[Faculty] You are invited to participate in a eFilePlus Faculty Focus Group!

[VPAP UCR]

Dear Faculty,

The Academic Personnel Office (APO) seeks to host two focus groups of
faculty members for discussion on how eFilePlus is used for merit and
promotion file preparation in two targeted areas: 1) properly representing
the achievements of Professors of Teaching, and 2) effectively showcasing
public and community-based scholarship.

The first focus group will explore how eFilePlus displays the achievements
for faculty in the Professor of Teaching series.  These faculty are
evaluated under APM 210-3, which emphasizes "Professional and/or Scholarly
Achievement and Activity." Because eFilePlus was designed for the Professor
Series, prior to the creation of the Professor of Teaching Series, its
existing categories (Research/Creative Work, Teaching, and Service) do not
align seamlessly with the achievements of Teaching series faculty. For
instance, invited talks at professional societies currently get placed into
Professional Service, even though they belong under Professional and/or
Scholarly Achievement and Activity to ensure proper credit. Similarly,
administering or evaluating a teaching program or learning center currently
gets listed as University Service, missing the opportunity to be recognized
as Professional and/or Scholarly Achievement and Activity. These examples
illustrate the core mission of the first focus group: determining whether
and how to modify eFilePlus to better highlight the accomplishments of
Professors of Teaching. APO welcomes input from faculty, especially from
faculty in the Professor of Teaching series, on potential eFilePlus
modifications.

The second focus group will explore how eFilePlus enables faculty to
highlight community-based and publicly engaged scholarship. While the
review process recognizes and values this work, its evaluation relies
heavily on the options available for faculty to effectively document their
contributions. A common pitfall with the status quo is that impactful
community engagement wedged into service or hidden in lower impact
categories. For example, a policy-shaping white paper co-authored with
community partners might land in "Other Publications" or "Technical
Reports," where it risks being undervalued. A media commentary translating
academic findings for public discourse might appear in "Broadcast
Interviews," masking its true impact as public scholarship. This focus
group will examine whether and how eFilePlus should be modified to better
showcase public and community-engaged work. APO welcomes input from
faculty, especially those actively involved in community-based and publicly
engaged scholarship, on potential eFilePlus modifications.

The focus groups will both meet on Tuesday, November 17, 2026.  Faculty
interested in shaping potential changes to eFilePlus are encouraged to
attend one or both focus groups.  Participation in each focus group is
limited to the first 20 members that register using the links below.



Please email me at vpap at ucr.edu with any questions you might have about the
focus groups.



*Focus Group on Professor of Teaching Materials*

Tuesday, *November 17, 2026, 10-11:30 am*

Location: *Student Health and Counseling Center, Room 1320*

*Register here
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScawDxznuATYrcIjkq4AMNUa8SwUeBq0_izucxxDATQn5ZwaA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=118197784544705979738>*



*Focus Group on Community-based and Publicly Engaged Scholarship*

Tuesday, *November 17, 2026, 1-2:30 pm*

Location: *Student Health and Counseling Center, Room 1320*

*Register here
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflrf_qmzOdt5H1EX_rreB1U04fH4ZzVvh96CaAapjDLfMuEg/viewform?usp=dialog>*


Note:  The Student Health and Counseling Center is located across the
street from Parking Lot 23.

Dan

____________________________
Daniel Jeske
Professor of Statistics
Vice Provost of Academic Personnel
University of California, Riverside
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