Portfolio Preparation: Faculty Experience Catherine L. Kling Charles F. Curtis Distinguished Professor Director, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development
My thoughts based on: My own promotion at ISU (and UC Davis) Department P&T College P&T Mentor External letter writer
Your job is to make your case At the time when you prepare your portfolio AND throughout your associate prof years Key things I look for: Are you doing your job? Scholarship Trajectory Impact
Are you doing your job? What does your department, university expect from you? PRS, increasingly common What does the letter ask me to evaluate? What I know about that department, university and you
Are you a strong scholar? Make clear how you excel vis-à-vis the expectations of your discipline and PRS Role of yourself and collaborators, this is not the place to be shy about your contributions Go beyond the metrics, explain why what you do is important in lay language Comparisons to top people elsewhere, even if ISU does not ask this, your letter writers may think that way
Are you on an upward trajectory? Research, papers in pipeline, grants submitted, editorial board activity Professional engagement and visibility, still attending conferences and workshops, participating in professional society activities, Students, continuing to mentor and support grad students
Impact: numbers important How many publications? Funding? Where was work published? Has the work been cited (h-index)? If fewer than normal, explain! Science Citation Index vs Google Scholar, both
Impact: stories equally important Invitations to give talks elsewhere, plenary speaker, etc. Professional society activity, elected office, leadership in sections, etc. External awards Government panels (EPA, NRC, USDA) NGO panels Successful placement of graduate students in academic programs Media visibility
Two Final Pieces of Advice: Learn to say No if you haven’t already…. but don’t get carried away Don’t follow any of my advice unless it resonates with you, your situation, and what other mentors colleagues say