Promotion, Advancement, Tenure Procedures Section 8.41 • Dept: Provost's Office • Revised: July 1st, 2002

One becomes eligible for tenure, promotion or advancement within Rank upon meeting the requirements stated in prior sections of this Handbook. However, none of these actions is automatic. All are based upon performance as evaluated by these procedures. Emphasis is placed upon peer and administrative review both within one's school and within the University. At any point in the review process the faculty member may withdraw his/her application.

Step I

In consultation with his/her department chairperson, the faculty member submits an application for tenure, promotion, or advancement to the personnel committee of his/her school. This committee considers all relevant material and makes a recommendation to the dean of the school.

Step II

The dean, after considering both the application and the recommendation of the school personnel committee, submits his/her recommendation (along with the recommendation of the school personnel committee) to the University Faculty Personnel Committee. (For advancement within the Assistant and Associate Professor ranks, proceed directly from Step II to Step IV.)

Step III

The University Faculty Personnel Committee reviews the application and the recommendations of the school personnel committee and dean in order to insure a consistent application of guidelines between the various schools of the University. The committee and the Provost share approval authority. Once the committee has made the decision, the file is passed to the Provost.

Step IV

The Provost reviews all applications and recommendations for final decision in all promotion and advancement cases. (For all tenure cases, proceed to step V.) If the Provost does not agree with the recommendation of the University Personnel Committee, he/she will submit to the UPC in writing the issues in disagreement. This will be done at least one week prior to a resolution meeting of the Provost and the UPC, to be called by the UPC Chair. At that meeting the Provost will present the case verbally and answer questions from individual UPC members. The UPC will adjourn to an executive session to cast a vote to either agree with the Provost's decision or to overrule the Provost. An overrule requires a 2/3 majority vote (5 of 7 members).

Step V

(For tenure cases only.) The Provost's recommendation is reviewed by the President, who decides whether or not to pass it on to the Board of Trustees for final decision.