Strategies for Representing CommunityBased Research in Promotion & Tenure Files

A promotion and tenure file that includes community-based research requires distinct characterization
and evaluation metrics to fairly reflect the nature, rigor, and impact of this work. Unlike conventional
academic outputs, community-based research often prioritizes relational accountability, co-production
of knowledge, and outcomes that serve community priorities over traditional publications. As such, its
contributions may appear in diverse forms, such as policy changes, public-facing reports, or long-term
partnerships, that fall outside standard scholarly benchmarks. Evaluating this work meaningfully
requires a broader understanding of scholarly impact, including criteria that recognize collaboration,
reciprocity, and real-world change.