Bylaws, Policies & Procedures

The dean of a college shall be the officer primarily charged with the administration of the college. The dean shall be the presiding officer of its faculty and the chief adviser to the university’s executive vice chancellor in regard to the college's welfare and shall be in general charge, under the executive vice chancellor, of the administrative work of the college. The dean shall submit recommendations to the office of the executive vice chancellor concerning the appointment, reappointment, non-reappointment, promotion, granting of continuous appointment, demotion, transfer, dismissal, or removal of members of the college staff. All requisitions chargeable to funds apportioned to the college are subject to approval by the dean or the dean’s designee. The dean is reviewed by the college faculty and higher administrative officers after five years of service.

1. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall be responsible for the development of faculty in their teaching, research, and service. This associate dean shall oversee the processes for peer observations of teaching, making sure that all faculty receive such observations at least once a year. This includes supervising the methods and instruments for conducting the observations and registering the observer’s evaluations.
2. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall take steps to encourage faculty research and creative activity, including arranging for regular meetings of faculty to share their research and creative accomplishments, learn of the efforts of faculty in other colleges, and connect with resources on campus for obtaining grants, faculty development leaves, and other resources.
3. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall be a liaison to the faculty for matters regarding promotion and tenure. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall make sure the members of the faculty are aware of the guidelines for tenure and promotion for all levels and types of faculty appointments and that consistent standards are applied to all faculty seeking tenure and promotion. The associate dean shall also keep a record to make sure all tenure-track faculty and all faculty who are not fully promoted are receiving the required reviews from the faculty on the schedule prescribed by the university’s guidelines.
4. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall stay informed about university policies on faculty development, promotion, and tenure; university policies on research and grants; and opportunities for college faculty to obtain grants to support their research and creative activities.
5. When a faculty member seeks tenure or promotion, the associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall work with that faculty member to make sure the required materials are assembled in the form required by the university. The associate dean shall also develop, in consultation with the candidate and promoted faculty, a list of suitable outside reviewers. UNL guidelines require that all candidates for tenure or promotion have outside reviews from at least three faculty of superior rank at Research 1 universities.
6. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall oversee the annual review process for all faculty and make sure that review materials are submitted in a timely fashion and that all faculty receive interviews with the dean and associate dean. The associate dean, in consultation with the dean, shall prepare review letters for all faculty.
7. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall carry out other duties assigned by the dean.

1. The associate dean for academic programs shall oversee—in collaboration with the appropriate staff of the college and the associate dean for research and faculty affairs—the scheduling and conduct of all undergraduate and graduate courses. No faculty member has ownership of particular classes. The associate dean for academic programs shall be responsible for assigning faculty to teach courses, taking into account the expertise and preferences of the faculty member and student demand for classes. No faculty members should be assigned to teach a course for which they do not have the appropriate professional or academic background or preparation.
2. The associate dean for academic programs shall conduct annual reviews of all lecturer-T faculty teaching undergraduate or graduate courses. In doing so, the associate dean may work with any faculty who are supervising multiple sections of undergraduate courses, where some of those sections are taught by lecturer-Ts. The associate dean for academic programs shall forward the evaluations of such faculty to the associate dean for research and faculty affairs, who shall prepare annual review letters for each lecturer-T.
3. The associate dean for academic programs shall carry out other duties assigned by the dean.
   1. Undergraduate Programs
      1. The associate dean for academic programs shall oversee undergraduate student services, working with appropriate college staff to make sure students have access to scholarship, internship, and extracurricular activities that will help them succeed at the university and prepare for post-graduate careers.
      2. The associate dean for academic programs shall serve as the chair of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. In this role, the associate dean shall encourage faculty to review the existing curriculum of the college for all majors and modify existing courses or create new ones to reflect changes in the communications industries and the needs of students as they prepare for post-graduate careers. The associate dean for academic programs may convene meetings with the faculty teaching in the college’s majors to discuss the curriculum for each major and consider revisions.
      3. The associate dean for academic programs also shall supervise and coordinate preparations for ACEJMC reaccreditation visits, including the preparation of the college’s self-study.
   2. Graduate Programs
      1. The associate dean for academic programs shall work with the appropriate staff to identify graduate students who are suited to work as graduate teaching assistants and to assign them to college faculty or courses in accordance with the priorities developed by the faculty.
      2. The associate dean for academic programs shall be the chair of the Graduate Program Committee. In this role, the associate dean shall encourage faculty teaching in the graduate program to review all courses, degree programs, and certificate programs to assure the curriculum is rigorous and directed to preparing students for post-graduate careers.

1. The college faculty shall consist of those who hold a full-time faculty position within the college at the faculty rank of assistant professor, associate professor or professor, assistant professor of practice, associate professor of practice, or professor of practice, assistant research professor, associate research professor, research professor, lecturer, or senior lecturer. The college faculty shall include any member of the college administration who holds faculty rank in the college.
2. The voting faculty of the college shall include all members of the college faculty and those granted voting privileges under the terms of the rules and procedures of the college.

1. The college staff assist the students and faculty by providing advising, administrative, business, and technical support duties assigned to them.
2. The director of business and operations shall supervise the work of all staff members.
3. The staff members shall elect one of their members to serve on the executive committee.

The policy on college organizatoin was approved by the faculty on March 11, 2022. 

College Organization 

1. Election Procedures
   1. The elected chairs of each college major committee shall be members of the Executive Committee. 
2. Appointment Procedures
   1. Members of all other committees shall be appointed. Faculty and staff members shall respond to a survey in the spring semester asking their preferences for committee assignments for the coming academic year. In consultation with the elected chairs of the major committees, the dean and the associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall use those preferences to assign faculty and staff to the committees before the last day of classes in the spring semester. All faculty and staff will be assigned to at least one committee. To the extent possible, appointments will be made to include on each committee faculty of all ranks and types of appointment and from all majors in the college while maintaining continuity year to year.

1. A faculty committee shall oversee each major in the college. The committee for each major shall consist of all college faculty who teach in or conduct research in or related to that major.
2. The faculty committee for each major shall meet at least once a month during the fall and spring semesters.
3. At the last meeting of the spring semester, the faculty shall elect a chair for the coming academic year.
4. The chair for each major shall be responsible for convening meetings of the faculty, preparing the agenda for each meeting, keeping records of the meetings, and providing the meeting records to the college website.

1. The Executive Committee of the college shall consist of the dean, any associate or assistant deans, any directors or chairs, the business and operations manager, the elected chairs of each major committee in the college, and at least one staff member. In the event, no non-tenure track faculty member is elected by a major, the non-tenure track faculty shall meet and elect one of their members to serve on the Executive Committee. In the event no tenured or tenure-track faculty member is elected by a major, the tenured and tenure-track faculty shall elect one of their members to serve on the Executive Committee. The dean shall be the chair of the committee.
2. The executive committee is advisory to the dean on the business and general welfare of the college and shall provide review and feedback on proposals on college operations.
3. The committee shall
   1. Propose changes or review, analyze, and evaluate proposals for changes to college operations
   2. Review proposals of other committees before placing them on the agenda for full faculty consideration
   3. Review this document at least once a year and consider whether any changes should be made. Recommendations for changes shall take effect only after having been approved by the full faculty of the college.
   4. Assess emerging industry trends that could significantly affect academic programs and propose changes to ensure excellent career preparation for students. 
   5. Advise the dean on conditions affecting the faculty, staff, and students and their ability to carry out their duties. 
   6. Advise the dean on initiatives to enhance the college’s position with students, alumni, other units of the university, and other journalism and communication programs in the country. 
   7. Hear appeals from students regarding grades and other matters in which a student might consider his or her standing or performance to have been adversely affected. If a student appeals a grade, both the student and the faculty member shall be invited to present any relevant information about the grade. The committee may request additional information from either party if it deems the information necessary to a decision. Grades shall not be changed unless the student is able to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the grade given was the product of caprice or prejudice on the part of the instructor. 
   8. Contribute to the college’s pursuit of accreditation through the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications by facilitating the development of a strong case for those standards under the committee’s purview. 
   9. Carry out such other duties as assigned by the dean. 

1. The strategic planning committee shall oversee implementation of the college’s strategic plan and assess the progress of the college toward achieving its goals. The dean shall be the chair of the committee.
2. The committee shall:
   1. Review the college’s strategic plan and make recommendations for changes.
   2. Gather information on the progress of the college toward meeting the goals set in the strategic plan.
   3. Advise committees within the college on progress toward achieving strategic goals.
   4. Recommend actions necessary for achieving college goals.
   5. Set priorities for committees and faculty for achieving college goals.
   6. Coordinate and oversee to the college’s pursuit of accreditation through the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications

1. The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee is responsible for ensuring that the courses and degree programs offered by the college meet standards of excellence as judged by the college faculty, the University Curriculum Committee, and the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The committee may propose curricular changes to the full faculty and shall review and make recommendations on proposals submitted by faculty members. The associate dean for academic programs shall be the chair of the committee.
2. The committee shall
   1. Establish and maintain criteria for admittance to the college’s undergraduate programs.
   2. Receive and review faculty proposals for changes to the curriculum by adding, eliminating, or altering courses. The committee may also make its own recommendations for such curriculum changes. The committee shall submit to the full faculty for final approval any recommendations for curricular changes.
   3. Ensure the academic bulletin and course catalog are accurate and currant.
   4. Assess industry trends that could significantly affect academic programs and propose changes to ensure excellent career preparation for students.
   5. Analyze the undergraduate programs for policies and procedures that are barriers to program retention, completion, and graduation and propose changes to improve the college’s retention and graduation rates. This should not be construed as requiring or encouraging a reduction in the overall rigor of the academic programs.
   6. Coordinate with the college diversity committee to ensure the integration of issues of diversity, both domestic and global, throughout the undergraduate curriculum.
   7. Develop, maintain, and oversee a comprehensive assessment program that assesses student learning on both ACE and ACEJMC learning outcomes.
   8. Assess how the program is meeting the ACEJMC values and competencies and university general education requirements and will record those activities and results in the appropriate archive.

1. The scholarship and student success committee administers the college's scholarship programs, internship awards, and the college’s student competitions and advises the faculty and dean on the quality of the student experience and ways to improve that experience. The college’s scholarship administrator shall be the chair of the committee.
2. The committee shall: 
   1. Establish policies and procedures for the awarding of undergraduate scholarships, internships, and student competition awards in the college of journalism and mass communications.
   2. Review all applications for undergraduate scholarships and awards and select recipients based upon donor agreements and established criteria. 
   3. Propose changes to the scholarship process to maximize the utilization of scholarship funds and ensure donor requirements are met. 
   4. Organize and oversee internship awards and internal student competitions in the college in accordance with donor requirements. 
   5. Oversee student organizations, promote student involvement in such organizations, and help sponsoring faculty members expand participation in the organizations.
   6. Assist in developing and promoting engagement of students in college and community through initiatives and events, including guest speakers and lectures on matters of interest to the college.
   7. Contribute to the college’s pursuit of accreditation through the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications by facilitating the development of a strong case for those standards under the committee’s purview. 

1. The Graduate Program Committee is responsible for the quality of graduate education in journalism and mass communications and assuring that the curriculum is of such rigor as to prepare students for advanced employment in the field or further academic work in the discipline. The associate dean for academic programs shall be the chair of the committee.
2. The committee shall
   1. Establish and maintain criteria for admittance to the college’s graduate programs
   2. Establish the process by which students are admitted, ensuring all decisions are made expeditiously by clearly established deadlines.
   3. Review the college’s graduate programs to ensure appropriate levels of rigor, academic and professional preparation, and integration across the media spectrum.
   4. Receive and review faculty proposals for changes to the curriculum by adding, eliminating, or altering courses, certificates, or programs. The committee may also make its own recommendations for such curriculum changes. The committee shall submit to the full graduate faculty for final approval any recommendations for curricular changes.
   5. Ensure the graduate bulletin and course catalog are accurate and currant.
   6. Assess industry and academy trends that could significantly affect academic programs and propose changes to ensure excellent career preparation for students.
   7. Coordinate with the college diversity committee to ensure the integration of issues of diversity, both domestic and global, throughout the graduate curriculum.
   8. Analyze the graduate programs for policies and procedures that are barriers to program retention, completion, and graduation and propose changes to improve the college’s retention and graduation rates. This should not be construed as requiring or encouraging a reduction in the overall rigor of the academic programs.
   9. Develop, maintain, and oversee a comprehensive assessment program that assesses student learning outcomes.
   10. Ensure and maintain graduate faculty status for all faculty who qualify.

1. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee shall make recommendations for ensuring diverse representation in the college’s faculty, staff, and students; developing a culture of inclusion within the college; and ensuring issues of diversity and inclusion are infused throughout our curriculum. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall be the chair of the committee.
2. The committee shall
   1. Propose to the faculty a diversity plan for the college that addresses diversity of faculty, staff, and students, college culture and climate, and college curriculum.
   2. Monitor and evaluate issues related to diversity and inclusion in the college and advise the dean on changes to policies and procedures needed to address issues.
   3. Ensure implementation of the college’s diversity plan and monitor implementation to ensure success.
   4. Annually review the college’s diversity plan and make recommendations for changes.
   5. Advise the dean on new initiatives or changes to current initiatives, policies, or procedures needed to improve diversity and inclusion goals.
   6. Contribute to the college’s pursuit of accreditation through the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications by facilitating the development of a strong case for those standards under the committee’s purview. 

1. The technology and infrastructure committee monitors the technology and physical needs of the college’s academic programs and develops proposals, initiatives, and programs to address those needs. The director of business and operations shall be the chair of the committee. 
2. The committee shall
   1. Review the college’s capabilities, assess short-term and long-term needs, and develop a technology proposal that advances the college’s goals.
   2. Review and advise the dean and the faculty on the college’s plan for the allocation of technology resources and physical space.
   3. Provide advice and suggestions on major technology and infrastructure initiatives.
   4. Assess trends that could significantly affect the college, including opportunities to take advantage of emerging technologies.
   5. Provide for faculty and staff technology training.
   6. Make recommendations concerning technology policy or space utilization in the college.
   7. Contribute to the college’s pursuit of accreditation through the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications by facilitating the development of a strong case for those standards under the committee’s purview. 

1. The Research, Scholarship, and Awards Committee fosters research, scholarship, and creative activity by the college faculty and students; oversees college awards recognizing achievement in such areas; and assists faculty in pursing university and external funding and awards. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall be the chair of the committee.
2. The committee shall:
   1. Receive and review nominations or applications for college awards recognizing faculty achievement and recommend award recipients.
   2. Review university awards available to faculty and the criteria for them and nominate or encourage applications from faculty who may qualify for such awards.
   3. Consult with university offices on external awards for which college faculty may be eligible and nominate or encourage applications from such faculty.
   4. Announce when endowed professorships become available and solicit applications from faculty.
   5. Review applications from faculty for professorships and make recommendations to the dean for awarding professorships.
   6. Recommend awards the college could establish and the criteria for such awards.
   7. Contribute to the college’s pursuit of accreditation through the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications by facilitating the development of a strong case for those standards under the committee’s purview. 

1. The Student Competitions Committee oversees and coordinates the entry of works by students majoring in journalism, broadcasting, or sports communication into external competitions and awards programs to gain recognition of student achievements and elevate the reputation of the college. 
2. The committee shall:
   1. Tracking competition opportunities and deadlines and communicating those opportunities to faculty, staff and students
   2. Soliciting eligible student work for entry into competitions from students and faculty
   3. Making informed decisions about the competitiveness of student work and final decisions about entries
   4. Maintain accounts with awarding organizations and entering work into competitions
   5. Tracking and reporting on award recipients
   6. Facilitating the collection of information include photographs and biographical information on award recipients
   7. The student competitions committee is composed of two faculty members from each major.
   8. Contribute to the college’s pursuit of accreditation through the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications by facilitating the development of a strong case for those standards under the committee’s purview. 

The policy on college committees was approved by the faculty on March 11, 2022.

College Committees

1. Calling and Scheduling Meetings
   1. The faculty of the college shall meet at least once a month during the fall and spring semesters. 
   2. Faculty meetings also may be convened at the discretion of the dean or upon submission of a petition signed by a majority of the faculty. 
2. Procedures
   1. Two-thirds of the faculty shall constitute a quorum.
   2. Faculty meetings shall be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order. The faculty may set other rules governing its meetings, either in the bylaws or in this set of Policies and Procedures.
   3. All matters requiring action by the faculty shall be submitted for consideration no less than five calendar days prior to the meeting at which the action will be taken. Upon a vote of two-thirds of the faculty, however, a matter that was not submitted five days prior to the meeting may be taken up as an emergency measure.
3. Decisions/Voting
   1. Unless otherwise specified in these policies and procedures all decisions in faculty meetings will be determined by a two‐thirds vote of members present and qualified faculty proxy votes received prior to the start of the faculty meeting. 
   2. Proxy votes must be submitted in writing to the associate dean for research and faculty affairs, or their designee, and must include the language of each and every motion being voted upon with a clear indication of a vote in favor, against or abstain.
4. Records
   1. Minutes shall be kept for all faculty meetings. The minutes for each meeting shall be reviewed and voted on at the next meeting. Once approved by the faculty, the minutes shall be posted on the college website.
   2. The minutes shall include the full text of all measures submitted to the faculty for approval. The measures that are approved by the faculty shall be posted in the appropriate document as quickly as possible and in no circumstance later than by the next faculty meeting. 
   3. The minutes shall include the number of faculty voting for and against any measure submitted for approval. This shall not include votes on approval of the minutes or other matters decided by voice vote.

1. Frequency of Meetings
   1. All faculty who teach or conduct scholarship in any of the majors offered by the college shall meet at least once a month, and more frequently if necessary, to consider curriculum changes, new initiatives and other matters pertinent to the major. 
   2. Faculty members who are graduate faculty members, graduate faculty associates, or graduate lecturers, as those terms are defined by the Office of Graduate Studies, shall meet at least once a month, and more frequently if necessary, to discuss curriculum changes, new initiatives and other matters pertinent to the program.
2. Organization
   1. The faculty of each major group shall elect a chair. The chair shall call meetings, set agendas, see that minutes of each meeting are kept and published on the college website, bring to the college leadership any matters the faculty wants communicated and represent the major on the college’s executive committee. The chair may invite to the meetings administrators, staff, and guests as the faculty members may deem needed. 
   2. The chair for meetings of the graduate faculty shall be the associate dean for academic programs. The chair shall call meetings, set agendas, see that minutes of each meeting are kept and published on the college website, and bring to the college leadership any matters the faculty wants communicated. The chair may invite to the meetings administrators, staff, and guests as the faculty members may deem needed.

The policy on faculty meetings was approved by the faculty on November 4, 2022.  

Faculty Meetings

Any statement on guidelines and procedures for promoting faculty and granting tenure (continuous appointment) must begin with the presumption that all faculty members will strive for excellence in all areas of their assigned duties. Typically, these duties include teaching, research or creative activity, and service. Some faculty also may have administrative or extension responsibilities. The proportion of each faculty member’s responsibilities in these areas is determined by that person’s apportionment, which is initially set in the letter of offer and which may be adjusted in consultation with the dean. The materials candidates submit with their applications for tenure and promotion should correspond to their apportionments. Similarly, the weight the reviewing body attaches to the materials should correspond to the apportionments. To facilitate the preparation of materials for the evaluation of promotion from assistant to associate professor or assistant to associate professor of practice, new faculty members will be provided with a one (1) course release during their probationary period. The course release will be scheduled in consultation with the associate dean for academic programs and the associate dean for research and faculty affairs.

All faculty members are expected to be productive in their assignments and to continue to improve their performance. The expectation of continuing productivity is of particular importance for faculty members who are working toward or hold tenure. The decision to award tenure to faculty members must be based on proof of their ability to perform at a high level in all areas of their apportionment and the expectation they will continue to do so. Similarly, the promotion of tenured faculty members to full professor must be based on evidence they have produced distinguished work and will continue to do so.

The introduction to the UNL Guidelines for Evaluation of Faculty notes “the work of faculty members as independent professionals is not easily categorized or measured. Because it is inherently judgmental, the evaluation of faculty must be constrained by principles and procedures designed to protect academic freedom and to ensure accuracy, fairness, and equity.” This admonition carries special relevance for the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Our faculty bring a diverse set of skills and insights to the task of preparing students to work in journalism, broadcasting, advertising, public relations, and sports communication. The works the college’s faculty members create reflect that diversity in their nature and subject matter. The goal of these guidelines is to afford all faculty members a clearer understanding of what they must do to secure continuous appointment and promotion.

1. Expectations for Research or Creative Works
   1. Qualifying Works
      1. Faculty who are working toward tenure and promotion to associate professor are expected to demonstrate the ability to produce research or creative works that receive or show the promise of receiving national or international recognition. The kinds of research and creative works that contribute toward a distinguished portfolio vary greatly. The faculty of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications value both research and creative works equally and do not consider one more important than the other. The following descriptions of the kinds of works that faculty members typically produce is not exhaustive but is indicative of what successful applicants for promotion and tenure have produced in the past.
      2. Research
         1. Faculty who are focusing on conducting research, a term that embraces both quantitative and qualitative research and documentary research for historical or legal studies, usually demonstrate their work in the following ways:
            1. Write research-based works published in peer-reviewed journals and authored books, edited books, monographs, book chapters, encyclopedia articles, conference proceedings, and book reviews.
            2. Edit collections of research or scholarly articles.
            3. Write integrative textbooks that advance the discipline.
            4. Present the results of research at national and international conferences.
            5. Develop a funded research program with peer-reviewed funding from outside the college.
      3. Creative
         1. The range of works that may fall under the heading “creative” is much greater given such works may take many forms. Here are some examples of endeavors that would fall under this heading:
            1. Visual art works, such as photographs or graphic designs. This includes the creation of such works, exhibiting visual works in a one-person or a group show, or curating exhibitions of such works by other artists.
            2. Video and audio works, multimedia or slide presentations or video or audio recordings. The works may be documentaries, commentaries, or instructional materials. They may be distributed as broadcasts, podcasts, or online. Scripts or other components of video or audio work also fall in this category.
            3. Literary works such as books, newspaper stories or columns, and magazine articles. Generally, submissions in this area should be extended works of journalism, not fiction.
            4. Other evidence of creative work might include delivering invited lectures, participating in seminars and workshops, or serving in an artist/professional-in-residence program.
   2. Quantity of Production
      1. Although some universities set quantitative guidelines for the number of journal articles or other works expected from faculty members yearly or over the course of their probationary period, most say a faculty member seeking tenure and promotion should produce an extensive or substantial body of work with a unifying theme or focus. A large number of papers on many unrelated topics and published in obscure journals would be less helpful to a candidate than a smaller number of papers focused on one or two related areas of research and published in widely recognized journals.
      2. The problem of specifying a quantity of production is compounded by the differing nature of the works faculty in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications produce. Specifying how many juried journal articles equal one book or how many photography exhibits equal one documentary film is difficult if not impossible.
      3. The governing expectation, however, is that all faculty members pursuing tenure and promotion should demonstrate the ability to produce substantial work on a continuing basis. The work they produce should have a subject matter or stylistic focus. It should also be of enough intellectual depth or artistic skill to merit national or international recognition.
   3. Quality of Production
      1. Although producing a substantial amount of research or creative work is essential for obtaining tenure and promotion, the quality of the work produced is more important. The quality of the work may be determined in a number of ways, and the criteria for research and creative works are slightly different. 
      2. Evaluating the quality of research begins with assessing the originality of the work, the soundness of the theoretical basis, the breadth and importance of the research questions, the soundness of the methodology, and the thoroughness and clarity of the presentation. The forums in which the research is published also influence the determination of quality. For research works, the preference is for publication in peer- reviewed journals. Some journals are more prestigious and have lower acceptance rates than others. If the work is a monograph, the eminence of the press publishing the work is relevant. In regard to peer-reviewed research or creative grants, a proposal’s scoring records, source of funding and the amount of money received all contribute to an assessment of quality. Only funded proposals are considered a measure of success in grant procurement.
      3. For creative works, originality and breadth or importance of the creation are important measures of quality. Other indices of quality are the skill in the presentation of the materials, the range of materials that were accumulated to prepare the creation, the length or extent of the creation, and the clarity of the presentation. The forum in which the creative work appears also affects the determination of quality. For literary works, the identity of the publisher and the extent of the distribution of the work are relevant. For video or audio works, the distributor or broadcaster and the potential audience for the work indicate relative quality. Where applicable, juried evaluations, audience measures, and impact are relevant to assessing quality. For visual works, relevant measures are the location of the exhibition, the criteria for selection, and the number of exhibitions.
      4. Some additional factors that affect the determination of the quality of both research and creative work are citations by other researchers or authors, reviews, awards, recognition by peers, impact on the relevant professions or businesses, and contributions to the larger community. Quality can also be determined by awards of extramural funding to support research or creative works.
      5. For both research and creative works, the reviewing faculty will make their own assessment of the work on these criteria. In doing so, they will also draw on the evaluations by outside reviewers of the candidate’s materials.
2. Expectations for Teaching
   1. As a professional college, teaching is central to the mission of preparing students to succeed in careers in advertising, public relations, journalism, broadcasting, and sports communications. Successful candidates for tenure and promotion, therefore, must demonstrate effective teaching and dedication to teaching improvement. Candidates should engage in curriculum development through activities such as creating new courses, new degree or certificate programs, and new teaching techniques. Candidates will submit the following as evidence of teaching effectiveness:
      1. A statement of their philosophy of teaching and how that philosophy is carried out in their classes.
      2. Student evaluations from all courses taught. In accordance with university policy, the evaluations will be considered qualitative assessments of the classroom experience by students. No numerical values will be used as determinative of the candidate’s teaching effectiveness.
      3. All reports of peer observations of candidates’ teaching by more than one peer reviewer through the college’s Teaching Observation Program.
      4. A peer evaluation of the candidates’ teaching prepared by senior faculty members who hold the rank the candidate is seeking.
      5. Evidence candidates have used peer and student assessments to modify, update, or enhance classes better to meet the demands of the professional world.
      6. Sample qualitative student comments taken from the student evaluations from all courses taught.
      7. Evidence of working individually with undergraduate and graduate students in and out of class.
      8. Evidence of innovativeness in instruction and the development of new courses and/or new course materials.
      9. Evidence of advising student organizations.
      10. Participation in the university’s Faculty-led Inquiry into Responsive and Scholarly Teaching (formerly Peer Review of Teaching) program. 
      11. Evidence of mentoring and helping other faculty, including lecture-Ts and graduate assistants, to improve their teaching. 
      12. Being a member or chair of undergraduate honors thesis committees and graduate committees.
      13. Mentoring students who receive awards in national competitions. 
      14. Any other materials the candidates deem appropriate.
3. Expectations for Service
   1. The members of the faculty of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications recognize the responsibility to serve the media, campus, citizens of Nebraska, and regional and national journalism and mass communications organizations. The College of Journalism and Mass Communication faculty members define service as professional or media participation and leadership in campus, regional, and national academic organizations.
   2. Typically, faculty on tenure track have a 10-percent apportionment for service. This translates into membership on three or four college or university committees. If one has a leadership role in a college, campus, national, or professional organization, then participation in fewer groups would be appropriate. In any case, faculty who are working toward tenure should limit their service work so that they can devote as much time and effort as possible toward research or creative work and teaching.
   3. Generally, the service obligation is fulfilled by some combination of the following:
      1. Serving on college and university committees.
      2. Involvement in professional activities and associations related to the improvement of teaching and learning (for instance, holding national offices in teaching related associations or special interest groups, participation in national study groups, creation or leadership of professional conferences and associations focused on new and emerging issues).
      3. Involvement in regional, national, or international industry organizations.
      4. National or international dissemination of instructional methods or materials.
      5. Service on teaching- and learning-related national review panels or advisory groups for government agencies or foundations.
      6. Receipt of internal or external grant funding for instruction- or training- related activities and innovations.
   4. Faculty members seeking tenure and promotion usually have records of service and outreach activities inside and outside the college.

1. To be eligible for an initial appointment with the college with tenure, the individual must be a tenured faculty member at a peer institution. Requests for such appointments will be reviewed by the tenured faculty of the college, which will provide a recommendation to the dean for review. The dean will then forward the recommendation to the Office of Academic Affairs. In cases where the potential new hire will serve as the college’s dean, the faculty will make its recommendation to the executive vice chancellor. A candidate for a tenured position at UNL and for the deanship of the college should carry forward at least the rank held at that person’s previous institution. There should be no expectation of a lower rank.

1. Professor is the highest faculty rank in the university. Those who attain the rank have demonstrated continued excellence in research or creative activity and teaching throughout their academic careers. They also should have accumulated a strong record of service to the college, the university, the discipline, or the profession. An important service expectation for tenured faculty is mentoring junior faculty, both those on tenure track and practice track. The record of a candidate for promotion to full professor should be one of outstanding accomplishment and distinction within the faculty member’s field. While the rank is a reward for high accomplishment, it also carries the responsibility for the faculty member to continue to strive for productivity and excellence in research or creative activity, teaching, and service.
   1. Expectations for Research or Creative Works 
      1. The qualifying works are the same as those described for tenure and promotion to associate professor (see §A.1.a. above). The quantitative and qualitative expectations are similar. The tenured professor seeking promotion to full, however, should present a record of sustained research or creative work over the time since receiving tenure. Ideally, the research or creative work should exhibit a focus on an issue or topic of importance to the discipline, the profession, or the public. The work should have the extent and stature that the candidate is regarded as an expert of national or international renown on the issue or topic. Evidence of such renown includes awards, citations of the candidate’s works, invitations to present lectures or participate in panels, peer-reviewed research or creative grants, editorship of a journal, membership on the editorial board of a journal, and similar recognitions. The candidate’s work should be appearing in forums of a high stature. Regardless of the nature of the candidate’s work, it should have been evaluated by some independent reviewer prior to publication, acceptance or exhibition. Such evidence may take many forms, for example juried selection for publication or presentation, editorial selection of a book or article for publication, peer-reviewed funding of a research or creative project, media coverage of the candidate’s work, or an award presented through a contest.
   2. Expectations for Teaching
      1. A candidate for promotion to full professor should demonstrate a sustained and consistent pattern of self-growth in teaching activities and a commitment to student learning as well as leadership in curriculum development within his or her program. The candidate should be engaged in leadership in curriculum development through activities such as the development of new courses, new degree or certificate programs, and new teaching techniques. Mentoring students who receive awards in national competitions is considered evidence of teaching effectiveness, as are receiving teaching awards and excellent student evaluations.
         1. Candidates will submit the following as evidence of teaching effectiveness: 
         2. A statement of their philosophy of teaching and how that philosophy is carried out in their classes.
         3. Student evaluations from all courses taught. In accordance with university policy, the evaluations will be considered qualitative assessments of the classroom experience by students. No numerical values will be used as determinative of the candidate’s teaching effectiveness.
         4. All reports of peer observations of candidates’ teaching by more than one peer reviewer through the college’s Teaching Observation Program.
         5. A peer evaluation of the candidates’ teaching prepared by senior faculty members who hold the rank the candidate is seeking.
         6. Evidence candidates have used peer and student assessments to modify, update, or enhance classes better to meet the demands of the professional world.
         7. Sample qualitative student comments taken from the student evaluations from all courses taught.
         8. Evidence of working individually with undergraduate and graduate students in and out of class.
         9. Evidence of innovativeness in instruction and the development of new courses and/or new course materials.
         10. Evidence of advising student organizations.
         11. Participation in the university’s Faculty-led Inquiry into Responsive and Scholarly Teaching (formerly Peer Review of Teaching) program.
         12. Evidence of mentoring and helping other faculty, including lecture-Ts and graduate assistants, to improve their teaching.
         13. Being a member or chair of undergraduate honors thesis committees and graduate committees.
         14. Mentoring students who receive awards in national competitions.
         15. Any other materials the candidates deem appropriate.
   3. Expectations for Service
      1. Candidates for full professor should have a significant record of service to the college; the university; and professional, academic, and civic organizations. Tenured faculty are expected to carry more substantial service duties than faculty who are on tenure track. By the time faculty members seek promotion to full professor, the candidates should have a record of service to the profession through leadership positions in college, university, academic, and professional organizations. This may include carrying out review functions, making presentations, holding office, and other related outreach activities to the profession and the public. 
      2. Generally, the service obligation is fulfilled by some combination of the following: 
         1. Serving on and chairing college and university committees.
         2. Involvement in professional activities and associations related to the improvement of teaching and learning (for instance, holding national offices in teaching related associations or special interest groups, participation in national study groups, creation or leadership of professional conferences and associations focused on new and emerging issues).
         3. Involvement in regional, national, or international industry organizations.
         4. National or international dissemination of instructional methods or materials.
         5. Service on teaching- and learning-related national review panels or advisory groups for government agencies or foundations.
         6. Receipt of internal or external grant funding for instruction- or training- related activities and innovations.
      3. Faculty members seeking tenure and promotion usually have records of service and outreach activities inside and outside the college. 
      4. Administrative duties should not be considered service but should be specified in the faculty member’s apportionment. While they are important, they are not a substitute for excellence in teaching and research or creative activity. 

1. The success of the college depends on significant contributions by faculty of practice. The nature of the work of this college requires a balance between faculty of practice and tenured and tenure-track faculty. The focus of faculty of practice is primarily on teaching and service or outreach. In general, faculty of practice will have heavier teaching and service or outreach loads than faculty on tenure lines.
2. While the college strongly encourages promotion of faculty of practice, the promotion process is independent of the decision to renew or not renew faculty member’s contract. Faculty of practice should not be penalized for either seeking promotion or not seeking promotion. A candidate’s failure to attain promotion or a candidate’s decision not to seek promotion should not bear on the renewal of a faculty member’s contract. 
3. The review of faculty of practice seeking promotion should focus on the individual’s apportionment of duties and the work submitted relevant to those duties. Typically, faculty of practice have their duties apportioned between teaching (usually 80 percent) and service or outreach (usually 20 percent). The materials candidates submit should reflect that apportionment, and the reviewing body should evaluate them in the same manner. Some faculty of practice may engage in research, professional work, or creative work even though it is not part of their apportionments. Such work may enhance the candidate’s portfolio, but the promotion decision should be based on materials submitted relevant to the candidate’s apportionment. For faculty of practice who have some portion of their apportionments assigned to research, professional, or creative work or administration, then materials relevant to those duties should be part of the basis for the promotion decision.
   1. Expectations for Teaching
      1. An associate professor of practice candidate is expected to be an accomplished teacher. Candidates should be able to demonstrate excellence in academic or professional instruction and mentoring of students. Candidates will submit the following as evidence of teaching effectiveness:
      2. Participation in the university’s Faculty-led Inquiry into Responsive and Scholarly Teaching (formerly Peer Review of Teaching) program.
      3. Evidence of mentoring and helping other faculty, including lecture-Ts and graduate assistants, to improve their teaching.
      4. Being a member or chair of undergraduate honors thesis committees and graduate committees.
      5. Mentoring students who receive awards in national competitions.
      6. Any other materials the candidates deem appropriate.
   2. Expectations for Service 
      1. Faculty of practice typically have a 20-percent apportionment for service. This may translate into service on multiple college or university committees. Faculty who have assumed leadership roles in one or more committees may serve on fewer. Similarly, a major commitment of time to an outside academic, professional, industry, or civic organization may justify a reduction in the number of committee assignments. Generally, the service obligation is fulfilled by some combination of the following: 
         1. Serving on college and university committees.
         2. Involvement in professional activities and associations related to the improvement of teaching and learning (for instance, holding national offices in teaching related associations or special interest groups, participation in national study groups, creation or leadership of professional conferences and associations focused on new and emerging issues).
         3. Involvement in regional, national, or international industry organizations.
         4. National or international dissemination of instructional methods or materials.
         5. Service on teaching- and learning-related national review panels or advisory groups for government agencies or foundations.
         6. Receipt of internal or external grant funding for instruction- or training- related activities and innovations.
      2. Faculty members seeking tenure and promotion usually have records of service and outreach activities inside and outside the college. 

1. The expectations for candidates for promotion to full professor of practice go a step further than those for promotion to associate professor of practice. Candidates for full professor of practice should merit recognition as distinguished authorities in their field and be respected by professional colleagues in their discipline. Such accomplishment is of the sort that would merit national or international recognition in appropriate arenas.
2. There is no set number of years that a person must serve as an associate professor of practice before applying for promotion to full professor of practice. As stated in the university’s guidelines: “Ordinarily, in most units, it is highly unusual for faculty to move from Associate Professor to Professor in less than seven years.” When faculty members consider applying for promotion to full professor of practice they are encouraged to first consult with the dean, the associate dean for research and faculty affairs, and other fully promoted faculty for input and feedback. 
3. As with candidates for promotion to associate professor of practice, the materials and the evaluation of them should follow the candidates’ apportionments of duties. 
   1. Expectations for Teaching 
      1. Candidates for promotion to full professor of practice should present evidence of excellence in academic or professional instruction and mentoring of students. Candidates will submit the following as evidence of teaching effectiveness: 
         1. A statement of their philosophy of teaching and how that philosophy is carried out in their classes.
         2. Student evaluations from all courses taught. In accordance with university policy, the evaluations will be considered qualitative assessments of the classroom experience by students. No numerical values will be used as determinative of the candidate’s teaching effectiveness.
         3. All reports of peer observations of candidates’ teaching by more than one peer reviewer through the college’s Teaching Observation Program.
         4. A peer evaluation of the candidates’ teaching prepared by senior faculty members, selected by the associate dean for research and faculty affairs, who hold the rank the candidate is seeking.
         5. Evidence candidates have used peer and student assessments to modify, update, or enhance classes better to meet the demands of the professional world.
         6. Sample qualitative student comments taken from the student evaluations from all courses taught.
         7. Evidence of working individually with undergraduate and graduate students in and out of class.
         8. Evidence of innovativeness in instruction and the development of new courses and/or new course materials.
         9. Evidence of advising student organizations.
         10. Participation in the university’s Faculty-led Inquiry into Responsive and Scholarly Teaching (formerly Peer Review of Teaching) program.
         11. Evidence of mentoring and helping other faculty, including adjuncts and graduate assistants, to improve their teaching.
         12. Being a member or chair of undergraduate honors thesis committees and graduate committees.
         13. Mentoring students who receive awards in national competitions.
         14. Any other materials the candidates deem appropriate.
   2. Expectations for Service 
      1. Candidates for promotion to full professor of practice should not only be participating in college and university committees and professional and academic organizations. They should be assuming leadership roles in such groups.
      2. Generally, the service obligation is fulfilled by some combination of the following:
         1. Serving on and chairing college and university committees.
         2. Involvement in professional activities and associations related to the improvement of teaching and learning (for instance, holding national offices in teaching related associations or special interest groups, participation in national study groups, creation or leadership of professional conferences and associations focused on new and emerging issues).
         3. Involvement in regional, national, or international industry organizations.
         4. National or international dissemination of instructional methods or materials.
         5. Service on teaching- and learning-related national review panels or advisory groups for government agencies or foundations.
         6. Receipt of internal or external grant funding for instruction- or training- related activities and innovations.
      3. Faculty members seeking promotion usually have records of service inside and outside the college.
      4. Administrative duties should not be considered service but should be specified in the faculty member’s apportionment. While they are important, they are not a substitute for excellence in teaching and research or creative activity.

1. If the dean determines that the contract of a faculty of practice should not be renewed, the dean shall discuss the matter with the associate vice chancellor for academic affairs in the office of the executive vice chancellor. 
2. If the associate vice chancellor agrees with the dean’s recommendation, the dean shall take the matter, along with appropriate evidence to support the determination, to the Executive Committee of the college. The members of the shall vote on the recommendation of the dean. If the committee members reject the recommendation, the faculty member’s contract shall be renewed. 
3. If the Executive Committee approves the dean’s recommendation not to renew the contract of a faculty of practice, the faculty member shall have the opportunity to appeal the decision to the executive committee or request full review by the college faculty. The committee and/or faculty shall consider the arguments and evidence presented by both the faculty member and the dean and vote on the recommendation. If the faculty rejects the dean’s recommendation, the contract for the faculty of practice shall be renewed. 
4. If the faculty approves the dean’s recommendation, the faculty member shall have the opportunity to appeal the decision to the university’s Academic Right and Responsibilities Committee, which may appoint a panel to hear the case under its rules. 
5. Notification of an intent not to renew the contract of a faculty of practice shall be provided in accordance with the timeline set by the office of the executive vice chancellor.

1. Timeline for Tenure and Promotion Applications and College Review 
   1. The promotion process begins in the spring semester of the academic year before the application is submitted. Candidates for tenure must submit their applications in their sixth year at UNL, unless they have received an extension of their probationary period or have been a faculty member at another university for which they have been granted credit toward tenure. Candidates may apply for tenure before the sixth year, but such applications are rare and should be submitted only after consultation with the dean. Failure to apply for tenure during the last year of a faculty member’s probationary period is essentially an announcement of resignation from the university. 
   2. The decision on tenure and the decision on promotion to associate professor are separate decisions, but at UNL, the two decisions usually are made at the same time.
   3. All persons seeking tenure and/or promotion shall have their applications and supporting materials reviewed by the faculty; however, the composition of the relevant faculty group for reviewing the applications varies. For all faculty seeking tenure and promotion to associate professor, the review shall be conducted by all tenured faculty. For all assistant professors of practice seeking promotion to associate professor of practice, the review shall be conducted by all faculty holding the ranks of associate professor, associate professor of practice, or associate research professor, or higher. For all associate professors, associate professors of practice, or associate research professors seeking promotion to full professor, full professor of practice, or full research professor, the review shall be conducted by all full professors, full professors of practice, or full research professors. 
   4. Faculty members seeking promotion or tenure should discuss the matter with the dean and associate dean for research and faculty affairs no later than then end of February of the academic year before they apply. The purpose of this consultation is to make sure the candidate is aware of the procedures and required materials. Also, at this time, candidates and the associate dean shall commence the process of identifying outside reviewers for the candidate’s promotion file. The university requires a minimum of three outside reviews from faculty members at Research 1 universities. For faculty seeking tenure, the reviewers must be tenured and hold the rank of associate professor or higher. For faculty seeking promotion, the reviewers must hold the rank the candidate is seeking or higher. In some instances, additional reviews may be sought from tenured faculty who are not at Research 1 universities. 
   5. Both candidates and the associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall suggest up to six possible reviewers each. At the same time, candidates shall complete the UNL form indicating whether they waive the right to know the identity of the reviewer and the reviewer’s evaluation. The list of potential reviewers shall be submitted to the relevant set of faculty members for review no later than March 31. Candidates also shall review the list of potential reviews. Once the faculty and the candidates have approved the list, the associate dean shall write to potential reviewers asking them to review a candidate’s portfolio. The candidates’ waivers and most recent curricula vitae shall accompany the letters. This process shall begin no later than April 15 and continue until four reviewers have been secured. No additional reviewers shall be sought unless a reviewer either is ineligible to perform the review or fails to complete the review. 
   6. The candidates shall submit their external review files (see §2.b. below) to the associate dean for research and faculty affairs no later than May 15. The external review files shall be forwarded to the external reviewers by June 1 or as soon as the person has agreed to perform the review. The associate dean shall ask the reviewers to submit their reviews, along with their curricula vitae, no later than August 31. 
   7. Candidates shall submit to the associate dean for research and faculty affairs the full tenure and/or promotion file (see §2.a. below) by the end of the Friday before the first day of classes for the fall semester. The file, along with the external reviews, shall be made available to the college faculty who will review the application no later than September 1. The faculty reviewers shall have until September 30 to review the file of each candidate for tenure or promotion. 
   8. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall convene a meeting of the faculty reviewers and charge the faculty with reviewing and voting on the pending applications for tenure and/or promotion. The meeting shall be held no later than October 15. The faculty reviewers shall elect a chair to preside over the meeting and write the letters summarizing the debate and conclusions about each candidate whose application is under consideration, including the vote on both tenure and/or promotion. The letters shall be approved by each faculty member eligible to vote on the application as representative of the discussion and conclusions. If a faculty does not support the content of the letter, they can choose write a letter of dissent. All faculty are required to vote by secret ballot on each application on which they are eligible to vote. If a faculty member is unable to attend the meeting, that person shall vote by proxy. The associate dean shall turn the proxy over to the elected chair of the meeting, who shall include it in the final vote on the candidates. 
   9. The elected chair of the faculty reviewers shall forward the approved letter to the candidate and to the associate dean for research and faculty affairs. If the faculty recommendation is negative and the candidate wishes to appeal, the candidate shall immediately notify the chair of the tenured faculty of the intent to appeal. The candidate shall have two weeks to submit a response and offer any additional information that might be relevant. The faculty reviewers shall meet to consider any objections and new information within two weeks of receiving candidates’ letters. The faculty shall vote again, and the chair shall summarize the discussion and conclusions, including the vote, in a letter. All faculty are required to vote by secret ballot on each application on which they are eligible to vote and to provide comments of support or dissent. If a faculty member is unable to attend the meeting, that person shall vote by proxy. The associate dean shall turn the proxy over to the elected chair of the meeting, who shall include it in the final vote on the candidates. Once the letter has been reviewed and approved by all tenured faculty, it shall be sent to the candidate and the associate dean for research and faculty affairs. 
   10. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall forward the candidate files, including external review letters and the letter from the faculty reviewers, to the dean no later than November 15. The dean shall make an independent review of all the materials and prepare a letter either supporting the application for tenure and promotion to associate professor or opposing it and giving reasons for that conclusion. The dean’s letter shall be sent to the candidate no later than December 15. If the dean’s recommendation is negative and the candidate wishes to appeal, the candidate shall immediately notify the dean of the intent to appeal. The candidate shall have two weeks to submit a letter of appeal to the dean along with any information the candidate considers relevant. The dean shall make an independent review of the appeal and any additional materials and prepare a letter either supporting the candidate’s application or opposing it and giving reasons for that conclusion. The letter shall be sent to the candidate no later than January 15. 
   11. All materials for candidates seeking tenure and promotion to associate professor shall be forwarded to the office of the executive vice chancellor of the university no later than January 31. 
   12. All materials for candidates seeking promotion only shall be forwarded to the office of the executive vice chancellor of the university no later than February 28. 

1. Candidates are required to upload their files to a designated One Drive folder which will be provided to them by the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs. All items must be uploaded by 5 p.m. the Friday before fall semester classes begin
   1. Administrative Section (to be uploaded by the college) 
      1. Appropriate transmittal form
      2. Original letter of offer and any attached MOUs
      3. Annual evaluations
      4. Reappointment letters by the dean
      5. Promotion and tenure evaluations, as applicable, in this order
         1. Internal evaluations
            1. Letter from college or committee
            2. Letter from the dean(s)
         2. External reviews, to be preceded by
            1. Sample letter soliciting evaluation
            2. Candidate’s waiver form
            3. Brief statement of how external reviewers were chosen, a brief justification of why they are positioned to provide a review, their qualifications, and their relationships to candidate
      6. Teaching information
         1. Peer evaluation of teaching (This peer evaluation is a review of the candidate’s teaching based on an examination of syllabuses, student evaluations and peer observations.)
         2. Completed Course Listing and Evaluation Form
   2. Candidate Section (to be prepared and uploaded by candidate) 
      1. Curriculum Vitae (clearly note refereed or juried work; extent of contributions if collaborative work). 
      2. Candidate Statement identifying that portion of the candidate’s work that in the candidate’s judgment represents that person’s most significant work, explains why the candidate thinks this work is significant, and points out what its impact has been or will be. This statement should reference supporting materials in the Appendices, should be at most 15 pages, and should address all areas of the candidate’s apportionment. As a guideline, the proportion of the narrative should approximately match the proportion of the apportionment. For example, a faculty member with apportionment of 40% teaching, 40% research, and 20% service might write a statement with 3-6 pages on teaching, 3- 6 pages on research, and 1-3 pages on service; faculty members should adjust this guideline based on their own apportionment.
         1. Teaching goals, practices, accomplishments, and summary of evidence that documents local and broader impact (must be included if candidate’s apportionment includes teaching)
         2. Research/Creative Activity goals, achievements, significance and impact (must be included if candidate’s apportionment includes research/creative activity) 
         3. Service goals, achievements, significance, impact at the department, college, university, professional and community levels (must be included if candidate’s apportionment includes service) 
         4. Extension goals, achievements, significance and impact (must be included if candidate’s apportionment includes extension)
         5. Administration goals, achievements, significance, and impact (must be included if candidate’s apportionment includes administration)
2. The Appendix
   1. The appendix items should fully support the candidate's case for promotion and tenure, as outlined in the candidate statement. The candidate entirely prepares the appendix.
   2. The appendix can be uploaded in whatever format the candidate believes best demonstrates their accomplishments. However, the appendix should be clearly labeled and include a complete table of contents.
   3. Candidates should include only the following:
      1. Significant and relevant information
      2. The information referred to in the Candidate Section
      3. Information required by the college
   4. Possible examples of supporting evidence in the following areas are listed below.
      1. Quality and Effectiveness of Teaching
         1. Student evaluations
         2. Course portfolio
         3. Number of undergraduate advisees
         4. Curriculum/course development
         5. Student achievement/outcomes
         6. Number of graduate students produced
         7. International activity
         8. SOTL activities (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) 
      2. Quality of scholarly, professional, and creative activity: 
         1. Publications (including electronic)
         2. Performances/exhibitions
         3. Reviews
         4. Citations
         5. International activity
         6. Funded grant proposals
      3. Quality and significance of professional and institutional service activities:
         1. Editorships
         2. Committee service (department, college, university)
         3. Leadership in professional organizations
         4. International activity
         5. Community service related to assignment
      4. Quality and significance of extension activities:
         1. EARS (Extension Accomplishments Reporting System)
         2. Citations
         3. Programming highlights and impacts
         4. Publications
         5. International activity
         6. Funded grant proposals
3. External Review Files
   1. The External Review files should include:
      1. Current College Promotion and Tenure Guidelines
      2. Curriculum Vita
      3. Candidate Statement
      4. Selected evidence of the quality and effectiveness of the candidate’s teaching; scholarly, professional, and creative activity; professional and institutional service; and extension activities, as appropriate to the candidate’s apportionment.

1. The annual review process is intended to assist faculty on continuous appointment (tenured faculty) in achieving professional goals and maximizing contributions to the University throughout their professional careers. In cases where faculty members are performing poorly in one or more areas of their apportionments, a post-tenure review under this policy will be conducted. This post-tenure review will emphasize the pattern of past performance, current interests of the faculty member, and the objectives for future contributions of the faculty member. The review will be based upon the principle of peer review and provide added assurance that faculty on continuous appointment are accountable for their performance. 
2. Please use the latest Post Tenure Review Procedural Guidelines from the University of Nebraska Board of Regents Policies by going to “Guidelines for the Evaluation of Faculty: Annual Evaluations, Promotion, and Tenure.” https://executivevc.unl.edu/faculty/evaluation-recognition/guidelines#post- review
3. For faculty of practice who exhibit poor performance during their contract term, the associate dean for research and faculty affairs and the faculty member shall develop a plan for remediation of the problem. The plan shall include specific steps for the faculty member to take and goals to be accomplished in order to be considered for a contract renewal.

The promotion and tenure guidelines were approved by the faculty on March 11, 2022. 

Promotion and Tenure Guidelines

The university requires that all faculty be evaluated annually. The evaluations are performed by the associate dean for research and faculty affairs during the first two to three months of the calendar year. The focus of these evaluations is the faculty member’s performance over the previous calendar year. If the associate dean for research and faculty affairs does not hold the rank of full professor, the evaluations of full professors will be performed by the dean.

“The annual evaluation provides, on a regular basis, an opportunity to judge the progress of a faculty member's performance during the past year and to develop goals and objectives of achievement for the future; it forms the basis for any annual merit salary raises and other rewards. Cumulatively, the annual evaluations establish a continuous written record of expectations and performance that will encourage professional growth and provide support for promotion, tenure, and other recognition. The annual evaluation process helps develop the best match between the faculty member's expertise and the institutional mission.” [“Guidelines for the Evaluation of Faculty” adopted by the Faculty Senate in 2001]

1. The annual review process is conducted in the context of each faculty member’s apportionment to:
   1. Provide faculty members an opportunity to assess their work for the previous year and make plans for the coming year. For the faculty who are not fully promoted, this opportunity shall include discussion of the progress they are making toward promotion and/or tenure.
   2. Provide an opportunity for the faculty member and administrators to discuss the faculty member’s contributions to the work of the college and to identify possible areas of excellence and areas of continuing development as well as ways to support accomplishing that development.
   3. Support the career development of each faculty member and strengthen the college as a whole.

1. All instructors of college courses should encourage their students to complete the university’s student evaluations of teaching. UNL guidance on student evaluations, however, cautions against using bonus points or other rewards for completion of the evaluations.
2. Instructors should review the evaluations they receive and take into consideration the scores and comments as they plan their courses for the next semester.
3. The college follows the UNL guidance on interpretation of student evaluations, which says, “Student responses represent information that is fundamentally qualitative and should not be used for quantitative analysis. Any quantitative information gathered should be used for peer review and self-reflection.”

1. Purpose and Frequency. Peer observations of teaching are an important tool for improving teaching and evaluating the classroom work of instructors. All faculty members shall have at least one peer observation of their teaching every academic year. The faculty member performing the observation should hold rank equal to or higher than the faculty member whose teaching is being observed. To the extent possible, lecturer-Ts should have a peer observation at least once every academic year. The annual peer observations also will inform the more detailed peer evaluation required for submission when a faculty member seeks tenure or promotion. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs will coordinate peer observations of teaching for all faculty members.
2. Forms for Peer Observations. Faculty members conducting peer observations shall use the forms available on the college website (https://journalism.unl.edu/teaching-observation-program-top).

1. Deadline for faculty to submit materials: third Friday in January.
2. Deadline for scheduling meetings with faculty: fourth Friday in January.
3. Deadline for completing meetings with faculty: second Friday in March.
4. Deadline for sending draft review letters to faculty: last Friday in March.
5. Deadline for responses to draft review letters: second Friday in April .
6. Deadline for final review letters to faculty last Friday in April.
7. Deadline for responses to review letters: 14 days after receipt of final letter.
8. It is expected that all faculty and administrators will meet the stated deadlines. Failure to meet the stated deadlines may be a consideration in the evaluation of performance for both faculty and administrators.

1. Annual evaluation materials provide faculty an opportunity to communicate of their accomplishments during the previous calendar year. For the annual evaluation faculty will submit a report of activities from digital measures, an updated curriculum vitae, teaching evaluations, peer observation of teaching forms and a narrative addressing achievements in each area of their apportionment.
   1. Digital Measures
      1. Faculty shall enter into Digital Measures (https://journalism.unl.edu/digital-measuresfaculty-insights) information about their research and creative activity, including publications, grants, awards, service, and other relevant matters. Information about courses taught and enrollments is automatically entered into Digital Measures. After faculty members have entered their materials for the calendar year, they shall have the program prepare a report for inclusion in the annual review materials.
      2. Updated Curriculum Vita
         1. Each faculty member shall submit a current curriculum vita that includes all publications, grants, awards, and other accomplishments throughout their career.
      3. Other Materials
         1. Teaching
            1. The teaching component of the annual review materials should consist of the following:
               1. Student evaluations for all classes taught.
               2. Peer observation reports for the previous calendar year.
               3. A self-reflection in which faculty members, drawing upon student evaluations, peer observations and their experience, evaluate the previous year’s teaching and discuss possible adjustments to improve for the coming year.
            2. Self-Reflection Statements on Other Components
               1. Faculty members should submit a reflection statement on each component of their apportionments: research and creative activity, service, administration, and extension. The reflection statements should describe what the faculty members accomplished during the previous calendar year, what obstacles they encountered, how they dealt with them, and what they have planned for the coming year. In reviewing these materials, emphasis will be placed on what was accomplished in light of unexpected opportunities and obstacles faculty members encountered and how they dealt with them.

1. The university requires reviews for all personnel on an annual basis. For faculty on tenure track and faculty who have not been fully promoted, the university imposes additional review requirements.
2. Probationary (Tenure-Track) Faculty
   1. UNL’s “Guidelines for the Evaluation of Faculty: Annual Evaluations, Promotion and Tenure” identify several mandatory procedures for evaluations. Two of these mandatory procedures pertain to tenure-track faculty:
      1. In the case of probationary faculty, the supervising administrator must consult annually with the appropriate group of tenured faculty to discuss the performance of the faculty member being evaluated.
      2. The written evaluation of probationary faculty should clearly indicate any serious concern the evaluating administrator or faculty has regarding the faculty member's performance. Faculty members should be apprised, through the annual evaluations of performance, of deficiencies in time for them to take corrective action. The review will make recommendations for improvement and professional development which will enhance the probationary faculty member's chances of eventually achieving tenure.
   2. For the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, the “appropriate group of tenured faculty” shall be all tenured members of the faculty. Annual review materials submitted by tenure-track faculty shall be made available to the tenured faculty for review. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall convene a meeting of the tenured faculty no later than March 1. The tenured faculty shall elect a chair who shall preside over the meeting and draft a letter summarizing the tenured faculty’s evaluations of each tenure-track faculty member, noting any deficiencies and making recommendations for improvement and professional development to enhance each member’s chances of achieving tenure. Those recommendations shall be forwarded to the associate dean for research and faculty affairs for inclusion in the faculty member’s annual review letter from the dean.
3. Not-Fully-Promoted Faculty
   1. This provision applies to all assistant professors of practice, associate professors of practice, assistant research professors, associate research professors, and tenured associate professors. For these faculty members, the university requires reviews by promoted faculty once every three years. The purpose of the three-year reviews is to help faculty who are not fully promoted prepare for promotion. The relevant provision from the UNL Guidelines states:
      1. In the case of not fully promoted faculty, either tenured or non-tenured, the supervising administrator will meet periodically, but at least once every three years, with the appropriate group of faculty to discuss the performance of the faculty member being evaluated. If the appropriate faculty group votes on a recommendation on the faculty member's status, that vote may be a secret ballot.
   2. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall establish a schedule for the three-year reviews of faculty who are not fully promoted based on the date when the faculty member was hired. For assistant professors of practice, the “appropriate group of faculty” shall be all faculty holding the rank of associate professor, associate professor of practice, associate research professor, full professor, full professor of practice, or full research professor. For all associate professors, either tenured or of practice, the “appropriate group of faculty” shall be all full professors, full professors of practice, or full research professors. The three-year review is a cumulative review of achievements during the review period and shall follow the same calendar as the tenure and promotion process in the college. The faculty member undergoing review shall submit at least the annual review materials for the most recent three years. These materials shall be made available to the relevant sets of promoted faculty members for review. The associate dean for research and faculty affairs shall convene meetings of the relevant sets of faculty members no later than October 15. The faculty members shall elect chairs who shall preside over the meeting and draft a letter summarizing the faculty’s evaluations of each faculty member who is not fully promoted, noting any deficiencies and making recommendations for improvement and professional development to enhance each member’s chances of securing promotion to the next higher rank. Those recommendations shall be delivered in a letter to the candidate, following the same procedure as the tenure and/or promotion process.
   3. Faculty who complete a midterm review in the fall of an academic year will have reduced documentation requirements for their annual review materials in the spring, unless directed specifically by the dean or associate dean of research and faculty affairs.

1. All administrators in the college shall be evaluated by the dean on an annual basis. In addition, administrators shall receive cumulative reviews, usually every five years, in accordance with the procedures described in §2.3.2.1 of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bylaws.
2. All faculty members shall have an opportunity every year to submit anonymous feedback on college administrators. The comments on appointed administrators in the college, as defined in the bylaws, shall be submitted to the dean and taken into consideration in performing the annual reviews of the administrators.
3. Comments on the dean shall be collected and submitted to the executive vice chancellor.

1. The associate dean for academic programs shall be responsible for reviewing and meeting with lecturer-Ts who taught during the previous calendar year. In carrying out these reviews and meetings, the associate dean may have assistance from course coordinators who are supervising multiple sections of the same course.
2. The associate dean for academic programs shall submit to the associate dean for research and faculty affairs summaries of their evaluations of the work of the lecturer-Ts. These summaries shall be incorporated in annual review letters that will be signed by the associate dean for research and faculty affairs and the associate dean for academic programs and sent to the individual lecturer-Ts for signatures.

1. The annual review letters for all faculty members shall state whether or not the faculty member is eligible for a merit increase.
2. Faculty members who complete their mid-term review in the fall of the academic year will receive an annual review letter based on the reduced documentation requirements and on the mid-term review.
3. Decisions about annual merit increases for faculty are made by the dean in consultation with the associate dean for research and faculty affairs after consideration of a number of variables including the availability of funds and the equity of salaries. The evaluation of performance will be a factor in merit increase decisions.
4. The annual review letters also shall include any adjustments to the apportionments of faculty members as agreed to by the faculty and the dean.
5. Review letters for faculty of practice shall include the dates of expiration for the faculty member’s current contract. The letter shall also include the contract durations for which faculty members of practice are eligible at their current rank. For assistant professors of practice, contracts may have terms of one to three years; for associate professors of practice, contracts may last from one to four years; and for full professors of practice, contracts may run from one to five years. The faculty member and the dean may discuss the faculty member’s expectations for contract renewal, the duration of the next contract and the criteria for calculating the duration.

The policy on annual evaluation was approved by the faculty on March 23, 2023. 

Annual Evaluation

1. It is important that our faculty be highly successful in contributing to the work of the College. This means that we must be strategic in our selection of persons to join our faculty and then provide them the needed support to develop their competencies further. Faculty development is essential at all stages of a faculty member’s career. Thus we expect that all will be involved in activities such as continuing study, internships, being active researchers, engaging in collaborative activities, and developing new skills.
2. Mentoring is important at all stages in one’s professional career but is especially important during one’s early years on the faculty. Thus we will conduct a formal mentoring plan for our faculty in their first five years with us. All full time faculty members are expected to contribute to the operation of the College through participation in committees, faculty meetings, special events, voting,and other activities.

1. Teaching loads will be assigned as: 

1. All tenure line faculty (tenured and working on tenure) will have an apportionment of at least .30 assigned to research and creative activities. Annual evaluations will include attention to scholarly producti vity and all tenure line faculty will be expected to have active scholarly agendas. Scholarly productivity can be expressed in a number of ways (research leading to juried publications or presentations, creative activities which are juried in some fashion, technical reports and documentaries which receive notice, citations, etc.).
2. Ongoing scholarly productivity will be a requirement for being granted tenure, for promotion to full professor, and for merit salary increases for those on tenure lines. Faculty seeking tenure will have established a record that supports a prediction that their scholarly work will become nationally recognized at some point in their careers; faculty seeking promotion to full professor will have gained national recognition for their scholarly work. See the College document “Guidelines for the Evaluation of Faculty” for more detailed information.

1. Professors of Practice will carry at least a .80 apportionment assigned to teaching unless other arrangements have been established. Professors of Practice may have scholarly agendas in addition to their work as teachers and will be encouraged to do so to continue to develop in their content fields, but their primary responsibility to the College is teaching. Professors of Practice may be appointed for multiple year contracts with the length depending on their rank (assistant 1-­‐3 years; associate 1-­‐4; full 1-­‐5). Length of appointment will be determined by College needs.

1. Research professors will carry at least a .80 apportionment assigned to research. (Note: The College currently has no research professors and may be unlikely to appoint anyone to this category unless such appointment is funded by a grant.)

1. Lecturers and Senior Lecturers will carry a teaching apportionment of .90. (Note: The university will not make any more senior lecturer appointments.) In the future the College may be best served by using this appointment category only for part-­‐time faculty.

1. The contributions of each of the above groups of faculty are essential to the success of the College. Faculty in the four groups will differ in assignment but not in importance to the College. Obviously the College needs to be attentive to the balance among these different types of appointments (e.g., adjunct faculty are valuable for the College but if too large a part of our curriculum is taught bythem that would not be good). Each brings important strengths to the College.
2. While in the past faculty have sometimes been moved from one of the above categories to another this will no longer be done after this policy document is adopted by the College faculty unless exceptional circumstances exist. Therewill be a grace period of two months following adoption of this document until the next annual review period for faculty to have the opportunity to request a change in category.
3. Full-­‐time faculty will be hired only through the normal external search process, involving advertising positions, search committees, and appropriate approvals,etc. Occasionally the college may be faced with the unique opportunity to hire an exceptional professional when the normal external search process would not be appropriate. When such an opportunity exists a waiver from the normal external search process will be requested and if approved the candidate will be brought to campus for meetings with faculty prior to offering a position in theCollege. The faculty will be afforded appropriate feedback in the process.
4. Faculty on tenure lines will not be promoted to the rank of associate professor until tenure is received. The only exceptions to this will be faculty who are hired from equivalent universities who have achieved associate or full professor status there or if a person has had a particularly long and distinguished career in the industry.
5. The annual review process is essential to the development of faculty and the success of the College. Through this process faculty members have the opportunity to engage in self-­‐assessment and goal setting, to receive helpful feedback, and to shape their assignment/apportionment for the upcoming year jointly with the dean and/or sequence head. The assumption is that we all need to continue to develop as professionals and therefore the contributions that we will make to the College may change at different stages of our careers
6. What constitutes scholarly work that has been juried? This means that people qualified to judge some kind of performance or product have judged it to beworthy of broad notice and national attention. Examples may include, but are not limited to, refereed publications and presentations, books that are selected for publication, winning entries in competitions, documentaries that are selected to be broadcast to established publics, products developed by invitation from scholarly or industrial organizations, products for which people are willing to pay, works that are frequently cited, and works that are presented in or published by media with wide reader or viewership. The nature of our discipline is such that scholarly works of importance will become available to the public to advance thinking and activity in a variety of media. The goal of our scholarly work is to advance the fields in which we work.
7. Professsorships are supported by Foundation funds and are generally awarded for a five-­‐year period. They are renewable with appropriate performance. They are awarded in recognized of specialized expertise (often times the area is specified by the donor) and excellence as a scholar. In most cases they will be awarded only to persons who have achieved the rank of full professor although there will be exceptions to this. The dean will seek the advice of the Promotion & Tenure Committee in awarding and renewing professorships.
8. Service contributions within and beyond the College that require significant amounts of one’s time can be recognized through the assignment apportionmentprocess
9. While there may be some value in assigning “points” or apportionment percentages for each activity in which a faculty member engages (as well as possibly different values for different courses that are taught) this idea quickly becomes unworkable and obscures that one’s total load is the important factor and that each of us makes our own individual choices about how we use our professional time to a considerable degree.
10. Approval of these policies by the faculty of the College will obviously have implications for our promotion and tenure expectations which will need to be spelled out in our promotion and tenure document. For example, that document needs to spell out the expectations for teaching for all faculty since teaching is our primary mission and the criteria/standards for promotion for faculty in each group.

Approved by the College faculty November 30, 2012

Apportionment Guidelines

1. Proposals for changing the undergraduate curriculum may start with
   1. An individual faculty member
   2. A group of faculty members
   3. The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
   4. An administrator
2. A proposal could suggest creating a new course, changing an existing course, abolishing an existing course, changing the graduation requirements for a major, or changing the graduation requirements for all students in the college.
3. Proposals shall be submitted to the associate dean for academic programs. If the proposal consists of the creation of a new course, it must include a statement of the purpose of the course and a tentative syllabus for the course. If the proposal calls for the elimination of a course or the modification of the requirements for a major, it must describe the purpose of and justification for the elimination or modification.
4. Where the proposal is for a course in a specific major, the associate dean for academic programs shall submit the proposal to the faculty who teach in that major to discuss and vote on the proposal. If the faculty who teach in that major approve the proposal it shall be submitted to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. If the committee approves the proposal, it shall be submitted to the full faculty of the college. If the full faculty approves the proposal, it shall be submitted to the University Curriculum Committee for final action.
5. Where the proposal affects requirements for all students in the college or is for a course that would be required for or open to all majors or offered by the college to students who are not majors in this college, it shall be submitted directly to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. If the committee approves the proposal, it shall be submitted to the full faculty. If approved by the full faculty, it shall be submitted to the University Curriculum Committee for final action

1. Proposals for changing the graduate curriculum may start with
   1. An individual faculty member
   2. A group of faculty members
   3. The Graduate Program Committee
   4. An administrator
2. A proposal may suggest creating a new course, changing an existing course, abolishing an existing course, changing the graduation requirements, or creating or changing the requirements for a certificate program.
3. Proposals shall be submitted to the associate dean for academic programs. Proposals should include a statement of the reason for the change and, where it involves creating or changing an existing course, a tentative syllabus for the course.
4. The associate dean for academic programs shall submit the proposal to the Graduate Program Committee. If the committee approves the change, it shall be submitted to the full faculty. Proposals to add or change courses are final with faculty approval. If the proposal involves the creation of a certificate program or a degree program, it will require approval from the UNL Academic Planning Committee, the Board of Regents and the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Post-Secondary Education.

The policy was approved by the faculty on March 11, 2022. 

Academic Curriculum Procedures

1. Faculty must prepare a syllabus for each course they teach. The syllabus must include information contained in the syllabus template available on the college website. The syllabus must provide students an accurate description of the course, the assignments, required texts and other materials, and the grading scale and criteria. The syllabus must be posted on Canvas before the start of the academic term. Faculty must send their syllabuses to the administrative associate no later than the first Friday after the start of the term.

1. Students who take classes with multiple sections taught by different instructors should have substantially similar experiences and preparation. Such classes should use a single syllabus with adjustments for only such matters as class dates and times. All faculty teaching a section of a class with multiple sections must follow the standard syllabus for that class. All must use the same textbook, have similar assignments and expectations, and use the same communication channel, if one is specified for that class. Because many of the classes with multiple sections are foundational ones that prepare students for later courses, a high degree of uniformity in the class is essential so that all students will be well prepared for more advanced studies.

1. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln uses Canvas as its learning management system. Faculty members shall use the system for posting course documents, communicating with students, recording grades, and other class functions. They can learn about the system through the online tutorial available through the college website. Those who are teaching a course with multiple sections should follow the policies for using Canvas set forth in the standard syllabus.

1. Every class that meets in person has a scheduled time and place to meet. The university prohibits moving such a class to a different time because students sign up for multiple courses and changing times may upset their schedules. Also, many students work or have outside activities that prevent them from meeting at times other than the scheduled times. Classrooms may be changed, but only with the approval of the associate dean for academic programs and the college staff person in charge of scheduling rooms. If a room change involves one of the general-purpose classrooms in Andersen Hall (Rooms 15 or 109), approval from the Office of the Registrar is necessary.
2. If a faculty member expects to miss a class, the faculty member should arrange for another faculty member to conduct the class or identify other means for delivering instructional materials. If a faculty member is unable to meet with a class because of illness, accident or some other unforeseen circumstance, the faculty member should notify the associate dean for research and faculty affairs by phone and email as promptly as possible and notify the students in the class by email or other communication channel the students use in connection with the class. If a faculty member is going to be gone for reasons such as a professional conference, faculty must also complete the memorandum of absence. 

1. If students are required to use specific equipment or software in order to complete their course assignments, the instructor must be sufficiently competent in the use of the equipment or software to be able to adequately instruct and supervise the students.

1. Section 5.3 of the Board of Regents Bylaws requires that all students receive an evaluation of their performance during the course of the semester, if requested. All students must receive either a final grade or an incomplete at the end of the semester. Unless course requirements specify otherwise, all students majoring in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications must receive a letter grade for courses in any major in the college. The grade a student receives should reflect the instructor’s honest evaluation of a student’s work.
2. To provide early feedback to students and improve retention efforts, instructors should assign and provide a grade and feedback on the first assignment within the first two weeks of the semester. Instructors should ensure all grades are posted and current at midterm.
3. For students expecting to graduate at the end of the semester, instructors must submit degree grades in advance of the final grade. The degree grade given should indicate the lowest possible grade that student might receive at the end of the semester.

1. Instructors may give the grade Incomplete or "I" only when a student is unable to complete a course due to illness, military service, hardship, or death in the immediate family. Incompletes will be only given if the student has already substantially completed the major requirements of the course. A contract for how and when the students will complete the course requirements must be approved by the student and the instructor.

1. Regents Bylaw 5.3 specifies that students have the right to appeal grades they consider the product of caprice or prejudice on the part of the instructor. The provision requires the college to have a process for resolving disputes about grades.
2. Students first should talk to the instructor to seek a mutual understanding about the grade. If they are unable to agree, students may appeal the grade to the associate dean for academic programs. The associate dean may ask the instructor for information about the course, the grading policies, and how the appealing student’s grade was determined. The associate dean also may request information about the distribution of grades for other students in the class. Such information should be anonymized. The associate dean also may ask the student to explain the basis for believing the grade is the product of caprice or prejudice on the part of the instructor. Based on the evidence presented by the student and the instructor, the associate dean shall render a judgment. If the judgment is that the preponderance of the evidence shows the grade was the product of caprice or prejudice, the associate dean shall ask the instructor to change the grade.
3. Either the student or the instructor may appeal an adverse decision by the associate dean for academic programs to the Executive Committee. The evidence the student and the instructor presented to the associate dean shall be forwarded to the committee. The committee may request additional information from either or both parties. The committee, at its discretion, may schedule a hearing at which the student and the instructor may present evidence and answer questions. The burden of proof in such disputes is on the student to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the grade was the product of caprice or prejudice on the part of the instructor. The decision of the committee shall be by majority vote. If the decision is that the grade was the product of caprice or prejudice by the instructor, it may order the grade to be changed. If the instructor refuses to change the grade, the associate dean shall administer the grade change.

1. Faculty shall post on Canvas, in their syllabuses and outside their offices, the hours during which students may expect them to be available for conferences. In the alternative, faculty may ask students to schedule appointments for conferences. In either case, faculty shall make reasonable efforts to accommodate all students who need advice or assistance.

The following policy is intended to provide clarity about required measures related to instructor absences and changes in mode of instruction. Informing units of absences and plans for coverage or makeup of missed instructional duties is a professional responsibility and an expectation of the college. The College of Journalism & Mass Communications requires that instructors inform college administration (e.g., the associate deans) via a complete Memorandum of Absence form when they are unable to be present in their classes due to approved planned absences. Unplanned absences related to illness or emergencies are discussed separately below.

1. Planning ahead for absences:
   1. As described in the campus Instructional Continuity Guidelines, “ all instructors should include a statement on their syllabus that explains the mode of communication they will use (e.g., @huskers.unl.edu email or Canvas) if in-person classes are canceled and the campus follows instructional continuity plans.” Instructors are also encouraged to use this section to discuss the mode of communication to be followed in the event of unplanned absences related to illness or personal events.
2. Planned absences for university business, nonroutine medical appointments and procedures, and religious observances requiring absence from the workplace.
   1. Instructors must provide advance notice, using the Memorandum of Absence described above, for a planned absence of an academic working day or more, or any absence which will result in missing a scheduled teaching assignment. Memoranda must be filed for any class that will be missed. Ideally, any absence will be planned and written into the syllabus at the beginning of the term. 
   2. All planned absences during academic working days must be approved in advance by the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs at least 10 business days prior to the absence, unless under unusual circumstances.
   3. It is the expectation that courses approved for in-person delivery mode will not employ more than one week’s worth of classes in an alternative format (e.g., three times for a class that meets MWF, two times for TR classes, once for classes that meet once a week) during the Fall or Spring 15-week semesters, unless the class includes a hybrid format in the course listing. Exceptions are possible, but only after discussion with the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs.
   4. Arrange ahead of time for coverage of your courses. Notify students via announcements and syllabus/calendar postings within the learning management system.
   5. Some possibilities when you cannot teach in person:
      1. Ask a colleague, or if appropriate and with due consideration for student workload and teaching experience, an advanced graduate student, to cover your course. Please note that employing non-instructional staff members as alternative options for classroom management is not appropriate.
      2. Provide digital versions of course material (video/audio lecture or materials or other course content or feedback on work).
      3. Invite a career coach or other student support unit to deliver a workshop appropriate to the course and students enrolled.
      4. Offer the class at the scheduled time via web conferencing.
      5. Final exams should be offered at the time designated by the Registrar; see the Registrar’s Final Exam page for current policies regarding final exams.
3. Unplanned absences for emergencies. The goal is to ensure students remain on track in terms of meeting learning outcomes.
   1. As soon as possible, notify students via communication through the learning management system; reach out to the college administration (dean, associate deans) for assistance if needed.
   2. Notify CoJMC administrators (dean, associate deans) by e-mail or phone message as soon as possible; file the Memorandum of Absence form as soon as feasible.
   3. Faculty are expected to make up the missed contact hour(s) or provide the missed course material. Some possibilities are:
   4. Provide digital versions of course material (video/audio lecture or materials or other course content or feedback on work).
   5. Ask other faculty to help cover lectures or course content.
   6. Provide specific plans for each course as soon as possible via the Memorandum of Absence form.

1. Compliance
   1. All overloads must comply with the University of Nebraska Overload Policy. 
2. Pop-up Courses
   1. Regardless of rank or position, all faculty are paid a flat fee of $1,200 per credit hour for pop-up courses. All full-time faculty are paid on overload. Pop-up courses are not counted in load for faculty. 
3. Summer Sessions
   1. All faculty are paid 2.8% of base salary per credit hour, up to a maximum of $8,000 for a 3-credit-hour summer instruction course. 
4. Academic Year Overload
   1. It is expected that academic year overloads will be rare and only utilized when all other instruction options have been exhausted. Faculty teaching an academic year overload will be paid 4.16% of base salary per credit hour. 

1. Purpose
   1. The College of Journalism and Mass Communications places the highest value on offering our students excellent experiential opportunities. Recognizing that some opportunities require students to meet expectations beyond preliminary coursework, we establish these guidelines to direct the use of applications as a requirement for entrance into CoJMC courses.
   2. Any student who meets listed pre-requisites is eligible to enroll in any course in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications unless entrance requires an application that complies with these guidelines.
2. Principles 
   1. Fairness in our treatment of students 
   2. Transparency in our process and requirements 
   3. Accountability in our decision making 
   4. Excellence in our course offerings and student experiences
3. Criteria and Requirements
   1. Faculty wishing to use an application process for acceptance into a course must:
      1. Develop minimum criteria that applicants must meet for consideration and acceptance into the courses
      2. Develop criteria that will be used to evaluate prior work or a portfolio submitted as part of the application process
      3. Develop an application procedure that is user-friendly and accessible to students
      4. Establish a timeline for the acceptance of applications
      5. Follow the standard curriculum process for a new course or changes to an existing course to be by application only
4. Promotions
   1. The opportunity to apply, criteria for consideration, application procedures and deadlines must be promoted to all CoJMC students through Today@CoJMC or a similar mechanism at least 3 weeks before the decisions are made about admits
5. Evaluation
   1. All applications received on or before the publicized deadline must be evaluated
   2. All evaluations should be based upon the application materials received
   3. No fewer than three full-time or part-time CoJMC faculty should evaluate the applications. The instructor of record should solicit faculty included in the evaluation process for the course.
   4. Undergraduate students may not participate in the review of applications from other undergraduate students.
   5. Graduate students may participate in the review of undergraduate students' applications as long as they are not enrolled in the same course during the same semester. Graduate students may not participate in the review of other graduate students.
6. Communications
   1. All applicants should be notified about the outcome of the evaluation
   2. Students selected for participation should register for the course as soon as possible
   3. Courses will not be held on the books if they fail to meet the minimum registration by the stated deadlines, even if additional students have been accepted.
7. Limitations
   1. The completion of prior courses as an entrance requirement should be added as a prerequisite through the established CoJMC curriculum process and not included as part of the application process

The academic program policies were approved by the faculty on March 11, 2022, except for the faculty class attendance policy, which was approved on April 12, 2024, and the course applications policy, which was approved on October 5, 2018.

Academic Program Policies

1. Program Description
   1. Internal funds are available from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications to support research, scholarship and creative activities through biannual competitions.
   2. These funds will provide seed money for projects that will enhance the grantee’s ability to obtain external funding to support prominent scholarly work or creative activity. Priority will be given to eligible faculty who propose projects of high promise and who make a compelling case that this funding is critical to their success. The College of Journalism and Mass Communications will award these grants based upon the merits of the project and the availability of funds. All full-time faculty (professors, lecturers, and professors of practice), regardless of rank, are eligible to apply for a seed grant.
2. Program Objective
   1. The seed grant program is designed to enable faculty to begin or extend projects that are likely to:
      1. Lead to peer-reviewed publication
      2. Lead to national or international presentation or exhibition
      3. Lead to measurable enhanced student learning outcomes or curriculum innovation
      4. Lead to grant funding or in-kind support from outside CoJMC
3. Limitations
   1. Funding is limited. Applications are limited to a maximum request of $5,000. However, applications less than $2,000 are more likely to be funded. Projects that are well thought out, reasonable in their size and scope, provide a detailed budget, provide a detailed plan to pursue external funding, and are likely to result in peer-reviewed publications or national/international presentations or exhibitions or enhanced curricular innovation are more likely to be supported.
   2. Funds will be awarded based on the deadlines below. Faculty members are limited to two applications per academic year and faculty may not apply for a second seed grant, while still having unspent funds from a prior seed grant. Awards will be limited by available funding and applications may not be funded or may only be partially funded. Not all applications will be funded. Funds will not be awarded for work already completed.
4. Allowable and Unallowable Costs
   1. All projects must comply with all University of Nebraska-Lincoln research policies, including policies related to human and animal subjects. Questions related to UNL’s research policies should be directed to the Office of Research Responsibility.
   2. The College of Journalism and Mass Communications will abide by all UNL purchasing and expenditure policies. All purchases must be pre-approved according to the established college process.
   3. Funds cannot be used to support, replace or supplement faculty salaries or faculty course buyouts.
5. Award Criteria
   1. The following will be considered when making funding selections:
      1. Significance of the project or program proposed
      2. Relationship of the project to the college’s strategic priorities
      3. Number of awards or other college allocations previously received by the applicant, including prior seed grants
      4. Expected and measurable outcomes of peer-reviewed publication, national or international presentation or exhibition, enhanced student learning, or curriculum innovation
      5. Complete justification of all expenses
      6. Other sources of funding 
   2. Preference will be given to:
      1. Applications that have a detailed plan to pursue external funding
      2. Applicants who do not have other college funding allocations, including endowed professorships
6. Application Process
   1. Funding Proposals should include:
      1. 250-word abstract
      2. Proposal Document: (3 page maximum). Please include sufficient detail to convince reviewers of the projects scholarly merit and relevance
         1. Introduction
         2. Clear Project Aim (research question or planned outcome)
         3. Situate the project in existing literature (significance of project)
         4. Short term-objectives and description of how the project fits into the applicant’s long- term plan for scholarship, pedagogy or promotion
         5. Explanation of how the project fits with the applicant’s previous/other research.
      3. Proposal Plan:
         1. Describe data/information sources, method of analysis, and expectations regarding outcomes.
         2. Clearly identify specific activities to be conducted, and how these activities will enhance the applicant’s future research and scholarship.
         3. Describe what the funds will accomplish that cannot be achieved through other means.
      4. Timeline: What is the timeline for project?
      5. Identify potential external funding opportunities (program and funding agency), submission deadlines and submission timeline, if applicable.
      6. List of Key Personnel: Include a 250-word biographical summary for all faculty not in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
      7. Current & Pending Support: List all funded and pending internal (university) or external grants for PI, including title, award amount, funding period and fund agency. Include a summary of all previous funding from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications in the last five years.
      8. Include a budget (1 page maximum) and budget justification (1 page maximum).
      9. Include a current copy of the applicant’s CV/resume
7. Awards
   1. The college’s executive committee will consider applications. Those applications that are funded will receive a cost object for their project or program. All expenses associated with the project should be charged to the given cost object. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure expended funds do not exceed the awarded amount.
8. Report
   1. Applicants who receive funding are required to submit a report (1 page maximum ) and deliver a public presentation on the results or status of their project within 90 days of the funding end date. The report should detail how well the project met the stated goals and objects.

1. The Research and Extramural Funding Awards program is designed to use salary release dollars from extramural grants to reward and encourage extramural funding procurement and publication of research results. In addition to advancing the industries we serve and our mission as a Carnegie Research 1 institution, extramural funding provides revenue to support facilities and administration. The Research and Extramural Funding Awards program is being established to encourage activities that will increase this source of revenue by incentivizing grant procurement, research publications, and new grant proposals.
2. CoJMC provides three distinct mechanisms for rewarding faculty under the auspices of the Research and Extramural Funding Awards program.
   1. First, 2.5% of the faculty salary funds (2.5% of the salary release dollars contributed by each investigator) bought out with external grants or contracts will be spent by the College to fund internal grants to support research and creative activity.
   2. Second, 50% of the remaining funds available (i.e., 5% of the salary release dollars contributed by each investigator) will be returned to investigators who secured those funds as non-recurring salary for the hard work done and for the prestige and resources brought to the College.
   3. Third, 50% of the remaining funds available will be allocated to reward activities that increase research program prestige and productivity.
3. The College allocates this third set of funds as follows:
   1. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the remaining funds will be allocated to faculty who receive acceptance either of first-authored articles in top-tier research journals in journalism or communication (not teaching journals) or original scholarly books (not textbooks or the compilation of others’ work in edited books). A scholarly book of original journalism or communication research will be considered the equivalent of three journal articles. This total pool of funds will be divided by the number of such acceptances by all faculty in the college in the period January 1 of the preceding academic year to December 31 of the current academic year (the award year). (For example, if there were a total of seven such acceptances for research journal articles and one scholarly book in the College during this period and the available funds were $2,000, then each first author of a research journal article accepted would receive $200 and the first author of the book would receive $600). Each faculty member will receive a non-recurring increase in their salary of that amount for each acceptance. The maximum amount awarded per acceptance, however, no matter the total funds available, will be $1,000 for a journal article or $2,000 for a scholarly book.
   2. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the remaining funds will be allocated to faculty who submit a new grant proposal or competitive renewal proposal as a principal investigator (with a minimum of $50K in direct costs from an extramural source) for the first submission, between January 1 and December 31. As in item 1 above, this pool will be divided by the number of such submissions, and each faculty member will receive a non-recurring salary increase of that amount for each submitted proposal. The maximum amount awarded per submission, however, no matter the total available funds in this category, will be $1,000.
   3. List of research journals for publication awards:
      1. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly
      2. Journalism and Communication Monographs
      3. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media
      4. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
      5. Communication Methods and Measures
      6. Journal of Communication Inquiry
      7. International Communication Research
      8. Journal Communication Law and Policy
      9. Mass Communication and Society
      10. Journal of Media Ethics Communication, Culture & Critique
      11. Communication Monographs
      12. Communication Research
      13. Communication Theory
      14. Journal of Communication
      15. Annals of the Association (Communication Yearbook) Journalism
      16. Journalism Studies
      17. Journalism History C
      18. ommunity Journalism
      19. Digital Journalism
      20. Electronic News
      21. Newspaper Research Journal
      22. Visual Communication Quarterly
      23. New Media and Society
      24. Social Media and Society
      25. Human Communication Research
      26. Journal of Applied Communication Research
      27. Health Communication
      28. Journal of Health Communication
      29. Journal of Advertising
      30. International Journal of Advertising
      31. Journal of Advertising Research
      32. Public Relations Review
      33. Journal of Public Relations Research
      34. Management Communication Quarterly
      35. Journal of Sports Media
      36. Communication and Sport
      37. International Journal of Sport Communication
      38. Plus any journal with an impact factor of 2 or above. 

1. Course Buyout
   1. The College of Journalism and Mass Communications will allow faculty members to buyout one class per year provided she/he meets the necessary criteria.
   2. The primary concern that must be addressed when a faculty member applies for teaching buyout is the need to maintain a high-quality educational program at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. It is also important that teaching buyouts be consistent with college policies and that guidelines for granting buyout be consistently applied across the college. Further, the process should be transparent in that the faculty members utilizing a buyout and the rate of each buyout are disclosed to the entire college.
2. Criteria for Consideration
   1. Buyouts are intended to provide release time for faculty with research commitments and external funding. The extent of a faculty member’s research commitment and external funding will be considered when buyout requests are evaluated
   2. Buyouts are intended to benefit the College by enhancing research productivity without adversely affecting teaching.
   3. The cost of a buyout of a single course will be 12.5% of a faculty member’s academic year salary.
   4. If the cost of hiring an adjunct to teach the affected course is greater than 12.5% of the faculty member’s academic year salary, the Dean may request a higher buyout amount.
   5. Adjuncts must be capable of providing a high quality of instruction. The Associate Dean will seek input from faculty within the affected program regarding the best available instructor, including individuals outside of those nominated in the request for a buyout. The final decision regarding selection of a lecturer will rest with the Dean. The decision will be based upon the Dean’s evaluation of which of the possible candidates will provide the best educational program for the students. It is important to note that faculty buyout is a privilege that may not be available due to a shortage of qualified lecturers.
3. Process to Request a Buyout
   1. CoJMC Faculty interested in a course buyout must formally request the buyout in writing. The request must be submitted 90 days before the beginning of a semester to the appropriate associate dean in order to allow maximum flexibility in determining the appropriateness of the request and adjusting teaching assignments to maintain educational quality. If the associate dean approves of the request, they will forward to the dean for final approval. The written request for buyout must include the following information:
   2. The number and name of the course(s) to be bought out.
   3. An explanation of the purpose of the buyout that identifies faculty member’s intended use of the additional time and how the buyout will benefit the college.
   4. Identification of the source of the buyout funds.
   5. The significance of the faculty member’s research and external funding during the semester for which the buyout is requested.
   6. Identification of possible adjuncts that can teach the class. The candidate’s resume and a summary of his/her teaching and professional experience should also be provided. Finally, the candidate’s relationship to the faculty proposing the buyout should be clearly explained, including potential conflicts of interest.
4. Other limitations on faculty buyout include:
   1. Even when someone buys out of a class during the year, course buyout is not the equivalent of faculty development leave or a leave of absence. Faculty are expected to continue to work with students, supervise graduate students and fulfill college service requirements.
   2. The Chancellor’s Faculty Residency Policy must continue to be observed. This policy states that faculty members are expected to be present on campus in order to hold office hours, teach, and advise students. (Faculty Residency Policy).
   3. UNL’s policy on outside employment must continue to be observed. This policy requires that any outside employment requiring more than two days a month must be approved by the board of regents. (Outside Activity Policy).
   4. UNL’s travel policy requires faculty to notify the Dean any time they are away from campus during their academic appointment, including both business and personal travel. Faculty must also notify the dean when they are participating in business-related travel at times not during their appointment (i.e. summer). When travel is funded by the university faculty must obtain approval of a memo of absence and a pre-travel authorization in Firefly. When travel is funded through other means or is personal in nature, approval of a memorandum of absence must be obtained. This policy must continue to be observed during all course buyout situations.

1. Eligibility
   1. After six years in rank, faculty members are eligible to apply for a Faculty Development Leave (FDL) to pursue a research project, a pedagogical research project, or professional development opportunity with approval from the CoJMC Executive Committee and Dean: https://executivevc.unl.edu/faculty/evaluation-recognition/development-fellowships
2. Goal
   1. The goal for the leave should be consistent with the faculty member’s apportionment. Faculty with a high apportionment in research (20% or more) should use the FDL for research; faculty with a high apportionment in teaching may use the FDL for pedagogical research or professional development. The first step is to discuss feasibility with the associate dean of research and faculty affairs. If multiple faculty members hope to take FDLs in a specific year or the person who would have covered your course is unavailable, you may have to delay your request for an FDL. It is unlikely that more than one FDL will be granted within the same semester.
3. Timeline
   1. CoJMC starts to plan the teaching schedules one year in advance (e.g., in September or October 2023 for AY2024-25), so it is best to inform the associate dean in early fall if you hope to take an FDL anytime during the following academic year. Thus, please plan to discuss the proposal at least one calendar year prior to your expected leave time. Formal college application deadlines for submitting your FDL proposal to the college are August 31 for the following fall and January 31 for the following spring. Informal discussion with the associate dean and proposal drafts should be held before the formal application process is completed to ensure the best outcomes for success.
4. Apportionment
   1. Within the application, the candidate should list current apportionment and proposed apportionment during the FDL; the apportionment proposed during the FDL will serve as the basis for the annual review that includes the FDL. For tenured faculty, apportionment is typically 100% research during a one-semester FDL; the candidate is released from teaching and service duties at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and may not teach elsewhere for salary.
   2. Apportionment for professors of practice could vary during FDL, but generally will remain 80- 100% teaching, depending up on the project. The assumption is that during FDL faculty are re-leased from all other duties, aside from those in the FDL.
5. Pre-approval Process
   1. Leaves must be pre-approved by the Executive Vice Chancellor (EVC) Office before moving to the President’s Office. The process is as follows:
   2. Discuss the feasibility with the Associate Dean of Research and Faculty Affairs. Draft your proposal and request feedback in advance before the deadline (see dates above. 
   3. Complete the online form and submit a full proposal to the college.
   4. Once application is completed, the proposal will go to the CoJMC Executive Committee for review, generally during the September and February meetings.
   5. If approved at the college level, the full proposal is routed to the EVC Office. Final approval is then provided at the UNL President’s office.
6. Criteria for CoJMC Evaluation
   1.  The CoJMC Executive Committee will evaluate the proposals based on the following criteria:
      1. Quality of FDL Proposal
         1. The quality of the FDL research proposal is the most significant factor in evaluating applications. The proposal should have a clear, logical, well-developed plan for completion or incorporation and be limited to two pages, excluding references and other supporting details. The various categories of proposals that will be considered are provided below.
      2. Research/Creative Activity: Research projects would involve faculty members pursuing scholarly or creative work in their fields. The proposal should highlight how the project is related to the faculty member's prior research and its expected contribution to their professional development. Specific timelines will be required to reflect a full-time commitment to the FDL activities, as will specification of expected outlet(s). For example, a book project could include a book contract or timeline for production and a documentary might include a script outline or production schedule.
      3. Pedagogical: Pedagogical projects would involve activities such as writing a textbook, development of substantive and publishable teaching cases, software, and other related instructional material. It could also involve professional development, such as an immersion in an ADPR agency or newsroom for a term, with the inclusion of a project that could stem from that immersion. The proposal should provide details of the proposed project, its potential for adoption both in the faculty member's classes as well as by other faculty in the academy, the expected contribution to student learning, and the potential market for the output. Specific timelines will be required, as will the specification of expected publication outlet(s). Project examples include a curriculum assessment plan or a new course development.
      4. Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of:
         1. Clarity of the proposal in terms of providing a clear sense of the research questions being addressed, the expected contribution to the field, and its significant role in facilitating the professional development of the faculty member. In the case of pedagogical proposals, a clear, logical link should be established to the faculty member's teaching interests and expected student learning.
         2. Rigor/thoroughness of proposal. The proposals should be rigorous and thorough in terms of providing specifics regarding methodology, measurements or assessment. The outcomes should be sufficiently detailed to allow the merits of the proposal to be evaluated.
         3. Likelihood of completion and publication. The proposals will be evaluated on the likelihood that the faculty member will be able to complete the project within the proposed time frame.
      5. Outcome of Previous FDL Grant (if applicable)
         1. Applications must include a brief report of the outcome of previous FDL grant. Faculty members should provide a brief statement as to how their prior FDL project contributed to the knowledge in their discipline and added value to their professional development as a university professor.
      6. Research and/or teaching productivity during most recent five-year period
         1. Faculty should provide a brief summary of their research or teaching productivity over the past five years in terms of refereed journal articles, books, book chapters, other intellectual contributions and presentations at professional conferences. For professors of practice, this likely will include general teaching experience and instructional accolades. A discussion as to how the current FDL project relates to the faculty member’s expertise should be provided.
7. Reporting Requirements:
   1. Per university requirements, upon return from the FDL leave, a faculty member must submit a written report to the dean of his/her college. Generally, CoJMC would like to have the faculty member present a public seminar on the results of their FDL project open to the faculty and students of the university within the academic year in which the faculty member returns.

1. Travel Funding
   1. The college provides resources to support faculty travel in support of the teaching, research and service missions of the college.
2. Funding Limitations
   1. It is expected that faculty with assigned discretionary funding will utilize that funding to support their travel. This may include start-up funding, professorship funding or other professional development or support funds. If pre-tenure faculty exhaust their start-up funding or other faculty exhaust professional development or support funds, they may apply for funding through the Seacrest travel grant program.
3. Seacrest Grant Program
   1. Qualifying faculty may apply for travel funding through the Seacrest Travel grant program. Qualifying faculty are those who hold a full-time position in the college, include tenured, tenure-track, professors of practice and lecturers, and who are not otherwise limited by the provisions above.
   2. Faculty may apply for Seacrest travel funds by completing the memorandum of absence. Awards will be limited to $1,500 domestically and $2,000 internationally for faculty who are presenting a paper or poster or who are moderating or presenting on a panel at a conference. Documentation of activity is required to receive funding. Awards for other travel related to teaching, research or service will be limited to $1,000 domestically or $1,500 internationally. Funding will be based on the availability of funds. Seacrest grant funds cannot be used to support student travel expenses.

1. Staff Professional Development Policy
   1. The college’s strategic plan underscores the necessity of establishing a culture of life-long learning and professional development and in Aim 7, Strategy 6, the plan specifies establishing an internal grant program to support continuing education and professional development for all employees. The Staff Development Committee has deliberated on this initiative during the 2023-2024 academic year and is pleased to present the proposed structure aimed at providing staff in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications a pathway for submitting requests for funding a personal, professional development experience and a pathway for providing funding for collegewide staff professional development programming. 
   2. Staff Professional Development Funds:  
      1. The college will set aside $10,000 annually to fund staff professional development opportunities.  Below is a breakdown of how the funding dollars would be divided, an outline of the process for staff to request personal funding, and the evaluation process for awarding personal funding requests. 
   3.  Staff Professional Development Funds Breakdown: 
      1. Total allocation of $10,000
      2. $6500 for personal professional development  
      3. $500 available for each staff member (application process) 
      4. $3500 for programming for all staff 
         1. Staff retreat 
         2. Lunch & Learn 
         3. Other programming needs 
   4. Application Process for Personal PD Funds: 
      1. Requesting staff member completes request form.
   5. Evaluation of Request for Personal PD Funds: 
      1. Request for funding is received by the Director of Business & Operations 
      2. Review panel is assembled by Director of Business & Operations and will include: 
         1. Chair - Director Business & Operations Manager 
         2. One member of the Staff Development Subcommittee
         3. Faculty Representative to Staff Council or the Associate Dean for Academic Programs
      3. Materials related to the request are shared with the three-member review panel 
      4. The review panel will use this rubric to evaluate the request 
         1. Directions:   After reviewing the staff member’s request, each committee member will fill out the rubric below to determine the benefit to the college, cost considerations, and career progression of the requested professional development. In addition to marking your score for each factor, please provide a short reason for your ranking for documentation and decision-making purposes.   
         2. The maximum point allocation will be 9 per reviewer. The minimum point allocation will be 3 per reviewer. To be approved, the combined score from the committee (3 members) will need to be at least 15 (subject to change).   
      5. The staff member requesting funding will be notified via email if the funding request was approved or denied. 

The policy on college seed grants was approved on December 8, 2022. The policy on the research awards was approved on March 11, 2022. The policy on course buyouts was approved on October 23, 2015. The policy on faculty development leave was approved on November 4, 2022. The policy on faculty travel funding was approved on May 12, 2022. The Staff Professional Development Policy was approved on Sept. 13, 2024. 

Research, Creative Activity and Professional Development

1. Purpose
   1. At the College of Journalism and Mass Communications (CoJMC), we understand that circumstances may arise where borrowers believe that they have been unfairly charged fines or fees for equipment usage. This policy outlines the procedures for appealing fines or fees incurred during equipment checkout.
2. Eligibility for appeal
   1. Appeals for fines or fees can be submitted by any CoJMC borrower, including CoJMC majors, students enrolled in CoJMC classes, CoJMC faculty, staff and external patrons (other UNL faculty and staff).
3. Grounds for appeal
   1. Borrowers may appeal fines or fees charged for the following reasons
      1. Administrative Error: If there was a mistake in recording the due date, late fees, or any other administrative aspect of the fine or fee.
      2. Exceptional Circumstances: Appeal may be based on unforeseen and exceptional circumstances beyond the borrower’s control that prevented the timely return of equipment. This could include medical emergencies, natural disasters, or other extraordinary events.
      3. Disagreement with Fine Amount: If the borrower believes that the amount of the fine or fee assessed is incorrect or disproportionate to the nature of the violation.
      4. Evidence of Compliance: Providing evidence that the borrower was in compliance with the equipment checkout policy, and therefore, the fine or fee is unwarranted.
      5. Unique Circumstances: Any other unique circumstances or factors that the borrower believes warrant a review and potential waiver or adjustment of the fine or fee.
   2. Borrowers may not appeal fines or fees for the following reasons:
      1. Loss or Theft of Equipment: Borrowers are responsible for the safekeeping of equipment while it is in their care. Loss or theft of equipment is not grounds for appeal. In such cases, borrowers are expected to report the loss or theft immediately.
      2. Damage to Equipment: Damage to the equipment during checkout is not grounds for an appeal. Borrowers are responsible for all costs associated with repair or replacement of damaged equipment.
      3. Failure to Renew Equipment: Borrowers who fail to renew equipment within the specified timeframe or neglect to return equipment by the due date, without an approved renewal or extension, may not appeal fines or fees resulting from overdue equipment.
      4. Lack of Awareness of Policies: Borrowers are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the CoJMC equipment checkout policies and guidelines. Lack of awareness of these policies or failure to read them thoroughly is not a valid reason for appeal.
      5. Inconvenience or Personal Circumstances: Appeals based solely on inconvenience or personal circumstances, such as scheduling conflicts, transportation issues or personal commitments, are not accepted as valid grounds for appeal.
      6. Late Notifications: Assertions of not receiving late notices do not constitute valid grounds for appeal. Late notices are offered as a courtesy, and it remains the responsibility of borrowers to stay informed about equipment due dates.
      7. Disagreement with Policy: Disagreement with the CoJMC equipment checkout policy itself, rather than its specific application, is not considered a valid ground for appeal. Appeals should focus on the specific circumstances surrounding the fine or fee.
      8. Failure to Check Equipment Condition: Borrowers are expected to inspect and report any damage or issues with equipment at the time of checkout. Failure to do so does not constitute grounds for appeal regarding subsequent damage charges.
4. Appeal Submission
   1. To initiate an appeal, borrowers must complete the CoJMC Fines and Fees Appeal Form available on the CoJMC website.
   2. The appeal must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the fine or fee assessment.
   3. Borrowers are required to provide a detailed explanation of the grounds for their appeal and any supporting documentation.
   4. Appeals will be accepted only if they fall within the criteria mentioned grounds of appeal.
5. Review Process
   1. The CoJMC Technology and Infrastructure Committee will be responsible for reviewing all submitted appeals. The CoJMC Checkout Room Manager will not vote on fine or fee appeals.
   2. The committee will aim to resolve appeals within 30 calendar days of submission.
   3. The decision of the CoJMC Technology and Infrastructure Committee is final and cannot be further appealed.
6. Outcomes of Appeals
   1. If the appeal is upheld, the fines or fees in question will be waived or adjusted accordingly, and any charges incurred as a result of the appeal will be reversed.
   2. If the appeal is denied, the original fine or fee will stand, and the borrower will be required to pay the assessed amount.
7. Payment Obligation
   1. Borrowers who have an ongoing appeal must pay the undisputed portion of the fine or fee to maintain borrowing privileges.
   2. Borrowers with unpaid fines or fees may not check out equipment until their account is in good standing.
8. Notification
   1. Borrowers will be notified of the Technology & Infrastructure Committee’s decision via email within 14 calendar days of the decision.
9. Repeated Appeals
   1. Borrowers are permitted to submit one appeal per fine or fee assessed. Subsequent appeals for the same incident will not be considered.
10. Confidentiality
    1. All information provided during the appeals process will be treated with confidentiality and used solely for the purpose of reviewing the appeal.
11. Evaluation of Appeals by the Committee
    1. The evaluation of appeals for fines or fees at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications (CoJMC) is a thoughtful and thorough process. Each appeal is reviewed by the CoJMC Technology and Infrastructure Committee, which is committed to upholding fairness and consistency in the decision-making process.
    2. Evaluation Process:
       1. Examination of Grounds for Appeal: The committee carefully assesses the grounds presented in the appeal to determine whether they align with the accepted grounds for appeal as outlined in CoJMC policy. This examination helps ensure that the appeal falls within the policy’s parameters.
       2. Review of Supporting Documentation: The committee reviews any supporting documentation provided by the appellant. This documentation is evaluated for relevance and its ability to support the claims made in the appeal. Supporting evidence, when applicable, plays a crucial role in the assessment.
       3. Timeliness: The timeliness of the appeal submission is taken into consideration. Appeals must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the fine or fee assessment to be eligible for review. Timely submission is an essential aspect of the appeal process.
       4. Clarity of Explanation: The clarity of the explanation provided in the appeal is carefully examined. A well-structured and comprehensive explanation that directly relates to the grounds for appeal contributes positively to the evaluation.
       5. Consistency with Policy: The committee ensures that the appeal aligns with CoJMC policy, particularly with regard to accepted grounds for appeal. Any deviations or contradictions are noted and considered during the evaluation.
    3. Outcome:
       1. Successful Appeal: If the committee finds that the appeal meets the criteria and supports a valid claim, the fines or fees in question may be waived or adjusted as appropriate.
       2. Partial Success: In some cases, appeals may be partially successful, leading to adjustments in the fines or fees but not a full waiver.
       3. Denied Appeal: If the committee determines that the appeal does not meet the criteria or lacks sufficient evidence, the original fines or fees will stand, and the appellant will be responsible for payment.

1. Purpose
   1. This Equipment Inventory Policy establishes guidelines and procedures for managing, tracking, and controlling equipment owned by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications. This policy aims to ensure accurate and up-to-date records, efficient equipment utilization, and safeguarding university assets.
2. Scope
   1. This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and third-party personnel who are responsible for the acquisition, use, maintenance, or disposal of equipment owned by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
3. Definitions
   1. Equipment: Any tangible asset, such as computers, laptops, mobile devices, audiovisual equipment, specialized equipment, or any other items owned or leased by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
   2. Equipment Custodian: An individual assigned the responsibility of managing and maintaining specific equipment.
   3. Equipment Inventory: A comprehensive record of all equipment owned by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications, including details such as item descriptions, unique identifiers, locations, custodians, acquisition dates, and current conditions.
   4. Equipment Disposal: The process of removing equipment from the inventory due to reasons such as retirement, sale, donation, or disposal.
4. Equipment Acquisition
   1. Approval: All equipment acquisitions must be authorized by the appropriate department manager or supervisor in accordance with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications' procurement policies and budgetary constraints.
   2. Documentation: All equipment acquisitions must be documented and recorded in the equipment inventory, including relevant details such as item descriptions, serial numbers, purchase dates, costs, and warranty information.
5. Ownership of Equipment
   1. University Ownership: All equipment purchased with any funding source, including state-aided funding, grants/contract funding, revolving/auxiliary funds and foundation funds, is the property of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). It does not belong to any individual employee, department, or program.
   2. Use for University Purposes: Equipment is allocated to individuals, departments, or programs to fulfill their responsibilities and advance the mission of UNL. However, ownership and ultimate responsibility for the equipment remain with the university.
6. Equipment Threshold and Circulation
   1. Inventory Inclusion: All equipment with a purchase price exceeding $500 or available for circulation through the equipment checkout room, regardless of value, must be included in the equipment inventory. This includes computers, laptops, mobile devices, audiovisual equipment and other relevant assets.
   2. Furniture Exemption: This equipment inventory policy does not include furniture items, such as desks, chairs, cabinets, or other similar items unless they are part of specialized equipment or have specific identification requirements.
7. Equipment Inventory Management
   1. Inventory Maintenance: The designated equipment custodian(s) shall maintain accurate and up-to-date equipment inventory records for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Any changes, such as new acquisitions, transfers, repairs, or disposals, must be promptly recorded.
   2. Unique Identifiers: Each item of equipment should be assigned a unique identifier (e.g., asset tag, serial number) to facilitate tracking and identification.
   3. Physical Verification: Regular physical equipment verification should be conducted to reconcile the inventory records with the actual items. This verification should occur at least annually or as determined by college administration.
   4. Reporting Loss or Damage: Equipment custodians must promptly report any loss, theft, damage, or malfunction of equipment to the appropriate department and the IT or facilities team, as applicable. Incident reports should be filed and investigated as necessary.
8. Equipment Transfer and Return
   1. Equipment Transfer: When equipment is transferred between employees or programs within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications, the equipment custodian must update the inventory records accordingly, ensuring accurate information regarding the new custodian and location.
   2. Employee Termination: Upon an employee's departure or termination from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications, the employee must return all equipment owned by the college to the equipment custodian. Departing employees, whether through retirement or resignation, are prohibited from purchasing any equipment owned by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications. The custodian shall update the inventory records accordingly.
9. Equipment Disposal
   1. Disposal Process: Equipment owned by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications should be disposed of by transferring it to the UNL Inventory Office or by selling it through procedures established by the university. The equipment custodian must initiate the disposal process by notifying the appropriate department and following the established procedures for transfer or sale.
   2. Data Security: Before disposal, all sensitive or confidential data stored on the equipment should be securely erased or destroyed in compliance with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln data security policies. Proper data sanitization procedures must be followed to protect the privacy and security of any stored information.

1. Purpose
   1. To protect the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s data, information and technology from corruption or theft and to protect faculty and staff from attempted fraud, the College of Journalism and Mass Communications security policy will require centralized management and encryption of all devices purchased by the college or with college funds and the completion of basic cyber security training for all regular full-time employees in the college.
2. Centralized Management
   1. All devices purchased by the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, regardless of funding source, will be centrally managed by the University of Nebraska Office of Information Technology Services. This management will include the installation of required management software upon purchase and will allow ITS to manage software updates, security patches and other actions as needed to ensure the security of college devices. The ITS software will not provide access to employee activities or information contained on the device.
3. Encryption
   1. All devices purchased by the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, regardless of funding source, will be encrypted. Initial encryption will occur upon the purchase and set up of the device. Employees will authorize the installation of necessary software, as needed, and will maintain encryption on all devices during their possession. The standards of encryption will be determined by the University of Nebraska Office of Information Technology Services.
4. Cybersecurity Training
   1. All regular full-time employees in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications will be required to complete basic cyber security training within 90 days of employment or, for current employees, within 90 days of the adoption of this policy.
   2. Training will be provided by the University of Nebraska Information Technology Services and covers, at minimum, data protection and destruction, email security, device security, phishing, two-factor authentication and the NU password policy. Training may be periodically amended by Information Technology Services to ensure faculty and staff are educated on the most recent cyber security threats.
5. Antivirus Software for Personal Devices
   1. Palo Alto Cortex XDR antivirus software is available for installation on personal computers. This software works together with native antivirus and malware services to prevent viruses, torjans, worms and other malicious software from infecting your computer and spreading across the University network. This software is available for free from: https://its.unl.edu/services/antivirus/.
6. Effective Date
   1. The policy will be effective upon the date of adoption by the college faculty.

1. All students in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications are required to purchase, lease, or have ready access to a laptop computer that meets or exceeds the specifications listed below. Students can choose between a Windows or Mac platform.
2. Required Hardware: 

1. Required Software
   1. Adobe CreativeCloud - available free to UNL students
2. Recommended Additions
   1. A 3-yearextended warranty
   2. External drive(1TB or larger)for backups
   3. Microsoft Office- available at a steep discountat HuskerTech

1. Purpose of the Policy
   1. To enhance the safety and security of the faculty, staff and students in Andersen Hall.
   2. To mitigate the risk of theft, vandalism, damage or destruction of college property.
   3. To ensure that requests for access, beyond access that is automatically granted as described below, are reviewed and acted upon efficiently and expeditiously.
   4. To ensure compliance with UNL access policies.
2. Andersen Hall Access
   1. Entrances
      1. Entrance doors to Andersen Hall will always remain locked and access will only be available by NCard. Access will be granted to anyone holding an active University of Nebraska-Lincoln NCard between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 
      2. All faculty, staff, and CoJMC majors are granted 24-hour access to the east and west doors of Andersen Hall. Access updates for faculty, staff and majors will be submitted by the administrative associate at the start of each semester.
      3. Guests are welcome in Andersen Hall. Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, guests will be granted access by the CoJMC front desk using the intercom system located on the east and west doors. Guests must have a legitimate business or educational purpose to be allowed access to the building. Outside these hours, guests must be escorted by a CoJMC faculty or staff member.
   2. Husker Game Days
      1. On Husker game days access to Andersen Hall is restricted to faculty and staff. Access will only be granted by NCard through the west entrance. The east entrance will be closed to everyone except UNLPD.
3. KRNU Studio 201
   1. Access to KRNU Studio 201 is automatically granted to the station general manager and the college’s master key holders. Additional access requests will be considered for current UNL students with a legitimate academic need for access. Approval will be granted by the KRNU General Manager.
4. KRNU Studio 205
   1. Access to KRNU Studio 205 is automatically granted to the station general manager and the college’s master key holders. Additional access requests will be considered for current UNL students with a legitimate academic need for access. Approval will be granted by the KRNU General Manager.
5. Third Floor Television Studio
   1. Access to the Third Floor Television studio is automatically granted to all CoJMC faculty, staff and majors in the college. Access will be updated at the beginning of each semester by the CoJMC Administrative Associate. Additional access requests will be considered for current UNL students with a legitimate academic need for access. Approval will be granted by the Director of Operations.
6. Checkout Room
   1. Access to the CoJMC checkout room is automatically granted to the checkout room manager and Director of Operations. Additional checkout room access is restricted to student employees of the checkout room or additional college staff as determined by the Director of Operations. Requests for student access must be submitted by the checkout room manager or college leadership team and will be approved by the Director of Operations.
7. Employee Offices
   1. Access to employee offices is only granted to the individual faculty member and the college’s master key holders through either NCard or key access. Additional access will not be granted to employee offices unless there are exigent circumstances as determined by college leadership.
   2. The administrative associate will issue office keys at the time of assignment.
8. Classroom Keys
   1. Key access to classrooms will be issued to all faculty, staff and graduate assistants supporting courses in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. The administrative associate will issue classroom keys at the time of appointment.
9. Resources Keys
   1. Resource keys will be issued to all faculty and graduate assistants supporting courses in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. The administrative associate will issue classroom keys at the time of appointment.
10. The Agency
    1. Entrances
       1. All CoJMC faculty, staff, and majors are granted 24-hour access to the Lincoln Children’s Museum east entrance and the third-floor main entrance to The Agency. Access will be updated at the beginning of each semester by the CoJMC Administrative Associate. Additional access requests will be considered for current UNL students with a legitimate academic need for access. Approval will be granted by the Director of Operations.
11. Master Keys
    1. Master keys will only be issued to the college’s leadership team and members of the college staff who, as primary function of their role, have a direct need for master key access as determined by the Dean and Director of Operations.
12. Additional Access Requests
    1. CoJMC faculty and staff can request additional access to College of Journalism and Mass Communications facilities for students. Students who need to request additional access should contact their instructor.
    2. Requests must be submitted at least 48 hours before access is needed.
    3. All requests will be reviewed as indicated above. Approval will only be granted for academic and organizational purposes that do not interfere with the needs and priorities of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Access may be granted for classwork, experience lab activities, registered student organization activities, employment and other activities as deemed appropriate by the appointed approver. The College of Journalism and Mass Communications reserves the right to deny or revoke access at any time and for any reason.
13. Removal of Access
    1. Access for CoJMC majors will be removed either (1) when they graduate, (2) or if they switch majors out of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
    2. Access granted to other students will be removed at the date indicated on the initial request, no more than 6 months after access is granted.
    3. Access for graduate students will be removed when they leave the college for any reason. Graduate students must return all keys issued to them for spaces within college facilities on or before their final day as an enrolled graduate student in the college.
    4. Access for faculty and staff will be removed when they leave the college for any reason. Faculty and staff must return all keys issued to them for spaces within college facilities on or before their final day of employment.
    5. The college reserves the right to revoke access without notice to any CoJMC facility at any time and for any reason.
14. Effective Date
    1. 24-hour NCard access to Andersen Hall will go into effect on the date that a guest intercom system is installed and functional. The remainder of the policy will go into effect upon adoption.

The college’s laptop policy was approved by the faculty on November 4, 2024. The checkout room fine and fee appeal policy was approved on March 8, 2024. The equipment inventory policy was approved on November 11, 2023. The ITS security policy was approved on May 13, 2022. The building hours and access policy was approved on November 11, 2021. 

Facilities and Technology

Signatory Authority