I am very disappointed to have to miss your next TB meeting. The subject of your discussion has always been important but has become increasingly more critical in recent times.
As part of its planned activities this semester, the Music Department Personnel Committee is drafting a statement of purpose and academic values for eventual consideration by the entire department. We are trying to express a list of goals that are central to the department. I have no doubt this will be an interesting discussion.
The Personnel Committee has drawn some guidance from a statement of the State University of New York Provost's Advisory Committee on Faculty Development:
"Attracting and keeping outstanding faculty is essential to SUNY's
progress toward becoming a truly exceptional university. As individuals
are recruited for positions at any SUNY institution, the campus should
present these new faculty with clear performance expectations. While
the faculty pursue their professional activities, the University should
actively support their efforts. Then, when these faculty seek
reappointment, promotion, tenure, or continuing appointment, they should
have no doubt that they will experience a fair evaluation process.
Finally, having succeeded in their disciplines, they should receive
appropriate recognition and be promoted to serve the educational
community and the citizens of New York."
Because departments have different goals, the performance expectations
should be most specific and clear on the departmental level.