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Major Disruptions Impact Statements

Beginning with the 2024-2025 RPT cycle, COVID Impact Statements were revised into more generalized Major Disruptions Impact Statements.

Upon consultation with the Faculty Senate Personnel Policy Committee, Provost Arden began offering faculty members the option to add a COVID Impact Statement to the materials prepared for the reappointment, promotion and tenure (RPT) process in the 2021-2022 cycle. Beginning with the 2024-2025 RPT cycle, faculty may also describe other high impact disruptions that have occurred. This impact statement, as well as the candidate statement in general, remains optional.

A Major Disruptions Impact Statement is an opportunity for faculty to describe both positive and detrimental effects of a major disruption on the mix or balance of their work activities and the types of work outcomes that they were able to achieve. Evaluators are asked to consider these impacts as they apply departmental and college standards in faculty evaluation processes. Evaluators are also asked to recognize the individualized impacts of major disruptions and avoid universalizing these statements; for example, the same factor that presented an opportunity for one candidate may have presented a hardship for another.

Developing an Impact Statement

REG 05.20.20 Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Dossier Format Requirements has been amended and REG 05.20.04 Post Tenure Review of Faculty is being amended to allow the inclusion of an additional page to the current optional two-page candidate statement. Faculty may choose to present a Major Disruptions Impact Statement as a discrete one-page addition to their candidate statement, or they may choose to integrate information about the impact of a major disruption throughout a three-page candidate statement. If integrating across a three-page statement, faculty should ensure that the impacts of a major disruption are clearly and explicitly presented to address the intent of this opportunity.

For each realm of responsibility that has been affected, the faculty member may summarize changes in practice that affected productivity, including but not limited to:

  • Opportunities to demonstrate innovation and creativity;  
  • Modifications or increases to workload, activities or approaches;
  • Canceled or delayed events, activities or work products;
  • Reduced access to facilities, locations, personnel or partners;
  • Opportunities to address emergent issues;
  • “Invisible” service to sustain departmental or other operations or to support students.

Impacts should be discussed explicitly in the faculty member’s statement as well as in the departmental, department head, college and/or dean’s assessments. 

In addition, each faculty member at their discretion may elect to address personal circumstances that affected overall productivity as well as other observed effects on productivity that may fall outside of specific realms of responsibility. Adding information about personal circumstances is entirely optional.

To include a Major Disruptions Impact Statement in a RPT dossier or PTR materials: The Major Disruptions Impact Statement, where used, will be part of the optional candidate statement in RPT and PTR dossiers. The two-page limits for section I.C. of the RPT dossier and for the optional candidate statement for PTR dossiers have been increased, permitting a maximum of three pages.

To include a Major Disruptions Impact Statement in an annual review: A Major Disruptions Impact Statement is considered “other pertinent information” allowable per REG 05.20.03 – Annual Reviews of Faculty Members. Faculty should consult with their department head for any departmental preferences or procedures on including such a statement for annual review.

Major Disruptions Statements FAQs

Major Disruptions Impact Statements provide NC State faculty the opportunity to document the effects of a high impact disruption on their professional responsibilities and provide peer evaluators with important context for faculty evaluation processes. Select your role and learn more about these statements.

Q1: Are Major Disruptions Impact Statements required for RPT or PTR?

A1: No, they are optional.

Q2: How do I know if I need a Major Disruptions Impact Statement?

A2: Did a high impact disruption alter your work products or approach to your realms of responsibility? Did a high impact disruption affect the type or mix of evidence you can provide to show that you meet performance standards? Has a high impact disruption shifted your effort in one or more ways different from the expectations set in your SFR? If so, then you may want to consider documenting this context for peer evaluators in a Major Disruptions Impact Statement. Please consult with your department head or mentor if you have questions.

Q3: What should I do if I am not sure I will need a Major Disruptions Impact Statement?

A3: If you’re not sure you will need one, go ahead and start documenting items now, and keep a running list of thoughts that might be relevant in a Major Disruptions Impact Statement. Then when the time comes for your next evaluative process, your content is ready and doesn’t have to be recalled from past memory.

Q4: What should my Major Disruptions Impact Statement include?

A4: There’s no set format to a Major Disruptions Impact Statement and presenting this important context alongside your achievements and accomplishments. In general, you should summarize any changes in practice that affected productivity or the mix of activities in your realms of responsibility, including but not limited to:

  • Opportunities to demonstrate innovation and creativity; 
  • Modifications or increases to workload, activities, or approaches;
  • Canceled or delayed events, activities, or work products;
  • Reduced access to facilities, locations, personnel, or partners;
  • Opportunities to address emergent issues;  
  • “Invisible” service to sustain departmental or other operations or to support students.

Make sure to connect these changes in practice to specific impacts in your work, connecting the changes to opportunities and the challenges within the different realms of responsibility.

Q5: Can I update my Major Disruptions Impact Statement for different processes? 

A5: Yes. You can create separate and distinct Major Disruptions Impact Statements for annual review, RPT and PTR evaluations as needed. 

Q6: How do I include a Major Disruptions Impact Statement in my RPT dossier?

A6: You may choose to present a Major Disruptions Impact Statement as a discrete one-page addition to your candidate statement, or you may choose to integrate information about the impact of a major disruption throughout a three-page candidate statement. If integrating information across a three-page statement, be sure to do so in such a way that your points regarding the impacts of a major disruption are clear and explicit for the reviewer. 

Q7: How do I include a Major Disruptions Impact Statement in my post-tenure review materials?

A7: You may choose to present a Major Disruptions Impact Statement as a discrete one-page addition to your candidate statement, or you may choose to integrate information about the impact of a major disruption throughout a three-page candidate statement.

Q8: How do I include a Major Disruptions Impact Statement in my annual review materials?

A8: A Major Disruptions Impact Statement is considered “other pertinent information” allowable per our regulation on faculty annual reviews. Talk with your department head for any departmental preferences or procedures on including such a statement for annual review.

Q9: If I received a tenure clock extension, may I still include a Major Disruptions Impact Statement in my dossier?

A9: Yes, you may. Information about requesting a tenure clock extension is located in its own section of our FAQs about RPT. Faculty who have received a tenure clock extension for any reason may also include a Major Disruptions Impact Statement in their RPT dossier if they wish.

Q1: What is the purpose of the Major Disruptions Impact Statement in evaluation?

A1: Major Disruptions Impact Statements are an opportunity for faculty to give you important context about the effects of a high impact disruption on their professional responsibilities and achievements that you can then consider during faculty evaluation processes.

Q2: What is the relation between a Major Disruptions Impact Statement and departmental or college standards?

A2: A Major Disruptions Impact Statement provides context regarding why faculty approaches or outcomes in meeting the standards may look different than might be expected in non-disruption times. The Major Disruptions Impact Statement does not substitute or change the standards, nor is it meant to be an explanation for not meeting such standards.

Q3: Is there a standard format for Major Disruptions Impact Statements?

A3: No. As an evaluator, you may see a Major Disruptions Impact Statement in RPT or PTR as a discrete addition to a candidate statement or as integrated information throughout a three-page candidate statement.

Q4: How should DVFs prepare to consider Major Disruptions Impact Statements?

A4: Departments and/or colleges can do several things to help ready yourselves to review and consider Major Disruptions Impact Statements. 

  • Communicate that statements are welcome. The DVF can help assure all faculty that the creation and submission of a Major Disruptions Impact Statement is welcomed and will provide the DVF with helpful context. 
  • Continue to focus on your standards. Is the faculty member meeting standards for their rank and realms of responsibility? This key question in RPT and post-tenure reviews has not changed. Are we seeing evidence in dossiers or in the discipline/field that suggest our standards should be modified prior to the next RPT, PTR or annual review cycle? 
  • Proactively identify some expected differences. Knowing we can’t imagine all of the possibilities, what less typical patterns and/or mixes of evidence that meet our departmental standards might we expect to see during this period of disruption? What funders, publication outlets, meetings or juried shows have been affected, and how will that affect faculty outputs? Have these major disruptions affected teaching or resources available for teaching in a significant way? 

Q1: Is there a required format for Major Disruptions Impact Statements in annual reviews? 

A1: There’s no set format for a Major Disruptions Impact Statement for RPT, PTR or for annual reviews. Consider and communicate any content and format expectations you have for Major Disruptions Impact Statements submitted as part of annual reviews.

Q2: How can I support faculty in creating Major Disruptions Impact Statements?

A2: Departments heads and deans can do several things to support faculty in creating Major Disruptions Impact Statements, like the following:

  • Talking regularly with faculty during annual review or other regular meetings about the impact of a major disruption on their work and the adjustments they are making. This will help them decide what issues may be important to highlight in future impact statements.
  • Engaging faculty members in discussions about these statements and what information would be especially useful or relevant during the review process. This will encourage department-level transparency and shared decision-making about the statements and their use. 
  • For departments with mentoring programs. Working with mentors to develop department-specific suggestions to help ensure that Major Disruptions Impact Statements address some of the more common issues faced by your department’s faculty or key aspects of departmental standards. 

Question not answered? Contact Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence Kim Grainger or Associate Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Policy Laura Nelson.