Part I:  Promotion and Tenure Expectations and Materials

General Expectations

Each faculty member is expected to have a commitment to and competence in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service that are identified as expectations in their contract/offer letter. The most typical expectations by appointment type are listed below. 

• Tenured/tenure-track appointment expectations:  teaching, scholarship, and service
• Teaching appointment expectations:  teaching and service
• Clinical appointment expectations:  teaching (often supervision of practica and internship placements) and service
• Research appointment expectations:  teaching (limited), scholarship, and service

In a university community, these are communal responsibilities. Variations, however, will occur between departments and even among faculty members within individual departments. This variability can be found no more prominently than in the College of Arts and Sciences, and indeed it is one of the strengths of the College.

Promotion from assistant to associate professor for tenure-track appointees will accompany the awarding of tenure unless that rank has already been attained. In the case of tenure and promotion to associate professor, the individual must clearly demonstrate a history of significant achievement as a professional educator and scholar, as well as a strong potential for future professional growth and development. Tenure-track candidates preparing to apply for promotion should consult the faculty handbook (chapter 4) and their departmental promotion guidelines on the Provost’s office tenure and promotion website for more guidance.

Tenured individuals considered for promotion from associate to full professor should clearly be leading scholars and educators whose national or international stature can serve as a standard for professional achievement. Tenured candidates preparing to apply for promotion should consult the faculty handbook (chapter 4) and their departmental promotion guidelines on the Provost’s office tenure and promotion website for more guidance.

Promotion from assistant to associate professor for teaching and clinical appointees requires demonstration of a history of significant achievement as a professional educator and member of the profession, as well as a strong potential for future professional growth and development. Candidates preparing to apply for promotion in the teaching and clinical tracks should consult the faculty handbook (chapter 5) and their departmental promotion guidelines on the Provost’s office tenure and promotion website for more guidance.

Teaching and clinical appointees considered for promotion from associate to full professor should clearly be leading educators with significant contributions beyond their own classroom through service to the department, college, university or profession. Candidates preparing to apply for promotion in the teaching and clinical tracks should consult the faculty handbook (chapter 5) and their departmental promotion guidelines on the Provost’s office tenure and promotion website for more guidance.

Promotion from assistant to associate professor for research appointees requires demonstration of a history of significant achievement as a scholar (and educator if appointment expectations include teaching), as well as a strong potential for future professional growth and development. Candidates preparing to apply for promotion in the research track should consult the faculty handbook (chapter 5) and their departmental promotion guidelines on the Provost’s office tenure and promotion website for more guidance.

Research appointees considered for promotion from research associate professor to research professor should clearly be leading scholars whose national or international stature can serve as a standard for professional achievement. Candidates preparing to apply for promotion in the research track should consult the faculty handbook (chapter 5) and their departmental promotion guidelines on the Provost’s office tenure and promotion website for more guidance.

Application Materials

Candidates will prepare a dossier that illustrates their accomplishments, emphasizing those accomplishments from the five years prior to application for promotion and/or tenure. This dossier should be prepared based on the instructions on the Provost’s office tenure and promotion website. Candidates are encouraged to work with a mentor within their unit during preparation of their dossier.

Part I. The Dossier for Tenure and Promotion
Part II. Department Policies and Procedures
Part III. College-Level Policy and Procedures for Tenure and Promotion
Part IV. Approvals
Tenure and Promotion Calendar