7.3.3 Third-year Review, Tenure and Promotion of Library Faculty

The President retains the power of approval for third-year review determinations, conferrals of tenure and promotions. The Provost, acting in accordance with the provisions stated in this Faculty/Administration Manual, is responsible for making the final recommendation to the President in respect to all such matters.

Tenure and promotion require substantial evidence of consistently high performance in professional competency, professional growth and development, and service. In addition, evidence of exemplary performance is required in the professional competency area. Tenure is a long-term commitment by the College; it is not merely a reward for work accomplished, but it is an award given with the expectation that consistently high performance will continue. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

Promotion to the rank of Librarian II (if necessary) is awarded simultaneously with the third-year review. A third-year review should substantiate whether satisfactory progress toward tenure has been made. There should be evidence of effective professional competency, a continuing research and development program, and active participation in service. A candidate should be informed in detail of any weakness that, if not corrected, might lead to a negative tenure decision. If there are serious doubts as to whether the candidate will be able to meet the criteria prior to a required tenure decision, a recommendation against retention should be given. 

A tenure decision is made only once, no later than the sixth year. Up to two years credit toward tenure and promotion may be awarded at the time of initial appointment for previous professional library experience elsewhere, or for fulltime employment at professional library positions of special status at the College of Charleston. A person receiving the maximum of two years credit would be eligible for consideration for tenure during the fourth year at the College. (Rev. Apr. 2007)

Three years in rank is normally required for a Librarian I to be promoted to a Librarian II (which is done simultaneously with the Third-year Review). Six years in rank is normally required for a Librarian II to be promoted to a Librarian III. Seven years in rank is normally required for a Librarian III to be promoted to a Librarian IV. In exceptional cases a librarian may wish to petition for early tenure or promotion provided that action has the prior written approval of the Provost and the Dean.

Librarians are evaluated in the three categories of professional competency, professional growth and development, and professional service to the community. Because professional competency is the primary responsibility of any librarian, evidence of exemplary professional competency is expected for tenure and promotion. Because professional growth and development are essential to the mission of the College, evidence of a sustained quality research program and a continuing scholarly commitment must be provided for tenure and promotion. Because librarians should be contributing members of the College community and, where appropriate, the community at large, evidence of service to the community is expected.

While quantifiable data are important, decisions about tenure and promotion must ultimately rely on sound professional judgment.
What follow are the general standards and evidence that remain constant throughout the five levels of institutional evaluation, namely third-year review, tenure and promotion to Librarian II, III and IV. A separate evaluation process, with its own standards and evidence, is used for the honorary rank of University Librarian IV (see Art. VI, Sect. I). (Rev. Aug. 2015)

Professional Competency

  • Standard

    The successful librarian contributes to the educational mission and priorities of the College and the Library by providing and promoting quality services and operations to the academic community. Professional competency includes a mastery of requisite professional skills and knowledge within each librarian’s specific job description. Professional competency for librarians is the achievement of and commitment to intellectual freedom, accessibility of information (which includes the selection, acquisition, organization, preservation, instruction in the use of, and promotion of appropriate collections to support teaching and other educational activities), and supporting the curricular and research efforts of the academic community.

  • Evidence (while in rank at the College of Charleston) should include, but is not limited to:

    1. Evaluatee’s statement of accomplishments based on annual goals and objectives;

    2. Annual evaluations;

    3. Letters addressing the criteria from departmental colleagues, from non-library faculty, from person(s) supervised (directly or indirectly) by evaluatee, from extraCollege librarians, and, in the case of the Marine Resources Librarian, additionally from administrators and research associates of the South Carolina Marine Resources Center; (Rev. Aug. 2015)

    4. Support materials, such as reports, working documents, statistical measures, policy statements, procedure manuals, annual reports, Library 105 and other instructional materials (to include syllabi, policy statements, grading procedures, tests, sample assignments, study or research guides), student evaluations, in-house publications, brochures, media, et cetera.

Professional Growth and Development

  • Standard

    The professional growth and development of librarians is essential to the College’s ability to carry out its educational mission. A librarian’s continued vitality is intimately related to professional growth and development. Therefore, librarians are expected to conduct research or engage in other creative forms of professional growth and development. Professional growth and development involves the various professional activities that increase the librarian’s knowledge and that exemplify scholarly or artistic expertise. It includes, but is not limited to, original contributions to the discipline, creative activities in librarianship, research in pedagogy, and appropriate studies within and outside one’s specialties.

  • Evidence (while in rank at the College of Charleston) should include but is not limited to:

    1. Evaluatee’s narrative of professional growth and development activities;

    2. Both internal and external colleague statements on professional growth and development activities;

    3. Dean’s evaluations since librarian has been in rank. Dean must provide an annual evaluation the year prior to the candidate’s being considered for promotion or tenure.

    4. Evidence of scholarship includes:

      • professionally published scholarly books;

      • academic journal articles

      • chapters in scholarly books;

      • edited volumes;

      • review essays;

      • creative works, including media production, compilation of significant bibliographies, guidebooks, catalogs, study guides, textbooks or workbooks;

      • research grants;

      • conference papers;

      • reviews of candidate’s books, et cetera;

      • reviews by candidate of books, et cetera;

      • exhibits exemplifying scholarly endeavors;

      • technical reports;

      • draft manuscripts.

    5. Evidence of professional activities include:

      • serving as an officer or a member of a board or committee of an international, national, regional, state or local professional organization;

      • serving on an editorial board of a scholarly journal;

      • reviewing manuscripts for journal and publishers;

      • chairing or serving as a discussant on a panel at a professional meeting;

      • preparing grant proposals and reports;

      • conducting professional workshops and seminars;

      • participating in professional meetings, seminars, workshops, et cetera;

      • completing graduate studies or course work relevant to professional competency;

      • receiving fellowships and awards;

      • serving as a professional consultant.

Professional Service to the Community

  • Standard

    Service to the College and/or the community falls within the responsibilities of a librarian and is essential to the fulfillment of the College’s responsibilities to the academic community and to the attainment of institutional goals. Each librarian is expected to cooperate in supporting the mission and the goals of the Library and the College. Service includes involvement in standing or ad hoc committees of the College faculty, in departmental committees or offices, and in special committees or task forces. Service includes working with student organizations and academic advising; working with community, state, regional or national organizations; utilizing professional expertise; and working on institutional advancement projects.

  • Evidence should include but is not limited to:

    1. Evaluatee’s narrative of service activities.

    2. Internal and/or external colleague statements on service activities.

    3. Chair’s evaluations since the faculty member has been in rank. Chair must provide an annual evaluation the year prior to the candidate’s being considered for promotion or tenure.

Specific Criteria for Tenure and Promotion

  • Promotion to the Rank of Librarian II/Third-year Review

    Promotion to the rank of Librarian II is awarded simultaneously with the third-year review. A third-year review should substantiate whether satisfactory progress toward tenure has been made. A third-year review may be conducted for untenured librarians at other ranks. The following criteria are necessary, though not sufficient, for promotion to Librarian II and/or third-year review.

    1. Promotion to the rank of Librarian II requires evidence of progress toward meeting the tenure requirement of exemplary performance in the area of professional competency. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

    2. Continued vitality as librarians is intimately associated with scholarship and related professional activities. There must be clear evidence of progress toward meeting the tenure requirement for professional growth and development. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

    3. There should be active and sustained service to the College or there should be active and sustained service in the candidate’s professional role to the local, state, regional, or national community. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

  • Tenure for Librarians

    The following criteria are necessary, though not sufficient, for tenure for library faculty.

    1. Tenure for library faculty requires exemplary performance in the area of professional competency. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

    2. Continued vitality as librarians is intimately associated with scholarship and related professional activities. Traditional publication is not the only medium through which the library profession exchanges information and research findings, although librarianship possesses a growing body of scholarly literature. Workshops, symposia, seminars, meetings of regional and national organizations, et cetera, are also major means of communication within the discipline. Therefore, a candidate’s contributions in these areas should be considered the equivalent of traditional scholarship. In addition, there must be clear evidence of promise for continued professional growth and development.

    3. There should be active and sustained service to the College or there should be active and sustained service in the candidate’s professional role to the local, state, regional, or national community. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

  • Promotion to the Rank of Librarian III

    The following criteria are necessary, though not sufficient, for promotion to Librarian III. Evidence of exemplary professional competency and significant achievement in the area of professional growth and development, or service is required. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

    1. Promotion to the rank of Librarian III requires sustained and exemplary performance in the area of professional competency. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

    2. There must be clear evidence of high promise for continued quality of scholarship and professional activities. Since peer refereeing is one criterion of scholarly quality, typically the evidence must include scholarly books or journal articles (or otherwise juried publications). All evidence should be evaluated rigorously. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

    3. There should be active and sustained service to the College or there should be active and sustained service in the candidate’s professional role to the local, state, regional, or national community. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

  • Promotion to the Rank of Librarian IV

    Promotion to the rank of Librarian IV requires evidence of continuing quality professional competency, professional growth and development, and service. The following criteria are necessary, though not sufficient, for promotion to Librarian IV. Evidence of exemplary performance in the area of professional competence and significant achievement in the areas of professional growth and development, and service is required. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

    1. Promotion to the rank of Librarian IV requires exemplary professional competency.

    2. Because Librarian IV is the highest rank, there must be clear evidence of continuing quality scholarship. Peer refereeing is one criterion of scholarly quality; therefore, the evidence must include scholarly books or journal articles (or otherwise juried publications). In addition to scholarship, sustained professional activity is expected. All evidence should be rigorously evaluated. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

    3. There should be active and sustained service to the College. Leadership should be demonstrated either in college service or in the candidate’s professional role to the local, state, regional, or national community. (Rev. Apr. 2011)

  • Nomination of Library Faculty to a Higher Rank

    It should be clearly understood by all library faculty members that promotion does not come automatically after the passage of a fixed period of time, but is a recognition of outstanding performance and service at the College.

    1. Source of Nomination. When a library faculty member becomes eligible for nomination to a higher rank, a nomination may be submitted in the form of a petition from:

      • the Dean of Libraries, after consultation with the tenured members of the library faculty, to the Provost;

      • a majority of the tenured members of the library faculty to the Provost;

      • a majority of the members of the library faculty to the Provost;

      • the individual library faculty member to the Provost;

      • the Provost to the Dean of the library.

    2. Deadline for Nomination. Normally, a petition nominating a library faculty member for promotion to a higher rank should be made not later than August 15 of the academic year in which a decision on promotion is to be made.

Related Policies, Documents or Forms

7.3.3 Third-year Review, Tenure and Promotion of Library Faculty (FAM VI.C)

Revision Log

Web Publication Date: 1/20/2026