B. Part-Time Professors of the Practice

Please scroll down or click on the links below to read about this process.

(1) Appointment to Part-Time Professor of the Practice

a.   Description
b.   Search Flowchart
c.   Steps
d.   Dossier Checklist

(2) Reappointment of Part-Time Professors of the Practice

(1) Appointment to Part-Time Professor of the Practice

a. Description

Part-time professors of the practice are normally half-time or less than half-time appointments that are reserved for individuals who blend scholarship and professional leadership outside the academy with demonstrated excellence in teaching. These appointments result from unique opportunities to take advantage of the expertise of individuals, in such areas as the private sector, government, and the arts, who are located in the Boston area but whose primary employment is not at Harvard. These appointments are normally made for a period of five years and are renewable contingent upon review and approval of the Dean. Part-time professors of the practice have voting rights in the Faculty and voting rights as senior faculty in the department, except on decisions relating to ladder appointments or to internal reviews for professors in residence and professors of the practice.

b. Search Flowchart: Part-Time Professor of the Practice

search flowchart part-time pop

c. Steps: Appointment to Part-Time Professor of the Practice

	Step	Explanation
1	The department chair writes to the divisional dean, requesting authorization for a search	The search plan should address: The names of the proposed search committee members, including the chair, who will have primary responsibility for ensuring that the search is broad, wide-ranging, and thorough and that proactive efforts are made to identify candidates from diverse populations, including women and minorities. The committee must consist of at least 3 members, all at the rank of professor of the practice or above. At least two members must be tenured faculty. As appropriate, the committee may include a faculty member from outside the hiring unit if there is an overlap in research interests. How the anticipated appointment is expected to serve the curricular needs of the department. The process by which candidates will be identified to ensure the creation of the most highly qualified and diverse pool of applicants. The space that will house the proposed appointment. Note: Because of the special nature of part-time professor of the practice appointments, standard search and documentation procedures do not always apply.
2	The divisional dean reviews the request	In consultation with the Edgerley Family Dean of the FAS, the divisional dean reviews individual requests in light of divisional priorities and resources (including space). If the search is authorized, the divisional dean will provide a written response to the department, setting out the conditions of the search.
3	The department advertises the position and makes inquiries at other institutions	All advertising copy must be reviewed and approved by the assistant dean for the division before it is submitted to the appropriate journals and other venues. Advertisements and inquiries should describe the position broadly and should list a date after which the department will stop accepting applications, or the department can encourage candidates to apply by a specific date, while indicating that applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. At least one form of the advertisement should be published in print. Advertisements should clearly state required documents and must indicate that Harvard is “an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, protected veteran status, disability, genetic information, military service, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or other protected status.” The dossier for the finalist must include a teaching/advising statement that describes the candidate’s philosophy and practices related to undergraduate teaching and advising, a research statement or statement of professional activities from the candidate, and teaching materials (e.g., a teaching chart listing courses in reverse chronological order, any teaching awards, representative course syllabi, and teaching evaluations). (Note: In the teaching chart, please indicate which, if any, courses were taught remotely, whether partially or in full, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) The advertisement should ask all candidates to submit with their original application materials a teaching/advising statement, research/professional activities statement, and a statement describing efforts to encourage diversity, inclusion, and belonging, including past, current, and anticipated future contributions in these areas. Candidates should not solicit student letters, and any unsolicited student letters will not be included in the final dossier. Harvard is required to solicit and record, when available, each applicant’s gender and racial/ethnic information, which is accomplished through the ARIeS system. Applicants are not required to provide demographic information.
4	The department submits a short list of candidates for approval by the divisional dean	The short list consists of candidates the department has determined are the most qualified for the job in terms of credentials, accomplishments, standing in the field, teaching experience, and field of expertise. To build the strongest pool for the short list, the committee should discuss in early and ongoing conversations how to attract diverse applicants, including women and minorities. The department sends the following to the divisional dean and the assistant dean for the division: The names of the short-list candidates. The candidates’ materials (e.g., letters of application, CVs, research statement or statement of professional activities, teaching/advising statement, and statement on diversity, inclusion, and belonging). A brief summary of the search process to date, including discussion of how the demographics of the short list compare to the data in the Departmental EEO Report. The Departmental EEO Report displaying aggregate demographic data from the search. This report, which does not identify characteristics of individual applicants, can be retrieved through the ARIeS system. See Chapter 2 in this handbook for more information on Affirmative Action policies.
5	If approval is granted, the department invites short-list candidates to campus for interviews	Ordinarily, all candidates under serious consideration have the opportunity of a campus visit in order to meet with members of the department, in addition to the members of the search committee.
6	The department selects a final candidate and requests authorization from the divisional dean to solicit external evaluation letters. With the request, the department should submit a draft of the letter soliciting evaluations and a recipient list (see Sample Table)	The letter soliciting external evaluations should include: The criteria for appointment to a professor of the practice position at Harvard. An indication that the University will make every effort possible to keep the response confidential and will make it available only to the senior members of the department and others directly involved in the formal review process. The deadline for receipt of responses and contact information. The recipient list (see Sample Table) should be in alphabetical order and include title/current rank, home institution, year of doctorate (if available), a link to the scholar’s website, email address, whether the scholar has been the candidate's Ph.D. advisor, postdoctoral advisor, or co-author, and the rationale for including each scholar on the list. It is expected that the list will be diverse, including gender and racial/ethnic diversity.
7	The department sends the approved letter to the scholars on the recipient list	The department writes to a number of scholars sufficient to elicit at least eight evaluative letters. The names of outside scholars declining to write an evaluation should be noted in the case statement. Any explanatory emails/letters from these scholars should be included with the other external evaluations.
8	After reviewing all of the candidate’s materials, including external letters, the department discusses the case and votes	This discussion should be in depth and rigorous. A favorable vote does not have to be unanimous but must comprise affirmative votes by a significant majority of the voting faculty.
9	After a favorable vote, the chair asks each tenured member of the department, including those on the search committee, to write a confidential letter to the Edgerley Family Dean of the FAS	These letters express the faculty members’ views on the appointment and will be included in the candidate’s dossier to be reviewed by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions. (For inclusion in the dossier, letters should be sent electronically to the ad hoc coordinator in the Office for Faculty Affairs, ryoung@fas.harvard.edu.)
10	The case statement is finalized by the department chair	The finalized case statement, prepared and signed by the department chair and the chair of the search committee, should include the following: A one-paragraph executive summary of the candidate’s contributions and the department’s recommendation. Background and context: An explanation of how the appointment serves the needs of the department and why it is appropriate to make the appointment at the professor of the practice rank. Describe the teaching needs that the appointment would address. Summary of the search process: List key dates, such as and not limited to: The dates of search committee meetings and departmental meetings about the case Visits or other interactions with short-list candidates The date that the department sent requests for external letters. Describe how the finalist was identified; please address the demographics of the pool as displayed in the Departmental EEO Report available in ARIeS. External letter writers: A brief description of the logic underlying the composition of the external letter writer group. The case for the candidate: An evaluation of the finalist’s teaching/advising abilities and contributions related to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. A comparison of the candidate with all other leading candidates (in particular, women and minorities), and reasons why the other leading candidates were not chosen. A discussion of the strength and weaknesses of the candidate’s case, as noted in the external evaluations and the internal conversations of both the search committee and the department. A summary of the department's discussions of the case. Departmental vote: A record of the department vote, by name, with an “as of” date for the vote tally. Signatures: An indication of the primary author of the statement. Note: The finalized case statement should be made available to the faculty in the department involved in the review.
11	The candidate’s dossier is prepared by the department and sent to the assistant dean for the division	Note: The department should secure from applicants at the short-list stage (or from the finalist, if the department’s process does not include a short-list stage) a draft course title, course description, and syllabus for the course(s) that the candidate(s) intend to teach during their first semester, for approval. This information will be included in the finalist’s dossier. (Obtaining this information is not necessary for candidates who would be teaching established courses such as certain language or mathematics courses, etc.) Please send one electronic copy of the dossier to the assistant dean. Please follow HUIT’s recommended practices for secure document transfer (e.g., Accellion Kiteworks, encryption, etc.), which can vary by user platform. For a full checklist of what the dossier should include, please see below. Note: The divisional dean/SEAS Dean and/or their designee and the Dean for Faculty Affairs and Planning can ask for changes to the dossier at any time.
12	The Committee on Appointments and Promotions reviews the dossier	The Committee on Appointments and Promotions (CAP) reviews the dossier and advises the Dean on whether the correct process has been followed, the dossier is complete, and the case is sufficiently strong. The Dean then decides whether or not to approve the appointment and forward the case to the Provost for approval.
13	The Provost reviews the case	The Office for Faculty Affairs forwards the case to the Provost, who makes the final decision on whether or not to approve the appointment.
14	If the decision is favorable, the Office for Faculty Development prepares and issues the offer letter	Once approval for the appointment has been granted, the department should ask the individual during the hiring process to confirm the department’s understanding of what the course title, description, and syllabus are. The offer letter contains detailed information about the finalist’s administrative and teaching duties. It also makes clear the standards and procedures for reappointment.
15	If the offer is accepted, the appointment is processed in the Aurora system by the Office for Faculty Affairs	The Office for Faculty Development provides all documentation for processing, with the exception of the original I-9 form and any necessary payroll documents, which the FAS financial administrator or the department administrator delivers to Central Payroll. The department administrator will remind the faculty member to sign electronically the Harvard University Participation Agreement by the start of their appointment.

d. Dossier Checklist: Part-Time Professors of the Practice

Please securely send an electronic copy of the preliminary dossier to the assistant dean for the division (AD). Please follow HUIT’s recommended practices for secure document transfer (e.g., Accellion Kiteworks, encryption, etc.), which can vary by user platform. To facilitate storing and sharing of files, please name the file as follows: a) alpha-numeric characters only (no dashes, commas, slashes, etc.). b) [Last Name] [First Name] [Department Name] PT POP dossier [Month, Date, and Year of dossier submission, expressed numerically: XX YY ZZ]. E.g., Smith John Psychology PT POP dossier 1 4 15. c) If a dossier is revised and resubmitted, please repeat the original title, followed by “rev” and [Month of resubmission] [Date of resubmission] [Year of resubmission]. E.g., Smith John Psychology PT POP dossier 1 4 15 rev 1 15 15. Departments should retain documents according to practices recommended by Harvard Archives at https://grs.harvard.edu/ (please log in).

______1. Case statement (including department vote by name). See description in Step 10 above.

______2. The department’s request for search authorization and the divisional dean’s letter approving the search request.

______3. The Departmental EEO Report displaying aggregate demographic data from the search, available through ARIeS.

______4. Candidate’s curriculum vitae.

______5. Summary teaching chart and teaching materials (including teaching awards, representative course syllabi, and teaching evaluations).

______6. A teaching/advising statement describing philosophy and practices related to undergraduate teaching and advising.

______7. Course title, course description, and syllabus for the course(s) the candidate intends to teach during their first semester.

______8. A research statement or statement of professional activities from the candidate.

______9. Statement describing efforts to encourage diversity, inclusion, and belonging, including past, current, and anticipated future contributions in these areas.

_____10. A copy of the letter soliciting external evaluations and the recipient list (see Sample Table), indicating who did and did not reply.

_____11. At least eight external evaluation letters.

Note: The candidate should not solicit student letters, and any unsolicited student letters will not be included in the dossier.

(2) Reappointment of Part-Time Professors of the Practice

	Step	Explanation
1	The department chair requests materials from the candidate during the penultimate year of appointment	Materials should include: A curriculum vitae, including bibliography. Teaching and advising materials, including: a list of past and present theses supervised, if applicable, representative course syllabi, and evidence of teaching effectiveness, such as teaching awards and evaluations. A teaching/advising statement that describes the candidate’s philosophy and practices related to undergraduate teaching and advising. A research statement or statement of professional activities from the candidate, including a summary of the candidate’s work outside of Harvard in the last five years.
2	The chair requests divisional dean approval of a proposed review committee and, following this approval, appoints the committee	The committee consists of tenured colleagues who will evaluate the case, including a tenured faculty member from another department/SEAS area. The request should name the committee chair and other review committee members.
3	The department compiles a summary teaching chart and gathers information on the candidate’s performance as a teacher	The summary teaching chart summarizes, in reverse chronological order, all courses the candidate has taught, including course titles, enrollments, and overall course scores and instructor scores. (Note: In the teaching chart, please indicate which, if any, courses were taught remotely, whether partially or in full, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) All teaching evaluations not already seen during the last review should be collected. Please include a PDF of evaluations: 1 electronic PDF of student teaching evaluations For evaluations prior to Fall 2019, please go to https://course-evaluation-reports.fas.harvard.edu/fas/list Select “Term” and click “Select another term” to update. Select department and click on a course. "Print Full Reports" tab and download for each course: “Course Evaluation and Instructor/TF Summary” (Printable Version (PDF) Student Comments: go to “View Comments by Question” and select "Show Questions." Print out "Whole Course" option. For evaluations from Fall 2019 onward, please go to https://q.fas.harvard.edu/results-2019-20-and-later. Click on “Results 2019-20 and later" and log in. Select the “Course Heads-Instructors report” for the specific year/term. Type the course number abbreviation (e.g. COMPSCI 50) in the “Search report title” field and click to search. Download for each course: Select "View the {term} Individual Report -- Comments included report" and click on the course from the listing. Click the (PDF) icon next to the corresponding instructor to download the report. The review committee should: Solicit feedback from the candidate’s current and former students, as appropriate. To gather student feedback, which should be summarized in the case statement, the department chair (or their designee) either speaks with or writes to the candidate’s students. If the feedback takes written form, the chair should make clear that the emails or letters will be kept confidential and students’ names will be redacted (as is also the case with oral feedback) before the emails or letters are shared with committee members (although the dean or the dean's designee may request any information regarding the case if questions arise). The emails or letters should not be included in the dossier. Observe the candidate’s teaching.
4	The committee considers the case	The review committee should take into account all aspects of the candidate’s job description, including the candidate’s teaching/advising and scholarship or professional activity.
5	The committee drafts a case statement and reports its findings to the department	The draft case statement for the candidate summarizes the committee’s conclusions, including the strengths and weaknesses of the case with regard to teaching/advising, research or professional activity, and citizenship (see Step 8 for all of the necessary elements of the final case statement).
6	The department reviews the materials, discusses the case, and votes on the reappointment according to its standard procedures	This discussion should be in depth and rigorous. A favorable vote does not have to be unanimous but must comprise affirmative votes by a significant majority of the voting faculty. If the department decides against reappointment, the department chair sends to the divisional dean the current dossier, including a record of the department vote, and a draft of the letter to the candidate and explains the department’s decision. After divisional dean approval, the department gives the letter to the candidate.
7	After a favorable vote, the chair asks each tenured member of the department, including those on the review committee, to write a confidential letter to the Edgerley Family Dean of the FAS	These letters express the tenured faculty members’ views on the reappointment and will be included in the candidate’s dossier to be reviewed by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions (CAP). (For inclusion in the dossier, letters should be sent electronically to the ad hoc coordinator in the Office for Faculty Affairs, ryoung@fas.harvard.edu.)
8	The department sends the candidate’s dossier, including a draft letter for the candidate, to the assistant dean for the division	Please securely send one electronic copy of the dossier, including a draft letter for the candidate, to the assistant dean. Please follow HUIT’s recommended practices for secure document transfer (e.g., Accellion Kiteworks, encryption, etc.), which can vary by user platform. The dossier should consist of: A case statement describing the review procedures, making the case for the reappointment of the candidate. It includes an evaluation of the candidate’s teaching and advising effectiveness (including a summary of student feedback solicited by the department chair), the strengths and weaknesses of the case, as well as a record of the department vote, by name, with an “as of” date for the vote tally. The case statement should also indicate who authored it and be signed by both the author and the chair. Note: The finalized case statement should be made available to the faculty in the department involved in the review. The candidate’s curriculum vitae. Summary teaching chart. A teaching/advising statement. A research statement or statement of professional activities from the candidate, including a summary of the candidate’s work outside of Harvard in the last five years. Teaching and advising materials, including: a list of theses supervised, if applicable, representative course syllabi, and evidence of teaching effectiveness, such as teaching awards. All teaching evaluations not already seen during the last review. A draft letter to the individual, to be reviewed by the divisional dean, discussing the review. The letter covers any concerns about performance and/or need for services that might affect the future. The letter also indicates the dates of reappointment and the schedule for the next review. Note: The candidate should not solicit student letters, and any unsolicited student letters will not be included in the dossier. Note: The divisional dean/SEAS Dean and/or their designee and the Dean for Faculty Affairs and Planning can ask for changes to the dossier at any time.
9	The Committee on Appointments and Promotions reviews the dossier	The Committee on Appointments and Promotions (CAP) reviews the dossier and advises the Dean on whether the case warrants reappointment. The Dean then decides whether or not to approve the reappointment and forward the case to the Provost for approval.
10	The Provost reviews the case	The Office for Faculty Affairs forwards the case to the Provost, who makes the final decision on whether or not to approve the reappointment.
11	If reappointment is authorized, the department issues a final letter to the candidate	The department securely sends 1 electronic PDF copy of the final letter for the candidate, signed by the department chair, to the divisional dean, cc’ing the assistant dean. Please follow HUIT’s recommended practices for secure document transfer (e.g., Accellion Kiteworks, encryption, etc.), which can vary by user platform. The reappointment is processed in the Aurora system by the Office for Faculty Affairs.