The Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Department Personnel Committee has evaluated the materials that you have submitted for promotion. In reaching its decision, the Committee has taken into account the time-tested normal expectations at our university. I regret to inform you that the Committee has decided not to recommend your promotion to the rank of professor.

The Committee considers your teaching effectiveness to be fair. Your student evaluations reveal substantial problems with your teaching. The average for the past three years is 3.22, which is well below the departmental average. The verbatim comments for the period of evaluation (the past six semesters of teaching) indicate that there are problems in need of your immediate attention. Excellence in teaching is a goal that all faculty are expected to strive for. In your case, the record shows the need for substantial improvement. Your involvement with graduate students' theses is commendable. Notwithstanding, the Committee recommends a more balanced approach to your teaching, one that strives for excellence both in the classroom and in the laboratory.

The Committee considers your professional growth to be good. The record shows that you have published four journal papers since your last promotion. The journals in which you have published are prestigious. Yet the Committee fails to see a measure of continuity in your publication record. You have secured an external grant from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District; the Committee commends you on this accomplishment. The Committee encourages you to continue to develop your research program in your chosen area of expertise.

The Committee considers your service to be very good. Specific mention should be made of your leadership as Director of the Environmental Engineering Program. Your service in relation to the ABET accreditation visit and in the University Academic Planning and Policy Committee are commendable.

In summary, the Committee finds your teaching effectiveness to be fair, your professional growth to be good, and your service to be very good. Based on this assessment, and considering that teaching effectiveness is of paramount importance, the Committee finds itself unable to recommend your promotion.

You have the right to submit a response or rebuttal in writing to this letter of recommendation. If you choose to submit a written response, it must be delivered to the departmental office by October XX, 2011 using the response/rebuttal form available from the Faculty Affairs website (http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~facaff/newrtp.html)

Sincerely yours,

Victor M. Ponce

Chair, Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Department Personnel Committee

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