Hiring
The department chair plays a pivotal role in shaping the department through the hiring the faculty. Recruitment for faculty positions is coordinated between the department with the vacancy and Human Resources. The Human Resources site provides information, FAQ's, and forms required for conducting a search for a faculty position.
SDSU encourages hiring the best faculty members for the position and this could mean hiring non-US resident/non-citizens. Prior to initiating the search where international applicants may be anticipated, please contact HR and Shared Immigration Services for advice on recruiting process, and immigration process.
In rare instances, it may be to the benefit of the department, college and university to grant past service (either from industry or at other academic institutions) towards tenure during the hiring process. While prior service towards tenure is addressed in the offer of employment, approval must be given by upper administration and there is an official process that must be submitted for BOR approval prior to tenure and/or promotion.
Appointments
Faculty appointments are classified as one of the following types: Non-Unit or Unit
An appointment extended to a faculty unit member will be one of the following: term, tenure track or tenure. SDBOR policy 4:1 (General Personnel Policy) outlines the differences between these types of appointments.
The major faculty appointments at South Dakota State University fall under the following three (3) categories:
1. Professorial Series
Tenured and Tenure Track Appointments
2. Lecturer Series
Term Appointments
3. Librarian Series
Responsibilities and Assignments (Workload)
The primary responsibility of full-time faculty members is dedication to the educational, research and service goals of South Dakota State University. Faculty are expected to give their best efforts to a) engage in effective teaching, b) make scholarly contributions in research or creative works, and c) render professional and general service.
The Faculty Workload Policy in the Faculty Handbook provides information on South Dakota State University's faculty responsibilities and assignment for professorial, lecturer and librarian faculty members.
Standards Document
For annual evaluations and tenure and promotion, faculty members are evaluated against standards outlined in the Achieving Excellence in Faculty Roles in the Faculty Handbook. Each department has its own Standards, based on the university standards. The department head should be well versed in standards documents and bring them to the attention of new faculty members in the initial orientation. This document is used when evaluating faculty members.
Evaluations
The evaluation of faculty performance is one of the most important functions of department heads. When done properly, the evaluation process should be an effective means of improving performance, motivating faculty members to reach higher levels of achievement, communicating expectations, and dealing with performance-related problems.
- All faculty members undergo an annual review. The department head's evaluation of the faculty member workload assignments result in respective evaluative descriptive ratings with corresponding numerical ratings.
- Did not meet expectations (value = 0)
- Met expectations (value = 1)
- Exceeded expectations (value = 2)
- Substantially exceeded expectations (value = 3)
The numerical values also play a significant role in the salary enhancement process and corresponding salary distribution.
- The annual review is a particularly important opportunity for feedback for tenure track faculty, defined as tenure track faculty seeking tenure and/or promotion.
- With the rank adjustment levels for those in the lecturer series.
- Policies and information regarding annual faculty evaluations are set out in the Faculty Handbook.
- Each department (program) also has additional guidance for faculty on the tenure track known as the Department Standards Document.
Several areas of the Faculty Handbook should be reviewed when considering the evaluation of faculty:
The Professional Development Plan (PDP) should provide a strong road map for faculty to guide their actions and outcomes as they pursue their role and move toward and through tenure and promotion processes. The PDP should also be a road map to faculty in annual evaluations for merit salary increases.
The Faculty Annual Review (FAR) documents the faculty member's progress in their roles. The FAR is an opportune time to review the PDP and provide feedback as to progress on goals/objectives outlined in the PDP.
The purpose of the third-year review is to assist tenure-track faculty (and continuing term contract clinical Pharmacy faculty who typically are considered for promotion) in assessing their progress toward tenure and promotion midway through the tenure eligibility period. The review is for advisory purposes only and is to be a constructive, developmental evaluation.
Tenure/Promotion
Tenure and Promotion Criteria and Guidelines in the Faculty Handbook provides department heads with information regarding Tenure and Promotion to include:
- Criteria
- Evaluation of Performance and Potential of Candidates
- Timeline and Process
- Preparation of Dossier Materials
Leaves
Sabbatical, Faculty Member Improvement, and Career Redirection Leaves in the Faculty Handbook provides department heads with information regarding a variety of leaves available for faculty to include:
- Sabbatical
- Faculty Member Improvement
- Career Re-Direction
The Leave Manual provides specific information on leave and includes thorough definitions, general regulations and types of leave, leave accrual, leave calculation, leave accounting, and record keeping and required paperwork. Additional information is available by contacting the department leave representative or Human Resources.
Additionally, each fall Human Resources sends out an email memo titled, "Q & A REGARDING THE USE OF LEAVE AND FLEXIBLE TIME BY FACULTY" which provides information regarding common questions surrounding faculty leave.
- Personal Leave (entered through SNAP Leave Request)
- Leave Without Pay (LWOP, entered through SNAP Leave Request)