The Professional Portfolio

All full-time faculty will create and maintain a digital professional portfolio throughout their career at SLCC using the official SLCC platform.

The professional portfolio is the primary repository for all documents and artifacts relevant to the faculty evaluation process. Faculty may link to their sources as appropriate to showcase their evidence. Faculty evaluation will be supplemented by the faculty member’s division/department faculty file and evaluators’ professional knowledge of the faculty member.

Faculty are encouraged to directly state in their professional portfolios whether their performance has met or exceeded standard professional performance.

All professional portfolios will include:

• A Welcome Page that states the specific purpose of the portfolio at the time of its submission to evaluators.
• A Professional Statement which describes the faculty member’s teaching philosophy and primary learning objectives and teaching methodologies. The professional statement will be reviewed and updated regularly by the faculty member.
• Institutional Documents: Form 1: Faculty Planning and Support Form 3: Faculty Evaluation Summary (and Recommendation), Letters of Evaluation, and Letters of Tenure or Rank Advancement.

The professional portfolio serves three faculty evaluation purposes: 1) tenure-track evaluation and formal post-tenure review, 2) application for tenure or rank advancement to full professor, and 3) documentation of annual informal post-tenure review. Therefore, the professional portfolio consists of three different types of content requirements (see explanatory chart below).

Tenure-Track Evaluation and Formal Post-Tenure Review portfolio sections will cover the period since the submission of the previous portfolio and will include:

• A Self-Assessment: including documentation and evidence, of the Form 1 goals for the evaluation period.
• Teaching Evaluation: 1) syllabi from all courses taught during the evaluation period, 2) teaching observations from peer evaluators and academic administrator, 3) student evaluations (faculty will direct students to complete online student evaluations), and 4) responses to questions about teaching.
• Professional Activity & Development Evaluation: 1) a list of all professional activity and professional development completed during the review period and 2) responses to questions about professional activity and development.
• Service Evaluation: a list of all service activities completed during the evaluation period.
• Statement of Goals: inclusive of teaching, professional activity and development, and service for the next evaluation period.
• Statement of Resources and Support: as necessary to meet these goals.

Application for Tenure and Application for Rank Advancement to Full Professor portfolio sections will include:

• An Application Statement that demonstrates the faculty member has met the criteria for awarding tenure or rank advancement to full professor, that addresses teaching, professional activity & development, and service, and references evidence in tenure-track, formal post-tenure review, and informal post-tenure review sections, as applicable.
• For application for tenure, the statement will articulate how the faculty member fully meets professional standards and is competent as a teacher, competent in the discipline, and competent as a colleague (SLCC Policy C4S01.01.II.HH).
• For rank advancement to full professor, the statement will show how the faculty member has demonstrated a pattern of exceeding professional performance and leadership, persistent investment, and commitment to SLCC’s Mission, Values, and Strategic Plan.

Beta Test - Academic Department Tenure File

During the 2024-2025 academic year, an electronic, academic department tenure file will be beta tested with the new faculty cohort and the faculty in Science, Math and Engineering and Salt lake Technical College/School of Technical and Professional Specialties. The move to a tenure file is intended to place a greater emphasis on the role of the Sitting Committee in the faculty evaluation process. Faculty participating in the beta test will create and maintain an academic department tenure file throughout their career at SLCC, as described below. All other faculty in the college will utilize an ePortfolio, as described in section 6 above.

Discussion Team will gather feedback from faculty, sitting committees, and academic supervisors participating in the beta test, modify the instructions and procedures for the academic department tenure file as appropriate, and develop a plan for wider implementation across the college.

The academic department tenure file is the repository for all documents and artifacts relevant to the faculty evaluation process. Faculty may link to their sources as appropriate to showcase their evidence. The minimum requirement is an organized file structure within Microsoft Teams, as outlined below.

The professional shared folder serves four faculty evaluation purposes: 1) tenure-track evaluation and formal post-tenure review, 2) formal faculty evaluations within SLTC, 3) application for tenure, and 4) documentation of annual informal post-tenure review. Therefore, the professional shared folder consists of three different types of content requirements (see explanatory chart below).

During informal review years, Academic Department Tenure files will include:

• Evaluation Forms : include any forms related to the current academic evaluation year. Normally, this will only be Form 1: Faculty Planning and Support.

During formal review years, Academic Department Tenure files will include:

• Evaluation Forms Form 1: Faculty Planning and Support, Form 2: Peer Evaluations, Form 3: Faculty Evaluation Summary, Application of Previous Years Service, and Letters of Progress/Concern.
• A Professional Statement that addresses the following:
  • Self-Assessment: The self-assessment will be reviewed and updated regularly by the faculty member and their sitting committee.
    • How your teaching, professional activities, and service are informed by and contributing to SLCC Values, Mission, and Strategic Plans.
    • How your teaching reflects student-centered pedagogies and practices.
    • How you have developed as faculty during the evaluation period.
  • Professional Activity & Development Evaluation: A list of all professional activity and professional development completed during the review period.
  • Service Evaluation : A list of all service activities completed during the evaluation period.
• Teaching Evaluations:
  • Teaching observations from peer evaluators and academic administrator.
  • Student course evaluations compiled by the department for the faculty.
• Evidence: Evidence selection and gathering should be guided by the sitting committee. The tenure file places greater emphasis on the sitting committee’s role in validating and furthering the work of the faculty member being evaluated. Any evidence submitted should take minimal effort to gather and should reflect a few highlights of faculty work over the evaluation period.

During years where the faculty will be applying for tenure, the Academic Department Tenure files will include materials required for a formal evaluation year and will also include:

• Applications: Include Application for Tenure.
• Tenure Statement: A statement that demonstrates the faculty member has met the criteria for awarding tenure, that addresses teaching, professional activity & development, and service, and references evidence in tenure-track, formal post-tenure review, and informal post-tenure review sections, as applicable.
  • For tenure, the statement will articulate how the faculty member meets professional standards in all areas evaluated (SLCC Policy C4S01.01.II.HH).

If faculty are applying for rank advancement, faculty should talk with their Dean.

• For  rank advancement to full professor, the statement will show how the faculty member has demonstrated a pattern of exceeding professional performance in teaching and one other area, either professional activity or service and leadership, persistent investment, and commitment to SLCC’s Mission, Values, and Strategic Plan.

File Structure:
Main File Folder
AY20XX-XX (year 1)

• Professional Statement (as defined above)
• Evaluation Forms
• Teaching Evaluations
  • Peer evaluations
  • Course evaluations
• Applications (if needed)
• Evidence (Optional)

AY20XX-XX (year 2)

• Professional Statement (as defined above)
• Evaluation Forms
• Teaching Evaluations
  • Peer evaluations
  • Course evaluations
• Applications (if needed)
• Evidence (Optional)

(AY year etc.)