Continuing Contract

Purpose of Continuing Contract

 It is in the best interest of society when, within the common activities of institutions of higher education that research, publication, and discourse, both private and public, be unrestrained by any kind of external pressure from the state, the church, the administration, or the community. Continuing Contract insures academic freedom of instructors to speak and write on matters directly related to their respective disciplines.

Faculty at the State College of Florida who have been awarded a Continuing Contract shall be entitled to continue in his/her position at the salary authorized by the Board of Trustees without the necessity for annual nomination or reappointment until such time as the employee resigns or his/her contractual status is changed. Faculty who have been awarded continuing contract are expected to maintain

Eligibility

Continuing Contracts are awarded only when instructional faculty meet ALL of the following requirements:

Has completed no less than five (5) years but not in excess of (7) years of continuous and satisfactory service as instructional faculty at the State College of Florida, Manatee - Sarasota.  Exceptions would require leave that has been duly authorized and granted. Satisfactory service in other institutions of higher learning may also be considered.

 Has been reappointed for the upcoming year without reservations or specific recommendations.

Has been recommended by the President for a Continuing Contract based on the successful performance of his or her duties and the demonstration of professional competence in accordance with Board of Trustees rules or policies.

Continuing Contract process

New faculty, at the outset of their employment and with the guidance of their supervisor, are encouraged to begin constructing a notebook that must be submitted when applying for continuing contract. For the purposes of both simplification and clarity, that same notebook will serve as the foundation for, but not the sole support for, the promotion application. 

This procedure underscores the mentoring function of the chairperson in the evaluation process as well as in the development of a notebook, which shall be used in evaluating faculty with the future goal of retention and promotion. The underlying assumption is that the annual evaluation is intended to be informative, encouraging to faculty who are making solid progress toward Continuing Contract, helpful to faculty who may need to improve in areas of performance, and cautionary to faculty where progress is lacking. The annual evaluation also provides clear documentation for supervisory recommendations so that when the faculty member applies for Continuing Contract  or promotion, the documentation has been well established.  

Notebook guidelines 

The prime responsibility of State College of Florida is to maximize the likelihood of student learning. This naturally implies that excellence in teaching must be the principle criterion in awarding continuing contract. At the same time the College recognizes that its faculty is part of a wider academic community to which both the individual faculty member and the College have responsibilities involving professional activity and development. The College, too, is a cooperative society which functions well and effectively only when each member does his or her part. Achievement in these areas must also be a consideration in determining continuing contract. Thus, applicants for Continuing Contract are expected to provide evidence of their teaching effectiveness, professional development and scholarship, and service to their department, the College, and/or the Community. 

All materials submitted as part of the notebook must be submitted in a binder provided by Office of Human Resources. Each document within the notebook must be placed in individual clear covers with the most recent material first. It is the responsibility of the candidates to prepare their portfolio and submit it to their appropriate supervisor by December 5th.

The Notebook for Continuing Contract must include all of the following:

I. A Continuing Contract Application

II.  Self-Evaluation: Philosophy of Teaching, and Reflective Narrative
This section should contain the candidates’ Philosophy of Teaching and Reflective Narrative. 

The Philosophy of Teaching should be a one-page summary based on the candidate's self assessment. The statement should demonstrate that the faculty member has been reflective and purposeful in his or her approach to teaching while supporting SCF’s institutional values. The Reflective Narrative is a one page summary describing what the candidate has learned, achieved, and accomplished in preparation for continuing contract including what key areas will be considered for future self development.

 III. Annual Evaluations
The candidates’ annual evaluations from his or her supervisor should include a summary of the faculty member’s teaching strengths and accomplishments.

IV. Teaching Effectiveness
At the State College of Florida Teaching Effectiveness is quantified through through a combination of methods including the annual evaluation, observations of faculty by his or her supervisor, and self evaluation. This section should include printed copies of the candidate's annual evaluations and supervisor observations organized chronologically beginning with the most recent documentation.

The annual evaluation measures faculty performance in the areas of subject knowledge, instructional design, delivery, and management as well as student completion rates and student satisfaction rates. Student completion rates are determined by the faculty in each discipline within the academic departments using statistical analysis.  Faculty members applying for Continuing Contract  must demonstrate a consistent average of 80% (strongly agree, agree) in his or her Student Satisfaction rates prior to application.  Special circumstances affecting Student Satisfaction rates can be addressed in the annual evaluation by department Chairs.

Faculty not yet on Continuing Contract are expected to be observed by their supervisors (for every semester prior to Continuing Contract application).  Alternative forms of evaluation of class materials may be considered for faculty teaching on line. Notebooks should include the written responses and recommendations of his or her supervisor (Instructor Observation Form). The notebook for Continuing Contract may include material demonstrating the applicant's record as a teacher including pertinent instructional material, representative syllabi and assignments, cats, etc.If any evaluations are missing, include an explanation. The faculty member must have a constant pattern of positive evaluation.

V. Professional Development, Scholarship, and Activity (Mastery of Subject Matter)
This section should begin with a one page bulleted list (with dates) which summarizes professional development during the years as an eligible Continuing Contract candidate.

To qualify for continuing contract, candidates must display evidence of Professional Growth. Faculty are expected to demonstrate that they keep current in their area of expertise by contributing to updating, maintaining, or disseminating knowledge in their professional community. Documentation of professional growth may include but is not limited to evidence of completed course work or certification, evidence of participation in continuing education, seminars, webinars, conferences, or workshops that enhance teaching skills.

Professional scholarship may include but is not limited to contributions or publications in a peer reviewed professional journal/publication, curricular development and/ or revisions, grant or contract proposal preparation for support of instructional materials, awards of grants or contracts for research, professional recognition of accomplishments or other contributions or service as a reviewer or editor for professional publications or organizations. Documentation of professional scholarship may include publisher letters, table of contents or title pages, grant notifications, awards, contracts, signed reports, and/ or relevant minutes.

Professional activity may include but is not limited to presentations, lectures, performances, staff development, curriculum development, attendance at professional meetings, conferences, or seminars as well as planning, implementing, and evaluating a professional conference and/or workshop. Documentation may include presentation programs, agendas, letters of thanks, registration materials, conference materials, membership cards, rosters, minutes, and signed travel authorization forms.

VI. Service
This section should begin with a one page bulleted list (with dates) which summarizes a faculty members service to their department, the College, and/or the Community during the years as an eligible continuing contract candidate.

To qualify for continuing contract, candidates must display evidence of appropriate service and/or leadership in the affairs of the College, Department, and the profession.  It is expected that each faculty member will be an active participant in the inner maintenance of the College by participating in college related activities other than teaching and professional development that promote the mission and goals of the college.

The following descriptions are designed to assist in the assessment of college and community activities.
Category A
includes, but is not limited to, activities with a one- time commitment, roles as a participant and/or observer only, etc.
Category B
includes, but is not limited to, activities with an extended time commitment requiring multiple meetings over the course of a semester and/or year, roles involving further participation in subcommittees with responsibility, etc.
Category C
includes, but is not limited to, activities with an extensive time commitment involving regularly scheduled meetings over the course of a semester and/or year, roles related to a leadership position, etc.

Faculty new to the college (at the rank of Instructor and Assistant Professor) are likely to have more activities in Category A while more established faculty (at the rank of Associate Professor and Professor) should have more activities in Categories B and C.

Each department shall establish (and review on an annual basis) an acceptable range of activities that are consistent with their discipline and departmental needs. The criteria for college wide activities should be consistent throughout the College and should be determined in consultation with the Vice President of Academic Affairs, department chairs, and faculty.

 Service to the college may include, but is not limited to, being an active member of a departmental or College committees, participating in the shared governance of the college by active participation in Faculty Senate, mentoring other faculty, advising a student organization, participating in the writing of self-study accreditation and/or progress reports, attending or speaking at a college function, leading a college sponsored workshop, participating in student recruitment activities, serving as a club advisor, or acting as a College representative to various organizations, boards, or groups.

Service to the community may include being a member or officer of a local, national, or international professional organization; participating in local/professional community events or as a member in a local/professional organization; and/or serving as a judge at educational events (e.g., judging science fairs, speaking in the community).

Evidence of appropriate service and/or leadership in the affairs of the College, Department, the profession, and/or the community may include but is not limited to election results, minutes of meetings, and letters of thanks. Faculty will also need to demonstrate that community activities directly pertain to their job responsibilities at SCF.

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