs. 3-5). One can apply for Level 2 after completing two years at Level 1. (Section 8.3, pg. 5).
Associate Professor
Appointment at the Associate Professor rank is based on demonstrated proficiency and accomplishment (in contrast to academic preparation and/or potential). Strong evidence of effective scholarship in research, teaching, and service must be apparent at this level. Faculty at this level are expected to demonstrate significant institutional leadership in areas such as curriculum development and instructional innovation. They should also be prepared to assume a full range of responsibilities for graduate teaching and advising as appropriate.
Track A: Those without their terminal degree
Level 1
At the time of appointment to Associate Professor 1A, shall hold an earned master's degree from an accredited institution in the faculty member's teaching field and have completed a minimum of ten years teaching of which six must be after the conferral of the master's degree.
In addition, shall show evidence of scholarly productivity, satisfactory teaching ability, and contributions to the goals of the university as outlined in the “Selection of Criteria” (Section 8.3, pgs. 3-4) and “ Criteria for Advancement” (Section 8.32, pgs. 3-5). One can apply for Associate Professor 1A after completing three years at Assistant Professor 2 A.(Section 8.3, pg. 5).
Level 2
Shall continue to meet the criteria for Associate Level 1, but at Level 2 one must have further evidence of scholarly productivity, satisfactory teaching ability and contributions to the goals of the university as outlined in the “Selection of Criteria” (Section 8.3, pgs. 3-4) and “Criteria for Advancement” (Section 8.32, pgs. 3-5).
Should evidence leadership (not merely productivity or good performance) in teaching, scholarly activity, or institutional contributions. One can apply for Level 2 after completing four years at Level 1. (Section 8.3, pg. 5)
Level 3
Shall continue to meet the criteria for Associate Level 2, but at Level 3 one must have further evidence of scholarly productivity, satisfactory teaching ability and contributions to the goals of the university as outlined in the “Selection of Criteria” (Section 8.3, pgs. 3-4) and “ Criteria for Advancement” (Section 8.32, pgs. 3-5). One can apply for Level 3 after completing four years at Level 2. (Section 8.3, pg. 5)
Track B: Those with their terminal degree
Level 1
At the time of appointment to Associate Professor 1B, shall hold an earned doctorate from an accredited institution in the teaching field and have completed a minimum of five years teaching of which four must be after the conferral of the doctoral degree. If the candidate qualifies for advancement to Associate Professor under Track "A", (minimum of ten years teaching of which six must be after conferral of master’s degree),the conferral of a doctorate will permit application to Associate Professor 1B without the required four years of teaching after the doctorate; OR
Shall hold an earned master's degree in those fields of applied arts and sciences where a master's degree is usually the terminal degree and have demonstrated abilities/performance equivalent to completion of a doctorate, as determined by the dean of the school and appropriate departmental and/or faculty committee(s), and completed an equivalent of ten years college teaching experience with at least five years being after the conferral of the master's degree.
In addition to the above, shall show evidence of scholarly productivity, satisfactory teaching ability and contributions to the goals of the university as outlined in the “Selection of Criteria” (Section 8.3, pgs. 3-4) and “Criteria for Advancement” (Section 8.32, pgs. 3-5).
One can apply for Associate Professor 1B after completing two years at the previous level. (Section 8.3, pg. 5)
Level 2
Shall continue to meet the criteria for Associate Level 1, but at Level 2 one must have further evidence of scholarly productivity, satisfactory teaching ability and contributions to the goals of the university as outlined in the “Selection of Criteria” section (pg. 3) and Criteria for Advancement Chart (pgs. 11-13). One can apply for Level 2 after completing two years at Level 1, (Sec. 8.3, pg. 5).
Level 3
Shall continue to meet the criteria for Associate Level 2, but at Level 3 one must have furtherevidence of scholarly productivity, satisfactory teaching ability and contributions to the goals of the university as outlined in the “Selection of Criteria” (Section 8.3,pgs. 3-4) and “Criteria for Advancement” (Section 8.32, pgs. 3-5). One can apply for Level 3 after completing two years at Level 2. (Section 8.3, pg. 5)
Professor
Appointment to the rank of Professor signifies fulfillment of the university's ideal of a faculty member who has distinguished himself/herself in the Scholarship of Research, Teaching, or Service. This individual may also have distinguished himself/herself as a generalist. This rank is granted only to those who are widely recognized as mature, dedicated, and successful in their discipline and area of primary institutional contribution. Professors provide leadership both on and off campus, and they represent the highest levels of professional achievement.
The following criteria serve as guidelines for awarding the rank of Professor. They reflect the university's affirmation of the uniqueness of each individual, its recognition that God provides natural talents, personal skills and spiritual gifts to us in different measures, and its recognition of the value of the diversity of such contributions to the university. As such, these criteria are open to interpretation and exception where the University Personnel Committee determines that the individual merits of the case warrant promotion. Within the university, faculty members are called to make significantly different contributions. Some faculty focus primarily on graduate students, some on undergraduates, while others are primarily administrators. The following criteria reflect these varied roles. In addition to having satisfied the requirements for attaining the rank of Associate Professor, Level III, Professors shall have achieved the following:
Level 1
At the time of appointment to Professor 1, shall hold an earned doctorate or the equivalent from an accredited institution in the field of teaching and have completed twelve years of college teaching, of which seven years must have been after conferral of the terminal degree.
In addition to the above, shall evidence continued development in a specialized promotionpath (e.g., Research, Teaching, or Service) or areas of generalization, beyond that used to obtain any Associate Professor level. See the“Selection of Criteria” (Section 8.3, pgs. 3-4) and “ Criteria for Advancement” (Section 8.32, pgs.3-5). One can apply for Professor 1 after completing three years at Associate Professor Level 3. (Section 8.3, pg. 5)
Level 2
Shall evidence continued development in a specialized promotion path (e.g., Research, Teaching, or Service) or areas of generalization, with further growth apparent since attaining Level 1. One can apply for Level 2 after completing three years at Level 1. (Section 8.3, pg. 5)
Level 3
Shall evidence continued excellence in a specialized promotion path (e.g., Research, Teaching, or Service) or areas of generalization, with further growth apparent since attaining Level 2. One can apply for Level 3 after completing three years at Level 2. (Section 8.3, pg. 5)
Distinguished Professor
This level is a highly selective one granted only in exceptional circumstances to Professors who are making outstanding and creative contributions to the university in addition to having national recognition as a scholar in their respective areas.
Candidature by invitation of administration and limited to no more than 5% of the total faculty.
Served at Level 3 at least two years.
Emeritus Status
To be eligible for receiving emeritus status, a faculty member must have been granted tenure, be at least 55 years of age and have completed a minimum of 10 years of full-time service at Biola University. The president of the university grants emeritus status to persons who meet the minimum requirements. The President may make an exception to these minima after consultation with an appropriate faculty committee. The granting of emeritus status is included as an information item to the Board of Trustees and is announced publicly at a regular commencement.
