For Full Time ELI Faculty on Continuing Appointments
Peer Reviews
Individuals appointed as continuing non-tenure track faculty have a six-year probationary period comprised of three successive two-year appointments, subject to annual review and a recommendation for contract renewal by the Director and Dean.
In the sixth year, a full peer review will be conducted and, on the basis of recommendations from ELI’s Promotion and Peer Review faculty committee and the Director/Dean, individuals will receive either a seventh terminal year appointment or a three-year contract subject to annual review, as well as a pay increase equal to what Assistant Professors receive when promoted to Associate Professor. In the second year of the three-year contract, the chair/dean will recommend whether the individual will be afforded a contract of four years in length. Subject to satisfactory annual evaluations, during the last year of a four-year contract (the 13th year of employment), a second full peer review will be conducted. Subject to the recommendation of the Promotion and Peer Review Committee and Director/Dean, the individual will receive a five-year contract on a “rolling” basis, subject to an annual review, and a pay increase equal to what Associate Professors receive when promoted to Full Professor. Contract renewal is subject to the notice provisions of the Handbook for Faculty (III-36-N, Nonrenewals).
Individuals hired on full-time temporary appointments who are appointed subsequently as primary, full-time, continuing non-tenure track faculty will have their previous time of service counted in the computation of subsequent contract renewal periods. No individual will receive a three- or five-year “rolling” contract without a full peer review.
Peer Reviews afford ELI faculty who are excelling in the classroom and making important contributions to the Institute, the opportunity for significant salary increases (above and beyond annual increases) and increased job security through longer contracts.
Promotion
Peer Reviews, by themselves, do not affect the rank of an ELI faculty member. However, the ELI does have a promotion ladder, which is designed to recognize the professional achievements of ELI faculty and offers career growth. Through a rigorous process of review at the Institute, college, and University level, ELI faculty members who hold non-tenure track positions may be promoted to the ranks of assistant, associate, or full professor. A full description of the peer review and promotion policies may be found at www.udel.edu/eli/facbook, under “Promotion.”
ELI Policy on Support for Conferences and Professional Development
The ELI maintains its leadership in the profession by adhering to its mission which commits the unit, among other things, to “recruit only the most talented and experienced English language specialists and staff—and promote their continued professional growth.” To this end, the Institute provides funding as well as class coverage for full time or supplemental faculty, full time staff, and full time professionals who have had a proposal accepted for professional conferences, including but not limited to: NAFSA, TESOL, WATESOL, BATESOL, and PennTESOL. Once a presentation has been accepted by the professional organization, approval by the Director is usually pro forma, but faculty should be mindful that both funding and release time are always subject to the availability of suitable substitutes and adequate budget allocations. Requests to attend international conferences for which papers have been accepted and which do not appear on ELI’s approved list (see below) should be submitted to the Director for approval on a case-by-case basis.
In recent years, ELI faculty and administrators have attended alternative conferences that rival TESOL in quality and in providing opportunities for professional development. To provide the greatest opportunity for colleagues to contribute to the ESL/EFL profession and to advance their own careers, the number of conferences on the Institute’s approved list for funding shall now include: TESOL, NAFSA, NAFSA Region VIII, WATESOL, BATESOL, PennTESOL, JALT—as well as conferences sponsored by Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and Middle East Technical University, Turkey. International conferences will generally be supported at the same funding level as that of TESOL, unless the ELI colleague has a special role, such as keynote speaker, that would warrant additional funding. Requests for conferences falling outside of the approved list (see approved list above) should be submitted in writing to the Director. ELI generally provides funding only for faculty and professionals to attend conferences that are directly related to ESL profession, but individuals can provide justification for attending a conference in other fields in their request for funding.
The ELI will underwrite the registration fee and the transportation (if attendees carpool with at least one other ELI colleague) to attend PennTESOL (fall or spring conferences) whether or not a paper has been accepted for presentation.
ELI has, on a number of occasions, provided funding for faculty to attend professional development and training sessions, without the need for papers being accepted as a condition for attending. Previous training opportunities have addressed methodologies (e.g., Silent Way or TPR), approaches (e.g., reflective teaching), or computer assisted instruction. Recommendations for individuals to participate in professional development may come from the Director, faculty committees, or the individuals themselves. Requests for such training are subject to the Director’s approval, based on available funding, class coverage, and the merits of the proposal.
Finally, the Institute has an active Professional Development Task Force, run entirely by supplemental faculty, that sponsors roundtable discussions, workshops, guest speakers, symposiums, and other opportunities for colleagues to share their ideas and expand their expertise.
Thus, through the combination of professional advancement and growth, the ELI supports its faculty colleagues in the pursuit a rewarding and fulfilling ESL academic career.