Introduction

Feminist & Gender Studies is rooted in the civil rights, women’s, and student movements of the 1960s and 1970s and focuses on the study of cultures, movements, and resistance to systemic and systematic inequality and oppression. Our field draws from, builds on, questions, and transforms conventional disciplinary approaches, taking disciplinary, multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and even antidisciplinary forms, as it was “established, in part, to transgress institutional norms in higher education” (“NWSA”). We examine “how knowers and systems of knowledge, are situated" and cultivate "reflexivity about the impact of social location, power asymmetries, and cultural contexts on the knowledge process are thus central issues” (“NWSA”), requiring us to develop new modes of inquiry and engagement, pose critical questions, and create new knowledge that centers subjugated ontologies and epistemologies. Our work, then, includes but is not limited to traditional scholarship and also participatory action research, myriad forms of activism, artistic and creative expression, public performance, archival research, lab-based teamwork, and collaborative editorial work.

In tandem with our on-campus community’s definition of “scholarly achievement,” Feminist & Gender Studies contends its faculty must provide evidence of high-quality contributions to the field since arriving at Colorado College, which “can reflect the development of the faculty member’s research in new directions“ or “extend previous work” (“Handbook”). We also concur with the handbook that faculty contributions must be recognized by academics outside Colorado College. However, our work may also be recognized as significant by intellectuals outside the academy. Additionally, while the handbook acknowledges equivalencies to peer-reviewed publications in the visual and performing arts, other equivalencies unique to Feminist & Gender Studies include, but are not limited to, online journals and blogs, op-eds, policy reports, performances, community action projects, grants, consulting, lectures, conference presentations, curriculum transformation projects, keynote addresses, workshops, and field-defining statements.

Hence, assessment measures require an understanding of our field as heterogenous and must account for the “consequent variability” of our theories, methodologies, praxes, and contributions. These take multiple forms and embrace multiple genres, languages, and collaborations within and outside the academy, posing challenges unique to those related to solitary intellectual pursuits and knowledge production.

Third-Year Review

For a successful third-year review, faculty in Feminist & Gender Studies should:

▪ submit at least two peer-reviewed works for review;
▪ present their work at a professional meeting or conference at least twice;
▪ present their work or contribute their expertise to an audience outside higher education, such as a non-profit organization or high school, at least once;
▪ and apply for at least one (internal or external) grant or fellowship.

Tenure Review

For a successful tenure review, faculty in Feminist & Gender Studies should:

▪ have at least one peer-reviewed work accepted for publication since third-year review;
▪ present their work at a professional meeting or conference at least twice since third-year review;
▪ present their work or contributed their expertise to an audience outside higher education at least once since third-year review;
▪ and have received at least one (internal or external) grant or fellowship since third-year review.

Full Professor

For a successful promotion to Full Professor, faculty in Feminist & Gender Studies should:

▪ have several peer-reviewed works or one major publication (such as a co-edited collection or single-authored manuscript) accepted for publication since tenure review;
▪ present their work at a professional meeting or conference at least three times since tenure review;
▪ present their work or contributed their expertise to an audience outside higher education at least three times since tenure review;
▪ have received at least two (internal or external) grants or fellowships since tenure review;
▪ and have served in a position of leadership in a professional organization.

Conclusion

Other forms of scholarly achievement acceptable in Feminist & Gender Studies may be identified by the candidate in their statement on scholarship and by the Program Director or Steering Committee Chair.

Revised October 2021 in consultation with Dr. Peony Fhagen, Senior Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion, & Faculty Development.