Faculty Rank System

Section 3.Y – Faculty Rank System

While the College has no tenure system for faculty, the Board of Trustees authorizes the President and their executive team to establish a faculty rank recognition system. The purpose of the Faculty Rank System is to provide eligible faculty with the opportunity of promotion in academic rank as recognition and acknowledgment of quality teaching, service, and leadership to the College. Rank will be acknowledged in title change and will be accompanied by a one-time stipend per rank above the entry level of “instructor” (pending funding availability).

The System should include three to four levels of rank with corresponding criteria for application. At a minimum, criteria for ranking should be based on teaching improvements; course improvements; service to the College, profession, or community; and leadership. Approved criteria, process for rank application, and structure for system governance should be published in writing.

Procedures

The purpose of the Faculty Rank System is to provide eligible faculty with the opportunity of promotion in academic rank as recognition and acknowledgment of quality teaching, exemplary service, and exceptional leadership to the College. This statement of procedure provides for an orderly process to assist members of the faculty concerning appointment, the award of rank, and promotion for the Vance-Granville Community College faculty.

The procedures are intended to protect the integrity of these recommendations and to provide for due process. This statement provides details concerning the application of relevant provisions of the Vance-Granville Community College Faculty Handbook, and it is subordinate to those Bylaws. The College ensures that each person in the rank system below the rank of Professor has adequate notice of all policies and procedures that govern appointment, award of rank, and promotion.

After a newly appointed faculty member begins employment, that person will be able to access the Standards and Procedures for Faculty Rank Promotion online through the Employee Portal. During the first month of the faculty member’s appointment, the Dean of the presiding department will confer with the new appointee to confirm that the materials have been accessed, to urge that they be read, and to offer to discuss them with the faculty member. The Dean will endeavor to deliver information that is fully in accord with the written policies and procedures, but will remind the candidates for appointment, award of rank, and promotion that it is the officially adopted written statements of policy and procedure for VGCC that are binding.

A complete set of the written statements of policy and procedure relevant to the appointment, award of rank, and promotion will be maintained in the Dean’s Office and kept available for faculty reference. This material will also be available on the VGCC Employee Portal. Annually, the faculty will be reminded of the availability of this reference information.

Faculty Rank Resources (sharepoint.com)