Revised April 2024
Approved by Provost May 2024
Consistent with University Policy: 4.6.4 POL Tenure and Promotion, and the AAUP and
AAC&U “1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure,” the CEAHS Policy
on Tenure and Promotion establishes specific objective criteria and processes by which tenure and
promotion decisions shall be made within the College.
CEAHS respects the uniqueness of disciplines within the College. Accordingly, primary
responsibility (and weight) for evaluations of tenure-track faculty is given to the elected, tenured,
faculty members within the Department, and the Department Chair. At Eastern Kentucky
University, providing excellent teaching is every faculty member’s primary – but not exclusive –
mission. University policy states that the basis for decisions related to a faculty member’s tenure
and promotion shall be made on documented verifiable evidence compared to specific criteria for
teaching, scholarly/creative activities, and service, in a confidential and transparent process.
The CEAHS criteria for teaching and service are uniform across all departments. However,
expectations for scholarship may differ by department based on the nature of the discipline,
presentation and publication standards of the discipline, and the definition of a “terminal graduate
degree” in an appropriate discipline, and as approved in compliance with Policy 4.6.1,
Determining Qualifications for Faculty Teaching Credit-Bearing Courses. The terminal degree is
the highest academic degree awarded in a field. Generally, the terminal degree will be the
doctorate; however, sometimes an advanced professional degree or a master’s degree will be the
terminal degree in a particular field.
To ensure that the University uses instructional faculty that are academically prepared to teach at
the undergraduate and/or graduate levels, Department policies must determine the appropriate
qualifications for each Academic Program. Department policies must specify the terminal degree
in the field for each Academic Program and provide justification when appropriate. In addition,
Department policies must demonstrate alignment between the specified terminal degree and
Tenure and Promotion criteria
Examples of scholarship include but are not limited to peer-reviewed publications, presentations
of practice, research, or theory, grant awards, collaboration with colleagues in the conduct of
research or scholarship, the scholarship of teaching and learning, serving as a journal reviewer or
editor, published textbooks, books, or chapters, professional publications, and recognition as a
scholar in an identified area. A more precise definition may be provided in department P&T
policies.
Degree Requirements by department follow:
Department of American Sign Language & Interpreter Education (ASLIE)
For ASLIE tenure-track faculty, the terminal degree is the master’s degree in ASL
Teaching, Interpreter Education, Linguistics, or a related field
AND
appropriate national professional certifications (for example from the Registry of
Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA),
or other related certifications)
OR
may substitute certification with a minimum of an ASL Proficiency Interview (ASLPI)
rating level of 4, or an ASL: Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) rating level of
“Superior” and obtain ASLTA certification within 2 years of initial employment for the
continuation of a contract.
Department of Applied Human Sciences (AHS)
For AHS faculty in the Child and Family Studies Program, the terminal degree is an
EdD or PhD in any of the following areas: Human Development and Family Studies,
Human Ecology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Applied Human Sciences, Curriculum
and Instruction, Marriage and Family Therapy, Child Development, Interdisciplinary
Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Education, or a related field.