Faculty affairs

All faculty housed at SPA are evaluated annually on their performance in the prior academic year based on merit criteria adopted by the faculty and contained in SPA’s “Policies, Procedures, and Criteria for the Annual Performance Evaluation of Faculty” (approved by a vote of SPA Faculty in June 2019). The university requires faculty to to update their faculty activities in the online Interfolio Faculty Activity Reporting System (FAR), and produce the Annual Review Report which provides the main framework for reporting accomplishments in research, teaching and service. The following SPA Interfolio FAR guidance is available:

• Interfolio "How To" for Annual Review Report
• Interfolio "How To" PowerPoint presented at Dec '20 Faculty Meeting

In addition to the Interfolio report, faculty also submit an updated CV and a statement of their accomplishments. These documents are uploaded to a shared Faculty Affairs folder for review by the APC and the Dean. The due date for these materials varies depending on the university’s schedule, and in 2022 was moved to the Fall with materials due for submission by late August/early September. Exact due dates each year will be communicated to faculty via email from the SPA Faculty Affairs Associate Dean and/or Administrator.

Academic Personnel Committee (APC)

The Academic Personnel Committee advises the Dean on annual faculty performance ratings to be made by the Dean, using Interfolio reports and faculty statements. Upon completion of the annual evaluation of its colleagues, the APC submits a report to the Dean on each TT and IRC faculty member, assessing each faculty member’s performance. A copy of this report is simultaneously delivered to the faculty member.

The APC shall consist of three tenure-track faculty members, including at least one tenured faculty member. Additionally, the APC shall include at least one instructional/research/clinical (IRC) faculty member for the purposes of evaluating the professional performance of IRC-track faculty. 

All faculty will be eligible to serve on the APC on a rotating basis. During the spring term of each academic year, the members of the Academic Personnel Committee (APC) shall be selected for the upcoming academic year.  The Dean’s Faculty Affairs Administrator will maintain a record of the rotation order. Refer to the policy for more detailed information.

Final action on all academic personnel matters and annual salary increments in SPA rests with the Dean, prior to subsequent action at the campus and university levels.

Merit

Merit is the primary basis for all salary increases at University of Colorado. Peer evaluation of faculty performance in the areas of teaching, research/creative work, and leadership and service forms the basis for merit increases. Salary adjustments or increases that take into account market, career, equity or structural factors must be simultaneously based on merit. Every year the Dean receives an analysis from the university that flags salary variances and informs these adjustments. Raises are also contingent on the availability and size of the “raise pool” authorized by the state legislature and the Regents each year. Due to all of these factors, it is not unusual for faculty salaries to differ.

Salary equity increments

With prior written approval by the Dean, faculty members can receive additional remuneration from sources outside the university, provided the activities generating the income do not exceed one-sixth of their time and effort.

The Declaration of Outside Consulting Form should be completed for pre-approval of your outside consulting pay. If other consulting opportunities arise during the academic year, please submit a new form prior to starting the work.

Related Policies & Information:

• Regent Policy 5E: Additional Remuneration for Consultative Services
  

Tenure, promotion and reviews: Tenure-track faculty

The seven-year tenure clock

The normal process for a new assistant professor to receive tenure takes seven years:

• First, the faculty member receives a four-year initial contract as an Assistant Professor. During the fourth year, the faculty member will undergo a Comprehensive Review.
• If the Comprehensive Review is successful, the faculty member receives a three-year re-appointment. In the third year of that re-appointment, the faculty member goes through the Promotion (to Associate Professor) & Tenure Review.
• If the faculty member has been granted Tenure & Promotion and has completed six years of full-time service to the University, the faculty member is then eligible for Sabbatical Leave (half-year leave at full-pay or a full-year leave at half-pay). A faculty member is eligible for sabbatical after completing six years of full-time service throughout their tenure at CU.
  
• If the Comprehensive Review or Promotion & Tenure Review are unsuccessful, the faculty member will receive a one-year/terminal-year appointment.
• After tenure, a faculty member must undergo a Post-Tenure Review at least every five years (the Dean can request one at any time for a faculty member).

In addition to the reviews listed above, a faculty member goes through an annual review process each year by completing the Interfolio annual review report.

Allowable adjustments/deviations from the “normal” cycle

Upon hire, a faculty member can request a “Prior Service Agreement.” This grants the faculty member one to three years of credit towards tenure and shortens the initial four years by the number of years requested.

• A faculty member can be hired as either Associate Professor or Professor with Tenure, but they must still undergo a “Hire with Tenure Review” at CU prior to hire.
• A faculty member can request a “Tenure Clock Stop” for a leave of absence. The tenure clock can only be stopped in one-year increments, even if the leave of absence is shorter than one year. This will move all of the reviews by one-year.
• A faculty member can choose to go up for tenure review early which will adjust the review schedule as well.

Please see the Timeline Table for Reviews.

Related policies & resources:

• University of Colorado Regent Laws & Policies
• University of Colorado Administrative Policy Statements
• University of Colorado Faculty Handbook
• CU Denver Campus Level Policies
• School of Public Affairs Policies, Procedures, and Criteria for the Evaluation and Development of Tenure-Track and Tenured Faculty

Review and promotion: IRC faculty

• SPA Policies, Procedures, and Criteria for the Evaluation and Development of Instructional, Research, & Clinical (IRC) Faculty
  

SPA offers support and guidance for faculty to advance their professional skills and knowledge. As part of professional development, tenure-track faculty prepare professional plans — at least one pre-tenure and one every five years thereafter for post-tenure review. SPA also encourages IRC faculty members to develop professional plans. SPA faculty also are encouraged to support each other in mentoring by seeking both formal and informal mentorship from colleagues and by serving as mentors to colleagues, particularly when interests align.

Please see the SPA Professional Development and Mentoring Policy.

School of Public Affairs general procedures/timelines for sabbatical applications

Eligibility

Tenured faculty members who have completed six years of full-time active service are eligible for a sabbatical leave. Periods of time on leave of absence are not considered active service and do NOT count towards the six years of service. Faculty who are retiring or resigning are not eligible, as the policy states that you must return for at least one full-time year of service following the sabbatical.

Timeline

All sabbaticals must be fully approved through the Board of Regents prior to the effective date of the sabbatical leave. Sabbaticals will not be retroactively approved under any circumstances.

October

By the end of October, the Dean’s Office will notify faculty members who are eligible for sabbatical in the following academic year, explaining how to apply, defer or waive their sabbatical. This notification will include all applicable deadlines.

December

Faculty members are to notify the Dean’s Office, in writing, of their intent to apply for sabbatical and whether they plan for a one semester or full year sabbatical; or the faculty member must notify the Dean’s Office, in writing, of their intent to waive or defer their sabbatical for the following academic year. These notifications are due by December 15.

January

Sabbatical requests are due to the Dean’s Office by end of the third week of January.  The Dean will review all sabbatical requests. There are occasions when the school will not be able to let every faculty member take sabbatical when he or she is first eligible, due to the needs of the school. Below are a few factors that the Dean will consider when deciding which sabbatical requests will be approved.

• Whose research best supports a sabbatical?
• Whose application is the most convincing, including whether external funding is a factor?
• Would important courses go untaught if one is approved over another?
• Were the results from the last sabbatical satisfactory?
• Faculty seniority.

February

Sabbatical requests are due to the Office of Academic Affairs in early February (specific dates are set each fall prior). The Provost reviews applications and forwards them to the Board of Regents for final approval.

May/June

Sabbatical requests appear on a Regent’s Agenda in May/June for final approval. Upon approval, Academic Affairs notifies the faculty member and the Dean.

The September after returning from Sabbatical

A Post-Sabbatical Leave Report is due to Dean’s Office. A specific due date will be set each year and the faculty member will be notified of this due date.

Changes/Cancellation/Postponement

Significant changes to a sabbatical plan require that the sabbatical application be re-submitted for approval at all levels. This includes a change to the length of sabbatical or focus/topic of research, and/or funding sources. For a change in date only, a written notice must be provided to the Dean’s Office who will notify the Office of Academic Affairs.

Related policies:

• Regent Policy 5-A: Approval of Sabbatical Assignments
• University of Colorado APS 1024 Approval of Sabbatical Assignments

Related forms:

• Sabbatical Application
• Post-Sabbatical Leave Report

School of Public Affairs (SPA) research resources

SPA encourages junior faculty members to meet with Associate Dean Christine Martell to discuss their anticipated research program and to participate in SPA’s Faculty Mentoring Program. As covered in the Administrative Services section, Director of Grants and Contracts Lauren Goolsby is available to support faculty with the administrative aspects of research grants and sponsored projects.

SPA faculty incentive program

Subject to available funds, SPA makes small research grants available to faculty members on a competitive basis. Contact Associate Dean Christine Martell for more information.

CU Denver research resources

Office of Research Services
The CU Denver Office of Research Services (ORS) is the faculty development component of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Work. ORS provides faculty development resources targeted at enhancing faculty research and creative work.

Additionally, ORS has discretionary funding to encourage and support creative activities on the downtown campus. They are committed to awarding such funds to increase faculty productivity and to enhance CU Denver’s reputation. Funds include:

• Large Grant Funding
• Small Grant Funding
• New Faculty Funding
• Travel-Related Funding
• Publication Funding

Creative Research Collaborative (CRC)
The CRC provides funds for interdisciplinary research teams to develop research proposals during the course of a fellowship year.

Office of Research Development and Education 
Housed within ORS is the Office of Research Development and Education (ORDE). ORDE is a faculty resource for information and resources related to obtaining external support for your research and teaching activities.

Auraria Library
Orlando Archibeque, the librarian assigned to support SPA faculty, can be reached at orlando.archibeque@ucdenver.edu.

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP)
The UROP program, housed in the Office of Undergraduate Experiences, provides funds for undergraduates to engage in research under the mentorship of a faculty member.

Opportunities for applied research

CU Denver is a public urban research university, and faculty are encouraged to connect their research with real-world issues in the state. The university has several initiatives intended to connect faculty with local priorities:

City Center
This office is the coordinating point for connecting faculty expertise with issues in Denver and surrounding areas, and administers programs like Hometown Colorado.

Data to Policy
This initiative, run through the Auraria Library, connects CU Denver faculty and courses with local datasets.

Applied research at SPA
SPA’s Institute and applied research centers provide additional opportunities for faculty interested in applied research:

• SPA Institute
  Director: Lisa VanRaemdonck
• Center for Education Policy Analysis
  Director: Parker Baxter
• Center for Local Government
  Director: Todd Ely
• Center for Policy and Democracy
  Co-Directors: Tanya Heikkila and Chris Weible
• Center for Community Safety and Resilience
  Co-Directors: Sheila Huss and Deserai Crow
• Center on Network Science
  Director: Robyn Mobbs
• Wirth Chair in Sustainable Development
  Director: TBD

If you have students who are interested in working on a specific local research project with you and would like to earn credit, you may request permission from the Dean to open a Field Research course. Keep in mind that you will need to provide sufficient academic content and contact hours to warrant providing academic credit for completion of the course.

Teaching Loads, Overloads & Buyouts

The standard full-time teaching load for tenure-track/tenured faculty is four (4) courses per year (2:2). For non-tenure-track faculty, the load varies based on job title. Generally, for faculty in the Instructor series, a full-time teaching load is seven (7) courses per year (3:4 or 4:3), and for faculty in the Clinical Teaching series, the full-time teaching load is six (6) courses per year (3:3). For any changes to the teaching load (i.e., offload, buyout or overload) a faculty member must complete the Load Adjustment Form and obtain approval prior to any changes.

Related Policies & Information:

• CU Denver Administrative Policy #1006-Faculty Compensation
• SPA Policies, Procedures and Criteria for the Evaluation and Development of Instructional, Research, & Clinical (IRC) Faculty

Resources for Course Planning and Improvement

SPA and the university offer many resources for faculty interested in improving their teaching, listed below. If you need specific assistance or have an idea for a SPA teaching brownbag topic, contact Associate Dean Christine Martell (christine.martell@ucdenver.edu).

• SPA Teaching Resources Canvas site
• Center for Faculty Development & Advancement

Teaching Evaluation

SPA faculty are evaluated on their teaching annually and as part of the tenure process. Faculty Course Questionnaires (FCQs) filled out by students are part of this evaluation, as are syllabi reviews, evidence of instructional improvement activities and other factors. Contact Associate Dean Christine Martell for more information.

Related Policies & Information:

• Multiple Means of Teaching Evaluation Policy – University APS 1009
• Teaching Consultations via Center for Faculty Development
• Teaching Observations via Center for Faculty Development

Course-Related Logistics

For questions or any logistical issues related to courses, please contact spa.courses@ucdenver.edu.

Course Assignments, Scheduling, and Locations

Access the University Academic Calendar to view term dates, holiday closures and add/drop deadlines.

Course assignments are generally made one year in advance. At the start of each academic year, the SPA Course Coordinator will reach out to all tenure-track and IRC faculty to collect course teaching preferences for the following year on behalf of the program directors. The program directors and the SPA Course Coordinator will set the course rotation for the following academic year, placing all tenure-track and IRC faculty before assigning any courses to lecturers. While all efforts are made to accommodate faculty preferences, this is not always possible. In the semester prior to your scheduled course, the SPA Course Coordinator will email you to collect any necessary information to finalize your course schedule.

All course locations are determined by the Campus Rooming Coordinator. If you have an issue with your classroom assignment, please contact spa.courses@ucdenver.edu.

Classroom Facilities Help

SPA Classrooms
303-315-2089

CU Buildings

CU Building, Business School, LSC
303-315-7777

Auraria Buildings

North Classroom, King Center, Plaza:
303-556-4296

Course Canvas Sites

Each semester, your Canvas site will be automatically made available for you to begin prepping. If you do not see your Canvas shell on your dashboard at the time of student registration, please email spa.courses@ucdenver.edu.

NOTE: Student rosters will automatically be imported from CU SIS to Canvas; however, when students drop the course, Canvas does not automatically remove them. If you see a student on your Canvas shell who is not on your official roster in CU SIS, please email spa.courses@ucdenver.edu to request for the student to be removed from your Canvas site.

Ordering Books

The priority deadline to order your textbooks for each term is, in general, one month prior to the opening of registration (e.g., April). You will receive an email from spa.courses@ucdenver.edu to alert you of the deadline, and you will receive periodic reminders from the bookstore. We ask that you please be sure to submit your textbook orders by the priority deadline so that students have time to search for discounted options, if needed, or prepare for any advanced readings if applicable.

To place a textbook order with the Tivoli Bookstore:  

• Visit http://ahec.verbacollect.com/session/selfassign
  
• Enter your CU Denver email address (this will send a link to your email account)
  
• Follow the link in your email to view your courses, enter your textbook information and submit.
  

If you are having trouble accessing your courses, please email spa.courses@ucdenver.edu or contact our bookstore representative for further assistance.

To order a Desktop Copy of your textbook:

STEP 1: We ask that you first refer to the Publisher Contact List to determine whether the publisher of your book has a partnership with CU Denver. If the publisher for your texts appears on this list, please complete the Desk Copy Request Form, and email it to the appropriate Publisher contact. The book will be sent at no cost to you; however, it generally takes a few weeks for delivery, so we recommend ordering early.

STEP 2: If the publisher of the selection you are using does not appear on the Publisher Contact List, you may submit a Purchase Request Form for SPA to buy the book on your behalf from SPA funds*. Submit your request via the SPA Workorder form.

*Only required classroom texts will be paid by SPA. Books for personal enrichment or supplemental materials should be purchased using either personal or professional development funds.

Submitting Syllabi

All faculty and lecturers should use the University Syllabus Template as a guide to build your course syllabi. In each syllabus, faculty should list the appropriate competencies that will be covered in your course. Contact the faculty program director if you have any questions about this.

Each semester, the SPA Course Coordinator will let you know the syllabi submission deadline with months of advance warning. Please submit all syllabi to the course coordinator by the deadline.

Course Caps and Waitlists

If your course has a waitlist, the SPA Waitlist Guidelines give you options about whether or not to take on additional students. Contact spa.courses@ucdenver.edu if you have questions.

Faculty Course Questionnaires

Faculty Course Questionnaires (FCQs) are administered online to your students near the end of the course. You will be contacted by the Boulder FCQ office with administration dates, and the survey links will be sent automatically to your roster. The questionnaire form is available to view online. Your FCQ results and student comments will be made available online as soon as they have been processed.

Please encourage students to fill out the FCQs. Their feedback will be important for your evaluations, and your ratings will generally benefit from a high response rate rather than responses that are limited to a handful of students.

Students generally appreciate the opportunity to provide a mid-course evaluation to faculty, which helps faculty to understand what is working and what is not. In face-to-face classes, you can ask students to write or print out anonymous suggestions for improving the class. In online classes, the mid-course evaluation will be administered to students by CU Online, and you do not need to take any extra actions.

Grade Submission

All grades MUST be submitted through the UCD Access Portal, as they do not auto-import from Canvas. Any grades submitted only to Canvas are not considered official and will not appear as complete with the registrar.

How to submit your grades:

• Log on to UCD Access Faculty Portal and click on the Faculty Tab (upper left corner), then select Faculty Center in the yellow box.
  
• Select ‘My Schedule’ and your grade roster(s) will appear on the left side of the page next to your class roster(s).
  
• Enter grades into grade roster and click ‘save’ in the top left corner.
  
• Once you have input your grades, you must update the approval status to “Approved” if you are the primary instructor or “Ready to Review” if you are a TA.
  
• See the Grading Instructions for further assistance.
  

To change a grade, please refer to the Grade Change Process.

Supervising Independent Studies

Independent study courses allow students the opportunity to explore content beyond the current curriculum that closely relates to student interests. The student is guided and monitored by a faculty mentor during the independent study. Independent studies are available in all of SPA’s degree programs under the following course numbers:

• BACJ – CRJU 4840
  
• BAPS – PUAD 4840
  
• MPA – PUAD 6840
  
• MCJ – CRJU 6840
  
• PhD – PUAD 8840
  

SPA’s Guidelines for Independent Study Courses establish eligibility and procedures for independent studies. To be eligible for a SPA independent study, the student must:

• be enrolled as a SPA student, or, if the student is enrolled in another CU Denver unit, have the written permission of the other unit;
• for SPA students, have successfully completed at least three SPA courses (this requirement may be waived with program director approval);
  
• have earned at least a 2.5 GPA for undergraduate students or a 3.0 GPA for graduate students in their studies so far; and
  
• have the permission of the faculty member who will be supervising the independent study.
  

Faculty requirements for supervising an independent study are:

• SPA appointment as a tenured, tenure-track, clinical teaching track, research track, instructor or senior instructor status;
• SPA appointment as a lecturer or other faculty category, with the permission of the program director; and
• capacity and intent to provide direct oversight of the independent study to ensure that it warrants academic credit.

The subject of the independent study should meet the following requirements:

• Address content that falls within the discipline of public affairs or criminal justice and that is not covered by a regularly scheduled course in the program; and
  
• Require the student to engage in a course of study equivalent to a regular course in the program in terms of academic rigor and work required.
  

The student and the faculty member should agree in advance on meeting times, readings and other assignments, the amount of time the student is expected to put in per week (typically 8-10 hours per three credits), the expected product/s (such as one or more papers or other projects), and grading criteria. Independent study expectations must be confirmed in a written syllabus for the independent study and in the Special Processing Form described below. Depending on the difficulty and complexity of the project, the faculty may determine that the independent study warrants anywhere from one to six credits, although three is typical.

No more than six graduate credit hours of independent study may be applied toward a graduate degree, and no more than three undergraduate credit hours of independent study may be applied toward an undergraduate degree.

CU Denver requires students to complete a Special Processing Form before they can enroll in independent study courses. This form is available from SPA advisors and must be submitted before the semester add/drop deadline. The Special Processing Form, which must be signed by the participating faculty member, must contain a description of the project, the expectations for a paper or other project outcome, and the number of hours to be devoted to the independent study by the student each week. Consistency is expected between the information contained in the Special Processing Form and in the syllabus for the independent study.

Supervision of independent studies generally does not warrant additional compensation for regular faculty, although exceptions may be made under unusual circumstances that require a significant amount of additional work by the supervising faculty member. Lecturers who agree to supervise an independent study may receive an honorarium.

Serving As a Capstone Second Reader

You are likely to be regularly asked to serve as a second reader on MPA or MCJ capstone projects — SPA students complete 50 to 70 capstones per semester.

The second reader is part of the project panel that includes the first reader (the capstone instructor) and the capstone client. The second reader is expected to have some expertise in the area of the capstone project and provides feedback to the student throughout the semester on the design and execution of the project and iterative report drafts. The second reader is also present at the final project presentation. The typical SPA faculty member serves on one to five capstones per semester; program concentration directors always serve as second readers on capstones in their concentrations.

Capstone projects are hugely meaningful to students and provide an opportunity for SPA faculty to interact with external community partners. For these reasons, second readers are expected to provide timely feedback for students and to be mindful of client impressions of SPA.

Developing New Courses and Programs

All new courses and programs must be approved through the University Curriculum Committee, in addition to the approval process within SPA. Contact Associate Deans Annie Miller (annie.b.miller@ucdenver.edu) or Christine Martell (christine.martell@ucdenver.edu) for more information.

For assistance in developing a new study abroad course, contact Assistant Dean Elizabeth Pae (elizabeth.pae@ucdenver.edu).

Faculty members are expected to contribute toward service activities that support the School’s mission. These include: (a) consistent and competent participation on committees at the school level (at least one per year); (b) regular attendance at formal SPA or University events; (c) consistent and competent service on University or institutional committees (at least one per year); and (d) disciplinary service, which may include but is not limited to reviewing papers for professional conferences or academic journals, serving on committees for disciplinary organizations or societies, or serving as an officer for a professional society.

The process for requesting and assigning committees begins in the spring semester, when faculty members complete a committee request form that is submitted to the Dean’s Office (March/April). The Associate Dean and the Faculty Affairs Administrator will review these sheets and the needs of SPA and try to match faculty with the committees requested. Some committees are assigned based on job responsibilities (i.e., academic program directors will lead their program committees and also serve on the Executive Committee), and some roles will require a vote by the faculty (RTP Chair).

Please note that it may not be possible to match up everyone’s top preferences, especially because some committees require members to have specific qualifications, and we have a limited number of faculty. Faculty will be assigned to at least one internal SPA committee and one external (Campus/University/System-Level) committee. Faculty will receive an email confirming their committee assignments in May of each year.

Related forms and information:

• A current list of faculty committee assignments and a description of Faculty Committees can be requested by emailing chris.smith@ucdenver.edu.