College of Arts and Sciences
Step Increase Procedures

Step Increases. Step increases are awarded to faculty who demonstrate ongoing excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. Step increases are not automatic and they require support from the department chair. All step increases, other than to Step 4 Professor, will be initiated by the department chair and require the Dean’s approval. The Dean forwards all recommendations for step increases to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for final approval.

Notification for Step Increase Eligibility. Names of faculty members eligible for step increases are communicated to department chairs by the Dean of CAS during Fall Quarter. All letters supporting requests for step increases are due in CAS in early January, Winter Quarter. See Faculty Advancement Due Dates.

Letters Supporting Step Increases. Department chairs will make recommendations in writing to the Dean. Letters of support will reference annual PDPs and the progress made in one or more of the areas for evaluating teaching faculty: teaching, scholarship, and service.

Professor Step 4 Application File Contents. This is the only step increase that requires an application file from the candidate. Given that the move to Step 4 Professor signals fulfillment of the highest achievement of our senior rank, the application file needs to demonstrate excellence in all criteria for evaluating teaching faculty as outlined in 5.2 of the Faculty Handbook. Moreover, candidates should address what has transpired in teaching, scholarship, and service since the last step increase and/or promotion and how these achievements demonstrate excellence for this most senior step. The candidate’s application file must be supported by the department chair and is due in CAS in early January, Winter Quarter. See Faculty Advancement Due Dates.

Committee Structure for Applicant to Professor Step 4. The committee structure for reviewing step increase applications is the same as those set forth in the Faculty Handbook for promotion in 6.4.5 Makeup of Promotion Review Committee. A minimum of five (5) available Professor 4 faculty will comprise the committee.

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