From Le Moyne College Faculty Handbook (2005, Revised and Updated)

Section IV:  Tenure and Promotion Policies and Procedures

Sub-section A, Paragraph 1, sub-paragraph b.

Scholarship:  Le Moyne College expects its faculty to be active scholars. Scholarship advances knowledge and, thus, has intrinsic value within the academic community. At the same time, scholarship is an essential component of effective teaching; it enables faculty to introduce students to current developments and methodologies in all programs of study.

Scholarship takes a variety of forms, and its quality is determined in ways appropriate to each discipline and to particular areas of research. For purposes of tenure and promotion, the College recognizes differences across disciplines and among areas of specialization. Le Moyne faculty members pursue a variety of scholarly enterprises and present the results of their scholarly work to the academy and to the public in multiple ways.

In many disciplines, the publication of original research in refereed, peer-reviewed journals and books, either print or electronic, as well as the presentation of papers at scholarly conferences ensure that Le Moyne faculty have subjected their work to the criticism and insights of their peers, those best able to evaluate it. In areas such as music, theater, and the visual arts, performances and gallery exhibitions reviewed by peers provide evidence of accomplishment. In specific cases, research notes, grant proposals, and other records may attest to ongoing scholarship. In all cases, scholarship must be documented in ways considered appropriate by experts in the field.

Along with original research, scholarship may be reflected in publications and presentations that interpret a scholarly field to a general audience. Facilitation of original student research, such as occurs in the natural and the social sciences, may be partial evidence of scholarship where contributions to knowledge can be documented. The development of textbooks, workbooks, computer software, and other teaching resources that demonstrate competence in one’s field will also be considered in the assessment of a candidate’s scholarship.

In evaluating the quality of a candidate’s scholarship the Committee on Rank and Tenure examines evidence appropriate to each case. Members of the candidate’s department are asked to evaluate the published works, contributions to scholarship, and artistic productions on which the candidate has based the application. An applicant who believes that his or her research is so specialized that other members of the department cannot evaluate it adequately should solicit letters from experts in their field who are qualified to comment on it. Candidates should submit reviews from professional journals to demonstrate the judgment of peers. Evidence that a candidate’s scholarly and/or creative work has been recognized and supported by awards and grants will also play a part in the evaluation.