Suggestions on Preparing Continuing Status and Promotion Packets for Cooperative Extension Agents Updated May, 2011

Suggestions on Preparing Continuing Status and

Promotion Packetsfor Cooperative Extension

Agents

Updated May, 2011

The following are some observations from the review of numerous previous packets

Formatting

Neatness Counts!

• Format document for ease of reading and clarity; use indentation, paragraph blocking to show separate entries

• Watch for “widows/orphans” (one sentence hanging by itself at the bottom or top of the page).

• Submit a “neat” packet

Spelling Counts!

• Use spell check– Spelling and proper grammar are a must

• Ask someone fastidious to proofread your packet– Carelessness detracts and distracts

• It can (and will) appear as if you are not taking the process seriously

– Your dossier should be treated with the same care as a submitted, peer-reviewed publication

More Neatness

• Use the same font as the Provost’s instructions: Times Roman, 12 pt. (but you can get away with 11 pt)

• Or, you may use the personal font of your choice, but take into account unusual typefaces make you ‘stand out’

No Cover Sheet

• Section I does not need a cover sheet.

Continuing Status and Promotion Dossier

Six-Year Review

Name

Title

The University of Arizona

Cooperative Extension

XXX County

9/7/11

Cover page for your dossier is the one in the Provost’s Guidelines

Divider Sheets

• Use these sheets provided by the Provost’s office - do not retype.

• Pages should be downloaded from their site: http://facultyaffairs.arizona.edu/promotion#Cont_Status_Promotion.

Divider Sheets

• Do not bind or place dividers in the packets other than the provost’s section pages.

Divider Sheets

• If a section does not apply to you, include the divider page and indicate N/A on the page. Either put it at the top right hand side or insert a sheet with “Section Not Applicable”

No Addenda or Samples

• Addenda are not acceptable nor appropriate.

• Do not include samples of work or newspaper articles, etc. – If you do, they will not be forwarded past this office.

• At the 6 year review, samples are required to be sent to outside reviewers, but they are not sent to anyone else. You do submit samples to your CED (or director in the case you are a CED). – They make the decision what to send to evaluators.

Page Numbering

• Number your pages; number each section separately.

• Do not use page numbers for the entire dossier.

Watch Your Acronyms

• Do not use, or minimize use of acronyms and initials... spell out the words.

• No ‘buzz’ words.• Remember that some of the reviewers may

have little or no knowledge of Cooperative Extension.

Previous Service

• Those wishing to apply previous service at another university should include 1) a statement of the nature of the previous service as a part of the Job Description section, including rank obtained and status at previous university and 2) use the products of previous service (at least some significant items) in the CV ... as deemed important to the current position.

Summary Data Sheet

EmpID: EINDate: date submitted to CEDName:Address: where the Provost will mail their determinationCurrent Rank: ‘Area’ is not a rank, it is a titleCollege: Agriculture & Life SciencesDepartment: Cooperative Extension, xxx CountyTerminal Degree, Month & Year obtained

Know your clock date! (refer to offer letter)

FACULTY Service other than UA After terminal degree, including present fiscal yearFACULTY Service @ UA(Cooperative Extension, xxx County)

* Include any clock delays or approved LOA

Section II – Job Description

• All job descriptions for the period under consideration should be included IF there were significant changes.

• These must have been signed and dated by the candidate, the unit head (CED), the Extension director and the dean.

Section II: Job Description

• The job description should explain the candidate’s workload, including importance and percentage of time devoted to teaching and advising, research, service/outreach or other activities as appropriate.*

• Check your current one, and if you need to change it, do it now! Do not wait until the last minute if at all possible; some faculty and their heads may have differing opinions on what is expected. If there is a disagreement, an explanation of differences should be prepared and signed by the candidate.

– * This is a direct quote from the Provost’s April guidelines. The college recommends the shorter format contained in the APROL system, with a maximum of 2 pages in length. Make sure all position descriptions are signed and dated. Your original documents are kept in this office and when your packet is submitted, I replace your copy with the original one.

• What is usually included is the ‘long’ one that contains ‘lines of responsibility’, etc., modified from the position/recruiting announcement, and the subsequent one(s) using the APROL format.

• There should be an ‘effective date’ at the bottom

Section II: Job Description

Provost’s Position Description Page

• Check these boxes to indicate that you have seen them.

• It is not necessary for typical agents to have any reason to fill this out.

“Long” Position Description

APROL Format

The APROL format is

one-two pages, fully signed,

with effective date at bottom for clarity.

Succinctly and broadly stated. Too many details are too many.

Don’t forget, you will be held accountable for each statement.

Criteria

Section III: Criteria

• Pay close attention to the Departmental and the College criteria for Continuing Status and Promotion

• (http://ag.arizona.edu/dean/Abstrext5.pdf)and

• http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/profdev/criteria_04.pdf).

These criteria, along with the Context Statement, need to be included and are specifically designed for use in the dossier.

Criteria cont’d

• The longer version of the CALS guidelines and criteria may be sent to outside reviewers to provide greater detail if you think it will benefit your application.

• The Extension criteria is 5 pages, and fully explains the differences in expectations for different ranks.

Criteria cont’d

• The Cooperative Extension ‘Context’ Statement is inserted between the College criteria and the Extension criteria.

• http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/profdev/context_statement1.pdf

Section IV: Curriculum Vitae

• Follow the outline Curriculum Vitae categories; use the same headings; and if there is no entry under a heading, omit the heading.

Curriculum Vitae

• Use care in reporting, do not duplicate, do not mis-classify products, publications, etc.

• The CV in the correct order is critical. – Positions of employment should be listed in reverse

chronological order (most recent first); publications and other categories following should be listed in chronological order (oldest to most recent).

• A suggested format is also listed on the Provost’s page:• http://facultyaffairs.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/

Suggested_Format_for_Curriculum_Vitae.pdf

“Percent Effort”

• Percentage of effort on grants is interpreted differently across campus.

• Committees at the college and university level prefer that each candidate define what ‘percent effort’ means in their area.

• It is essential that an individual’s effort in terms of grants, publications, etc. with multiple authors is spelled out.

Curriculum Vitae

• In Section IV, the Curriculum Vitae, under “Outreach” use a statement like the following:

• The candidate is a faculty member of Arizona Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, whose primary responsibility is outreach educational programs. These outreach programs are presented in Section Vb.

Publications

• If publications do not fit categories place in “Other Publications” or put as a product of Extension Programs in Section Vb.

• Be clear about publications, use Extension Program area to relate publications to program.

Publications

• Note carefully the items under “Publications/Creative Activity”. – This item is for peer-reviewed publications

as defined in the outline.

• Do not mis-state the level of your publications.

• Most of our publications are in the “Other Publications” category.

Publications/Creative Activity (cont’d)

• The CV should not include abstracts, research reports, or conference proceedings unless peer-reviewed– These types of publications may be referenced in Extension

Section Vb

• Clearly indicate ‘peer-reviewed’ where applicable

Publications

• The “Work in Progress” is not a place to identify current activities or projects. It is a place to identify writing or similar output not yet accepted for publication.– Something that has been ‘submitted’.

• Do not include works that have not been submitted.

Presentations

• “Community Presentations” should be those presentations not to be included under Extension Programs in Section Vb

• Program items can be included in Section Vb as a part of program implementation

• Do not list each presentation separately – summarize, be succinct:– a table format is preferable

Grants and Contracts

• Grants and contracts should be clearly designated as to the candidate’s participation... a table with funding level and agency, duration, candidate’s participation, etc., could usefully display the information.

• Explain why an award or grant is ‘prestigious’ or important.

Grants & Contracts (continued)

• More documentation and accountability in grants and collaborative work should be cited.

• Although teamwork is highly valued, information contained in some packets was unclear as to the role and responsibility of the candidate in these collaborative efforts.

Suggestions/comments from the 2003 CALS Promotion and Continuing Status Appointment Committee

Sign your C.V.

• Your signature should appear on the last page of the curriculum vitae with the following statement:

This is a true and accurate statement of my activities and accomplishments. I understand that misrepresentation in securing continuing status and promotion may lead to dismissal or suspension under ABOR Policy 6-301 I.2.b.

Candidate Statement of Objectives on Teaching, Research and Service

• The Personal Statement should be concise and direct, related to your position and how your work matters.

• To the extent possible, the statement taken as a whole should show how the candidate integrates these areas toward achieving his/her objectives.

Candidate Statement

• Make sure the statement is clearly presented

• Ask colleague(s) to read/critique it for content, readability, and grammatical accuracy

• The characteristics of a good candidate statement are clarity, organization, sense of purpose, clear goals, and honesty

Candidate Statement (continued)

The 2003 CALS Promotion & Continuing Appointment Committee suggested that too many (statements) reflected broad philosophical statements that lacked relevancy to their responsibilities or duplicated information already contained in the packet. They encourage more focus and objectives in this section.

Candidate Statement (continued)

• Statement of accomplishments and objectives on teaching, research and service/outreach “tells your story,” and provides context for reviewers.

“Many candidate statements are poorly written.”

“A clear, well-organized candidate statement is critical.”

“The outreach statement is often just as critical (as the CV).”

- Comments from the 2005 UA CSP Committee

Candidate Statement

• The statement is meant to identify professional goals, explain how research, teaching or extension objectives have evolved over time, and show how accomplishments support future objectives and direction.

• One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is going into too much detail on the accomplishments themselves rather than how they support objectives.

• Don’t do a ‘laundry list’ of accomplishments, illustrate your impact on clientele/stakeholders.

Candidate Statement (still continued)

• This is YOUR statement of yourself.– Write in the first person.

• This section can be a huge determining factor in the final decision.

Candidate Statement (still still continued)

• State your case– Be specific as to what you did, what it means,

what was your contribution and its relevance: why you are important!

– The trick is to do this without restating what is already in your packet.

Candidate Statement

It has been suggested that you start by considering:Why are you doing your job?

Who are you doing it for? Who are you trying to please?

What did you intend to do? What did you do to start something? What did you accomplish?

Where do you hope to be now and in the future?

How do you plan to do things to get what you want?

Candidate Statement

Concentrate on concepts and how they are important in the field, not on specific technical details.

Remember that some readers will be outside the discipline; statements containing too many technical terms may be less effective.

Candidate Statement

• If you have an administrative appointment (CED duties) they should be presented here. It is important for the committees to know what this commitment is in terms of helping them gauge your other work. In these and most cases, they are really after quality of work, not quantity.

Note from 2005 UA Committee Chair

Section Va: Evaluation of Teaching & Advising

• Most Agents do not have teaching appointments, however a very few do, and the Provost suggests the following:

• List all courses taught in past 5 years.• List awards, grants.• Document individual student contact.• Describe development activities.• Include peer observation, if available.• Summarize and include Teacher Course Evaluation

(TCE) results (available at http://oire.arizona.edu).

Evaluation of Teaching & Advising isPrepared Jointly by Head and Candidate

Section Vb: Evaluation of Educational Outreach

• Clearly distinguish programs in Section Vb. • A description of three or four major components of the

candidate's program should be clearly stated. These efforts should coincide with the stated program thrusts in the position description. Include the purpose and objectives of the program, the target group, and expected results. Specify indicators by which objectives can be measured.

• It is suggested that each program of the candidate not exceed 3 pages with the entire section no longer than 10 pages. Even that may be too long, but if you are adding some of the outputs as a part of the implementation, more space may be needed.

• Make sure there is a demonstrated link between programs and research. We say research-based programming but need to show it.

• Linkages among agents and specialists are also important!



• Place components of each Extension program together, i.e., for each program area you are reporting on, do a section on planning, implementation, and evaluation (performance measures and program accomplishments) and results (impacts!) before you begin the next program discussion.

• Make Extension educational program statements direct and brief. Do not over-do it. Program justification should not be very long and have only the very essential facts.


• Extension Program implementation should include presentations, publications and any other output that is directly related to the program. However, do not duplicate.

• If a peer reviewed journal article is developed, include in Curriculum Vitae, not in program implementation.


• The table format could also be used to present numbers of demonstrations, presentations, workshops, etc. and these should be identified by the program to which they contribute.– Again, consolidate the table.

• Program Awards & Grants are also reported here, if not already listed in the CV portion.– If listed in the CV, reference to that section.


• Program accomplishments should include outcomes or effects, changes that resulted and/or long term impact of the program.

• Outside evaluators, as well as college and university committee members, invariably comment on demonstrated impact or lack thereof in discussions of a candidate’s programs.


Section VII: Letters from Outside Evaluators

• You may submit names of outside referees, but less than half might be chosen. The university requires independent referees, so please do not submit anyone’s name with who you have a close or personal affiliation. At the university committee level, this is one area in particular that they look at closely.

• 3-8 letters of evaluation are needed for a complete packet.

• If you submit more than 6, this will limit your head’s ability to adhere to the 50% policy – no more than half can be from your list

For County Directors:

• Independence of outside reviewers must be clear and unequivocal.

• Make sure the dossier meets the very clear university guidelines in every detail.

• Units must provide clear arguments for why outside reviewers were selected and the nature of their relationship to the candidate.

Really Serious Stuff:

• Have someone (or two) else read/critique your packet before submitting.

• Ask your unit head ~

• You might consider asking someone not in your field do this.

• THIS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Take advantage of information available to you

• http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/profdev/promotion.htm

• Extension Administration

Collective Wisdom

http://ag.arizona.edu/dean/cwindex.html

http://ag.arizona.edu/dean/cwdossierdesign.html

Designing a Strong Dossier

Finis

• The completed packet should be submitted to Extension Administration as unstapled standard size 81/2 x 11 sheets in a folder or envelope. Packets will be duplicated/scanned in the state office for review at the departmental, college and university levels.

Calendar of EventsAlso on the Professional Development Website:http://ag.arizona.edu/extension/profdev/calendar.pdf

Calendar continued

September 7

Complete dossier is due to Extension Administration – including outside reviewers’ letters.

• Patti B., Departmental Liaison

Questions?

The End…

Documents

Suggestions on Preparing Continuing Status and Promotion Packets for Cooperative Extension Agents Updated May, 2011