The History Department believes that its members' active participation in the scholarly undertakings of a national or international community of historians fortifies their abilities to be effective teachers in Kenyon classrooms. Therefore, in order to foster such active participation and to make the department's expectation as clear as possible, the department endorses the following statements.

  1. Candidates who come forward for reviews for appointments without limit in history must demonstrate that they have successfully launched their scholarly careers. The strongest evidence for the success of this launching would be publication of a peer-reviewed monograph or its equivalent. By a monograph the department means a published book from a reputable press or a complete book manuscript along with a contract for its publication. In terms of “its equivalent” the department considers the publication of three articles in refereed scholarly journals as a logical substitute. Should a candidate propose other evidence of engagement with the intellectual community beyond Kenyon as demonstration of launching a career, this should be discussed in advance with the department chair and reviewed by the department which can assess its suitability before the review begins.  

  2. Candidates considered for promotion to the rank of full professor must demonstrate that they have moved beyond the launching phase of their careers and established themselves as recognized scholars. The publication of a second peer-reviewed monograph or its equivalent is the clearest demonstration that a career has been established. Should tenure be achieved with a set of three articles rather than a monograph, promotion to full professor would require the publication of a first monograph.  If a monograph forms part of the materials presented by a department member for the tenure review, the scholarly materials submitted for the promotion to full professor review may take the form of a series of articles in refereed journals, co-authored books, essays in peer-reviewed volumes, or noteworthy editorial projects. A department member who anticipates going forward for promotion to full professor should discuss the materials for review with the chair, who will consult the department regarding their suitability.

Because the purpose of making these expectations explicit is to foster teaching excellence, the department does not want them to become a substitute for or, worse yet, a barrier to cultivation of excellence in the classroom. Nor does the department want its members, in pursuing publication, to confuse mere quantity of output with quality of scholarship. Therefore, the department states that the meeting of these expectations cannot be a guarantee of a successful review. And the department acknowledges that occasions may arise in which the failure to fulfill these expectations ought not to result automatically in an unsuccessful review.  

WS 5/17/16