Support and Expectations for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Promotion and Tenure at PUI Institutions

Abstract

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) faculty at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUI) work in very diverse environments. PUI institutions are those defined by the NSF as U.S. four‐year, masters‐level, and small doctoral colleges and universities, that award on average no more than 2 Ph.D. or D.Sc. degrees per year in a department. BMB faculty work at private and public universities, in chemistry and biology departments, and with a varied ratio of teaching, research and service expectations. Within these parameters characterizing, comparing and developing expectations for promotion and/or tenure is challenging, with limited data to assist in important decision making. In order to assist faculty and administrators with strategic planning, goal setting, measuring productivity, and to provide guidance for internal and external program/departmental reviewers, we have initiated a survey to collect a broad set of data from PUIs. After writing and testing sample survey questions and responses, a final survey was developed to query participants about parameters such as teaching load, research support, and output. Initial survey results and plans to disseminate the results including using interactive graphical tools will be presented.