Included below you will find a copy of the pre-tenure portfolio letter drafted by the department along with my response to the letter.

Response to the Letter

I am very appreciative to the department of mathematics for taking the time to write this letter and give me feedback on my pre-tenure portfolio.  Many of the issues raised in regards to the format of the pre-tenure portfolio were discussed when it was presented and I have taken and incorporated that advice in various places within this portfolio.  Seeing the finished product as it stands today compared with the original pre-tenure document I better understand the department’s observations and think they have contributed to a document that is more aligned with the Tenure and Promotion Committee’s vision for the portfolio.  Once again, I thank them for their input.

• In response to the suggestion to leave out specific criteria from the ACU Tenure and Promotion document, I completely agree and have removed all “checklist” style references in favor of a more narrative and reflective prose.
• I have streamlined my personal teaching philosophy centered on three principles and removed more of the fluff and metaphor that littered the previous version.  I think the final product better reflects my views of and commitment to teaching and learning.
• In regards to having too much detail present in the pre-tenure document the ability to present an electronic portfolio has alleviated much of that clutter.  I have tried where possible to make the portfolio easily navigable, provide pertinent links when necessary, and include a few supportive (but not exhaustive) representatives in the appendix portions of each section.
• Finally, in response to the department’s call for more reflection, I have tried to structure the document so that each new section (teaching, scholarship, service, collegiality) begins with a summary of my view of what each area means to me personally, followed by my reflections (annual, chronological reflections in the case of the teaching section) on successes and challenges within each area.

Teaching Versus Learning >>>

Please accept my application for tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor of Mathematics.  Enclosed in this portfolio, you will find my current curriculum vitae, reflective narratives and assessments of my accomplishments in the areas of teaching effectiveness and scholarship, and evidence of service and collegiality.  Letters of support from faculty, staff, professional colleagues, and students are provided for your reference in the appropriate sections.  Each of the main categories, teaching, scholarship, service, and collegiality have been organized into submenus and placed into the sidebar to the right for your convenience.  Rather than an exhaustive list of works presented in each of these areas, I have included an appendix for each section with links to representative samples. As you read through the portfolio, most images are actually links to the full documents represented and are provided for your convenience.

Although this portfolio provides a great number of materials in the form of course syllabi, class projects, examples of student work, etc… it is in no way exhaustive.  In light of this, I submit to the reader this portfolio as evidence of my continued commitment to the mission of Abilene Christian University to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world as achieved through

• exemplary teaching, offered by a faculty of Christian scholars, that inspires a commitment to learning;
• significant research, grounded in the university’s disciplines of study, that informs issues of importance to the academy, church, and society;
• meaningful service to society, the academic disciplines, the university, and the church, expressed in various ways, by all segments of the Abilene Christian university community.

Grace and peace,

Dr. John Ehrke

Department of Mathematics

Abilene Christian University

john.ehrke@acu.edu

Teaching Versus Learning >>>