Critical Review + Promotion/Annual Evaluation +Reappointment Evaluation: Dossiers & Criteria

Full-time faculty are evaluated every year during their probationary (pre-critical review) period. Each year pre-critical review the faculty member completes and uploads to their Evaluation Processes google folder a completed and signed Appendix B with current cv and syllabi for their department's head review.  The department head and dean will observe the faculty member teaching,  and read their student evaluations. The department head completes an Appendix C form which the dean reviews and signs and each meet with the faculty member to discuss the evaluation.

In reappointment years faculty also compose a reflective letter and their department head and dean may recommend that they start to build the student and professional work samples required for dossiers as noted below.

Full-time faculty are required to submit a dossier for review by their department head, dean, and the Committee on Faculty Appointments when they: 

• are undergoing critical review

• are requesting promotion

Academic Affairs annually hosts the Dossier and Evaluation Workshop early in the fall semester on what to expect during annual evaluation and reappointment and how to prepare a dossier for promotion or critical review. All full-time faculty are invited to attend and new faculty are urged to do so. Ongoing resources are the department head, dean, and Dean of Faculty. The Director of Academic Administration provides technical and archival support.

Read the following about the general characteristics of a dossier and frequently asked questions.

What's a dossier?
A dossier is a concise presentation of a faculty member's work, organized so that evaluators can ascertain if the faculty member is succeeding in the categories outlined by the FTFA Bargaining Agreement.  Dossier materials required as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, 

a.     a reflective letter from the faculty member applying for critical review or promotion

b.     a current curriculum vita

c.     all annual reports (Appendix B) and evaluations (Appendix C) since the last reappointment review (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS PROVIDES THESE)

d.     syllabi from each course listed on the annual evaluations

e.    examples of student work

f.     examples of professional work

g.    and any other material which the faculty member believes will demonstrate their performance according to the categories listed in Appendix A.

Faculty dossiers for critical review and promotion must include two letters from external recommenders whose selection is approved and solicited by the dean. Faculty provide the dean with a list of four potential recommenders. Recommendations are sent directly to the Secretary to the CFA.

Criteria
RISD is home to 18 studio disciplines and as many within Liberal Arts where a faculty member may be the sole practitioner within their field of expertise on the full-time faculty. Within studio disciplines there are a wide array of sub-disciplines, interdisciplinarity and emerging practice.  All departments and divisions are encouraged to discuss criteria for successful critical review and promotion applications which are relevant for their disciplines. All departments and divisions that engage in those discussions are asked to document their conclusions and to share them with the Committee on Faculty Appointments as well as their faculty.

Liberal Arts has engaged in that process and their criteria appear below.