Tenure-Track Faculty Actions

Tenure-Track Faculty - Appointments, Reappointments and Promotions

Faculty Ranks for Tenure-Track Faculty are described in Chapter 4 of the Handbook of Academic Administration.

The Office of the Dean of the Faculty has oversight of the tenure, promotion, and reappointment processes for internal candidates, as well as the appointment of senior external hires, for all divisions of the University. The Prep Guide link below contains all Faculty ranks and actions which require TPAC review. The staff in the Dean’s office work closely with department chairs to guide and advise them on the preparation of candidate dossiers. The Tenure, Promotions, and Appointments Committee (TPAC), a faculty committee, meets weekly during the fall and spring semesters to review these dossiers.

Appointment

Appointments for tenure-track faculty are the culmination of a search or a pre-select.  All dossiers must be submitted through Interfolio. Please complete the required paperwork for a  tenure-track search or a  tenure-track pre-select.

Reappointment

The procedural requirements and safeguards of these TPAC reviews have been developed with the greatest care and are now exceptionally well codified. The material on this website, including a section on Best Practices for Reappointments and Promotions, as well as Chapter 10 and Appendix C-The Dossier of the Handbook of Academic Administration, provides guidance on the preparation of dossiers.

Reappointments for Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Assistant Professor, tenure-track, are reviewed by TPAC.  All dossiers must be submitted through Interfolio. The following is required in the reappointment dossier:

  1. Covering memorandum
  2. Negative recommendation written explanation to candidate 
  3. Waiver of candidate’s right to a personal appearance before the department 
  4. Department review of scholarship, teaching, and service 
  5. Information on teaching since last contract review*
  6. Candidate's current CV 
  7. Candidate’s statement 
  8. Annual or mid-contract reviews since last reappointment 
  9. Minutes of the official meeting in which the department voted on the recommendation
  10. Department Standards and Criteria 
  11. Publications
  12. Course Evaluations*

Promotion

The procedural requirements and safeguards of these TPAC reviews have been developed with the greatest care and are now exceptionally well codified. The material on this website, including a section on Best Practices for Reappointments and Promotions, as well as Chapter 10 and Appendix C-The Dossier of the Handbook of Academic Administration, provides guidance on the preparation of dossiers.

Promotions from Assistant to Associate Professor (with tenure), Associate Professor to Professor (tenure previously granted), Senior Lecturer and Distinguished Senior Lecturer are reviewed by TPAC.  All dossiers must be submitted through Interfolio. The following is required in the promotion dossier:

  1. Covering memorandum
  2. Negative recommendation written explanation to candidate 
  3. Waiver of candidate’s right to a personal appearance before the department 
  4. Department review of scholarship, teaching, and service 
  5. Information on teaching since last contract review*
  6. Candidate's current CV 
  7. Candidate’s statement 
  8. Annual or mid-contract reviews since last reappointment  (not required for promotion to Professor)
  9. Sample Solicitation Letter with the selected referees. 
  10. Letters of recommendation - 8 for promotion to Associate Professor or Professor.  Five for promotion to Senior Lecturer or Distinguished Senior Lecturer.
  11. Brief biographies of external referees 
  12. Minutes of the official meeting in which the department voted on the recommendation
  13. Department Standards and Criteria 
  14. Publications
  15. Course Evaluations*

Teaching Evaluations

*Departments that use electronic teaching evaluations are encouraged to run Cognos Reports for information on teaching and course evaluations.