Communication Studies 10-17-2022

This webpage is a copy of an original pdf document that you can get upon request by emailing academic@tcnj.edu.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Alignment with Mission
3. Categories of Scholarly or Creative Work Within the Field of Communication Studies
4. Criteria for Evaluating Scholarship/Creative Work
5. Relationship Between Traditional Scholarship and Creative Work
6. Re-appointment, Tenure, and Promotion

The attached disciplinary standards have been reviewed and approved by the Committee on Faculty Affairs, the Council of Deans, and the Provost.

To avoid creating a moving target for candidates for reappointment, the disciplinary standards in effect during a faculty member’s first year of employment will be used for reappointment and tenure applications. Candidates for promotion will use the disciplinary standards in effect in the year in which they apply for promotion.

The Department of Communication Studies will next review its disciplinary standards in Academic Year 2026-2027

1. Introduction

This document articulates disciplinary standards for evaluation of faculty scholarship and creative work in the Department of Communication Studies. It sets forth tenure and promotion expectations for faculty in the department. It is intended to guide new departmental faculty as they apply for re-appointment, tenure, and promotion, as well as guide the Promotion & Reappointment Committee (“PRC”) in evaluating candidates for reappointment, tenure, promotion, and periodic post-tenure review. While this document does not serve as a substitute for peer-to-peer mentoring, it provides both faculty and PRC with benchmarks to evaluate the progress of colleagues’ scholarship and/or creative work in their goal toward tenure and promotion.

2. Alignment with Mission

3. Categories of Scholarly or Creative Work Within the Field of Communication Studies

4. Criteria for Evaluating Scholarship/Creative Work

In evaluating the scholarship and creative work, the department takes into account the following:

I. Impact and Recognition of the work

This may be evidenced by the number of times an article or book is cited by other scholars; a real world policy implication of a study; a screening of a film to an audience for which it was intended (e.g., a film on the criminal justice system might be intended for those working on those issues); sale or rental of a work to educational institutions; continual screening or streaming of a work of film or video to new audiences; adoption of a text as a part of a university or college course of study or professional training; impact measures of a given journal. In the case of media production, the recognition may also be evidenced by an evaluation by a respected member of the discipline; awards given the work; coverage in popular media (e.g., magazine/newspaper reviews and interviews).

II. Professional Standing of Scholar/Artist

This is evidenced by invited presentations (universities, organizations to which the creative work or scholarship is relevant); awarded grants or fellowships; invitations to serve as consultants; invitations to serve as jury members for film festivals or grant making agencies; contributing as an editor or guest editor to a journal; membership on an editorial board; other professional honors.

III. Scope of the work

The department acknowledges that the scope of the work may impact the length of time it takes to complete the work. Some creative works and research projects may take years to complete because of their wide scope. A research project that is international in scope, for example, may require a greater investment of time and financial resources. Similarly, a film in which the faculty person plays multiple roles (e.g., producer, director, editor) may require a substantial investment of labor and resources for completion. Though scope is not a direct measure of the quality of the work, after a faculty member has achieved tenure, we encourage them to embark on projects that may have been out of their range previously because of the demands of the tenure clock.

IV. Role of the faculty member in the creation of scholarly or creative work

In evaluating the work, we examine the role the faculty member played in its creation. Scholarly publications with multiple authors will be weighed by assigning the highest value to the first author, followed by those with the largest percentage of contributions. based on total page length or chapter divisions. The burden of accounting for proportions of time and effort put into a joint project falls to the applicant. In the evaluation of creative work, we examine the role the faculty member played in its creation. Film and video production is labor intensive, technically specific (requiring specialized equipment to film, light, edit, record sound) and financially demanding. A faculty member can play multiple roles in the creation of an artistic work. We evaluate the work for evidence of significant contribution on the part of the applicant (e.g., was the faculty member the cinematographer; was the faculty member the primary “author” [producer/director] of the work) when looking at an application for tenure and promotion.

V. Engagement of Scholarly Work with Student Population

This can be evidenced by the mentoring of students and inclusion of students during inception or execution of creative/scholarly work (e.g., co-authorship, opportunities for production assistance and credits on media productions, etc.).

5. Relationship Between Traditional Scholarship and Creative Work

As a multi-disciplinary department with faculty doing traditional scholarship and creative work, we referenced the University Film and Video Association (UFVA) and the National Communication Association (NCA) when drafting standards that would be applicable to all present and future faculty members within the Department. The Department recognizes that the evaluation of creative work differs substantially from the social sciences and humanities for this reason, we quote from the UFVA document (http://ufva.org/faculty-advancement/) to establish the context for these differences that impact these disciplinary standards.

Review of Film and Video: Initial Considerations

Dissemination of scholarly work typically is accomplished by means of publication in articles, and books. Completed creative work in film and video consists of products whose forms have a greater variety in length than is found in printed materials. A faculty member might be involved in the production of a feature length dramatic film, a half-hour documentary, a three-minute animated work, or a work of some other type and length; many possibilities exist. The length of a finished work is significant but not indicative of the effort required to complete it. A short experimental video piece or a multi-media production might require even more time and effort to create than a relatively straightforward hour-long documentary. When peers evaluate film or video work, it is important that they determine the probable difficulty of particular projects. Their task is analogous to that of judging the importance of a multi-year horizontal study in the social sciences, such a study might require many years of effort, yet result in an article of only modest length.

Film and video works are frequently, although not always, collaborative endeavors. Thus, it is extremely important to know what role a faculty member played on a particular production. In many cases, the faculty member will have had total responsibility for the production. In other cases, his/her role might have been that of writer, editor, etc. It is appropriate to give varying levels of credit for varying levels of responsibility. In cases of shared responsibility, it is best to rely on experts in the field to determine the relative importance of each individual’s contribution.

Dissemination of Film and Video Works

Public showings of a film or video work to informed audiences should be considered dissemination of the work, equivalent to that of scholarly publication. This is similar to the traditional acceptance of a music recital performed for a knowledgeable audience as the equivalent of publication.

It should be noted that multiple showings of the same film are not the equivalent of reprints of a scholarly work. In the case of reprints of books or articles, the original printing is often still available through libraries. Reprinting of an article is primarily for the convenience of the readers of a particular periodical. There is generally no such easy access to media works; thus, in most circumstances each showing of a media work makes the production available to a new, previously inaccessible audience.

We recognize that standards for mastery differ for the scholars within the Department. It is for that reason we have developed separate standards for creative work and traditional scholarship.

6. Re-appointment, Tenure, and Promotion

As a discipline in which members’ scholarly and/or creative output is varied, candidates for tenure and promotion may demonstrate mastery in a number of different ways. For tenure and promotion (and at all subsequent levels of promotion), the department expects that a candidate will have exhibited excellence in producing a sustained and respected body of scholarly and creative research. The guidelines below are variegated by subfield and that within each subfield the candidate is expected to fulfill all specified tiers of scholarly and/or creative work.

We do not intend these scholarship guidelines to be inflexible or unrealistic as to preclude hiring someone whose area of expertise might not yet be represented (e.g., film sound designer). However, we do expect that a candidate will pursue active professional creative practices while at TCNJ, commensurate with the expectations for tenure and promotion outlined below. Candidates will meet annually with the Department of Communication Studies Personnel Committee for progress reviews prior to the tenure decision.

The following standards only apply to faculty working in the Health and Wellness, Public/Mass and Interpersonal/Organizational Communication specializations within the department of Communication Studies. These scholars work in the areas of Social Science and the Humanities and conduct traditional scholarship within the Department of Communication Studies.

Scenarios for tenure and promotion to ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR (6-year clock, Social Science and Humanities):

Candidates should fulfill requirements for all tiers.

TIER 1: Principal Areas of Scholarship

Three scenarios, any one of them can apply (since appointment to TCNJ):

1. 1 Book (authored or edited, full manuscript submitted, can include a textbook) + 1 refereed journal article (1st author & regardless of securing a grant). The departmental PRC will evaluate the quality of the journal through a range of criteria, including, but not limited to, impact factor and rating.
2. 3 refereed journal articles (at least one 1st author journal article). Same journal evaluation as above.
   NOTE: Up to two archived peer-reviewed papers accepted by the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) and the ACM Conference on Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW) may be substituted for journal articles.
3. 1 competitive external grant [PI or co-PI] + 2 refereed journal articles (at least one 1st author)
   NOTE for Scenarios 1-3: Evaluations regarding authorship, journal and book publisher quality, and number of books will occur during collective PRC decision-making. Articles that are accepted, “in press”, or “online first” qualify as published articles.

TIER 2: Secondary Areas of Scholarship

1 item since appointment at TCNJ, demonstrating active, disciplinary participation, from the following categories:

1. Article or essay in a trade publication or popular press (print or online publication)
2. Article published in a refereed conference proceeding
3. Encyclopedia entry
4. Book review (in refereed journal or other scholarly venue)
5. Book chapter (solicited by editor or selected from an editor’s review of submitted proposal)
6. Edited a special issue in a refereed journal.

NOTE: One additional refereed journal article, which is not counted towards any scenario in Tier 1, can substitute one item in Tier 2.

TIER 3: Tertiary Areas of Scholarship

3 items since appointment at TCNJ from the following categories, within one category or across multiple categories:

1. Present original work at a refereed conference (w/ or w/out student collaboration)
2. Develop a scholarly program that engages the TCNJ or outside community
3. Invited talk at an external conference/workshop/institution/organization

The following standards only apply to faculty working in the Health and Wellness, Public/Mass and Interpersonal/Organizational Communication specializations within the department of Communication Studies. These scholars work in the areas of Social Science and the Humanities and conduct traditional scholarship within the Department of Communication Studies.

Scenarios for promotion to FULL PROFESSOR (Social Science and Humanities):

Candidates should fulfill requirements for all tiers. Faculty members who exceed the numerical requirements for tenure and promotion to associate professor (based on the current standards) may have 1 first-authored journal article published since appointment at TCNJ, which demonstrates programmatic advancement, considered as part of their cumulative review for full professor.

TIER 1: Principal Areas of Scholarship

Four scenarios, any one of them can apply (since appointment to Associate Professor at TCNJ):

1. 1 Book (authored or edited, full manuscript submitted, can include a textbook) + 2 refereed journal articles (at least one 1st author). One journal article can be substituted by a book chapter that may not be in the candidate’s book that is used to satisfy #1. The departmental PRC will evaluate the quality of the journal through a range of criteria, including, but not limited to, impact factor.
2. 1 Book (authored or edited, full manuscript submitted, can include a textbook) + 1 competitive grant [PI or co-PI] + 1 refereed journal article (1st author). Same journal evaluation as above.
3. 5 refereed journal articles (at least two 1st author journal articles). One journal article can be substituted for a book chapter.
   NOTE: Up to two archived peer-reviewed papers accepted by the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) and the ACM Conference on Supported Cooperative Work And Social Computing (CSCW) may be substituted for journal articles.
4. 1 competitive external grant [PI or co-PI] + 3 refereed journal articles (at least one 1st author). One journal article can be substituted by a book chapter.

NOTE for Scenarios 1-4: Evaluations regarding authorship, journal and book publisher quality, and number of books will occur during collective PRC decision-making.

TIER 2: Secondary Areas of Scholarship

2 items (since appointment to Associate Professor at TCNJ), demonstrating active, disciplinary participation, from the following categories:

1. Article or essay in a trade publication or popular press (print or online publication)\
2. Article published in a refereed conference proceeding
3. Encyclopedia entry
4. Book review (in refereed journal or other scholarly venue)
5. Book chapter (solicited by editor or selected from an editor’s review of submitted proposal; the chapter may be in the candidate’s book)
6. Edited a special issue in a refereed journal.

NOTE: 1 additional refereed journal article, which is not counted towards any scenario in Tier 1, can substitute any one item in Tier 2.

TIER 3: Tertiary Areas of Scholarship

3 items (since appointment to Associate Professor at TCNJ) from the following categories, within one category or across multiple categories:

1. Present original work at a refereed conference (w/ or w/out student collaboration)
2. Develop scholarly program that engages the TCNJ or outside community
3. Invited talk at an external conference/workshop/institution/organization

The following standards only apply to faculty working in the Radio/Television/Film area of specialization within the Department of Communication Studies. These standards were developed in accordance with the “Evaluation of Creative Activities for Tenure and/or Promotion” published by the University Film and Video Association (UFVA). https://cdn.ymaws.com/ufva.site-ym.com/resource/resmgr/ufva_tp_policy_statement_jul.pdf.

Scenario for TENURE and Promotion to Associate Professor (6-year clock, Radio/TV/Film):

Candidates should fulfill requirements for all tiers.

TIER 1: Principal Areas of Creative Work/Scholarship

Four scenarios, any one of them can apply (since appointment to TCNJ):

1. Creation of a work on film or video that is exhibited at a juried national or international festival, a broadcast venue or streaming platform, or intended (target) audience.
2. Contributing significantly to a major creative work. Example: serving as cinematographer, director, producer, editor, screenwriter or sound editor on a film or video that is exhibited at a festival, broadcast venue, or streaming platform. or (If faculty is working primarily as a film scholar)
3. Publication of a book by an academic or respected professional press
4. A minimum of four items since appointment at TCNJ from the following:
   1. Publication of a book chapter or essay in a volume
   2. Publication of an article in a peer-reviewed national or international journal
   3. Editing a book that is published by an academic or well-respected press

TIER 2: Secondary Areas of Creative Work/Scholarship

A minimum of four items from the following, within one category or across multiple categories (since appointment to TCNJ):

1. Earning awards at film festivals or other exhibition venues as well as screenwriting competitions for original works
2. Securing a grant, residency or fellowship
3. Curating a film festival
4. Selection of a work of film and/or video by a faculty member for distribution to the educational or theatrical/streaming market
5. Publication of an article or essay in a general audience publication (traditional print or online publication)
6. Present original work at a refereed conference (w/ or w/out student collaboration)
7. Invited presentation of work and/or screening at a museum, media art center, university or other cultural or academic institution
8. Selection of a work of film and video for dissemination by broadcast, cable, or streaming platform
9. Selection of a work of film or video for screening at juried film festivals
10. Playing an editorial role in reviewing scholarly or creative work for publication or for exhibition
11. Establishing professional standards as jury member for a film festival or grant making agency
12. Writing encyclopedia entries
13. Publication of substantive/critical book reviews in refereed journals
14. Developing scholarly programs that engage the community (recognized in the press or by community organization)
15. Creating original work in collaboration with students that is publicly presented

The following standards only apply to faculty working in the Radio, Television, Film area of specialization within the Department of Communication Studies.

Scenarios for promotion to FULL PROFESSOR

Candidates must fulfill requirements for all tiers. Faculty members who exceed the numerical requirements for tenure and promotion to associate professor (based on the current standards) may count one item from tier 1 or tier 2 which demonstrates programmatic advancement, considered as part of their cumulative review for full professor.

TIER 1: Principal Areas of Creative Work/Scholarship

Three scenarios, any one of them can apply (since appointment to Associate Professor at TCNJ):

1. Two items from the following, within one category or across multiple categories:
   1. Creation of a creative work on film or video that is exhibited at a juried national or international festival, a broadcast or streaming venue or intended (target) audience.
   2. Contributing significantly to a major creative work. Example: serving as cinematographer, director, producer, editor, screenwriter or sound editor on a film or video that is exhibited at a festival, broadcast, or streaming platform.or (If faculty is working primarily as a film scholar)
2. Publication of a book by an academic or respected professional press and A minimum three items from the following, within one category or across multiple categories:
   1. Publication of a book chapter or essay in a volume
   2. Publication of an article in a peer reviewed national or international journal
   3. Editing a book that is published by an academic or well-respected press
3. A minimum of six items from the following, within one category or across multiple categories:
   1. Publication of a book chapter or essay in a volume
   2. Publication of an article in a peer-reviewed national or international journal
   3. Editing a book that is published by an academic or well-respected press

TIER 2: Secondary Areas of Creative Work/Scholarship

A minimum of six items from the following, within one category or across multiple categories:(since appointment to Associate Professor at TCNJ):

1. Earning awards at film festivals or other exhibition venues or screenwriting competitions
2. Securing a grant, residency or fellowship
3. Curating a film festival
4. Selection of a work of film and/or video by a faculty member for distribution to the educational or theatrical market
5. Publication of an article or essay in a general audience publication (traditional print or online publication)
6.  Present original work at a refereed conference (w/ or w/out student collaboration)
7.  Invited presentation of work and/or screening at a museum, media art center, university or other cultural or academic institution
8. Selection of a work of film and video for broadcast, cable, or streaming platform dissemination
9.  Selection of a work of film or video for screening at juried film festivals
10. Playing an editorial role in reviewing scholarly or creative work for publication or for exhibition
11. Establishing professional standards as jury member for a film festival or grant making agency
12. Writing encyclopedia entries
13. Publication of substantive/critical book reviews in refereed journals
14. Developing scholarly programs that engage the community (recognized in the press or by the community organization)
15.  Creating original work in collaboration with students that is publicly presented