Tenure & Promotion
Frequently Asked Questions
Is teaching/mentoring important?
Yes, the following are very important:
• Well written teaching accomplishments narrative (Section 9 in packet)
• Student/Teacher Evaluation scores (Section 10)
• Peer evaluations (should be included after student evaluations in Section 10; the Faculty Performance Advisory Committee’s observation can be used, as well)
• Mentoring of graduate students at the Masters and PhD levels through service on Supervisory Committees (Section 12) (available from MyUFL>Quick Links>GIMS: list appears and you can sort by data needed).
How many articles, books, performances, exhibitions and/or grants are enough?
• You should discuss this with your Director and your mentor.
What happens if teaching evaluations are lower than department and college means?
• Discuss this with your Director.
• Focus on improvement of teaching efforts as evidenced by seeking help. Seeking reassignment to more appropriate classes (if applicable) and attending teaching/learning seminars are both important in addressing low student evaluations.
• Use the template provided on the faculty resource website for entering evaluation information.
What if I have a joint appointment: one in the school and one in a center?
• Review the Letter of Offer or Memorandum of Understanding with your Director and the Center Director.
• Have the Center Director write a letter of evaluation of your contributions to the Center annually and include these letters in your packet.
• Your School Director and Center Director(s) should meet to select external reviewers.
Is committee work in the School important?
• Yes. In fact, service to the School, College and University is important and expected of all faculty. Committee work also allows you to get to know your colleagues and the institution better.
How important are annual letters of evaluation?
• These are very important.
• Be sure to meet with your Director annually to discuss the letter.
• Honest letters that point out areas for improvement or suggestions for bettering your career are well received by reviewers at the School, College and University level.
• You have the right to write a commentary in addition to your annual evaluation.
When should Lecturers go up for promotion?
• The schedule for advancing to Master and Senior Lecturer is similar to that of other faculty ranks, and may vary by School.
Are Lecturer’s packets different from faculty’s packets?
• An application for promotion does not require outside letters .
• Lecturer assignments, in general, include more teaching than research and service (although some may be included in the assignment) .
• More peer evaluations are expected.
Can I include support material (books, catalogs, reviews, etc.) in my packet?
• Yes, but these materials will not go forward beyond the college-level review committee..
• You may wish to include these with the portfolios that go to the external evaluators, but you will need at least six copies of everything.
Can I add new publications, awards and honors to the packet after it is submitted?
Yes, up to the time the Academic Personnel Board reviews the packet. These submissions will go in Section 33. Further Information and each item must be labeled ‘Submitted (date) after the department and/or college committee review’. The submission of any additional documents must be transmitted through the Dean’s Office designee (Associate Dean Edward Schaefer).
Can I review my final packet?
Yes, except for the external letters of evaluation, that is, if you waived your rights to see these letters.
Can I consult with the college-level Tenure and Promotion Review Committee members?
No. Any questions or concerns should be addressed to the Associate Dean Schaefer.
Can I see my Director’s and/or the Dean’s transmittal letter, and learn the vote of the college-level Review Committee?
Yes, all will be provided within 5 days of completion.
When may I withdraw from the process?
At any time before it goes to the President for a decision, without penalty.
What happens if I am denied tenure?
You will receive a letter of non-renewal, effective a year from the end of the current academic year.
How is promotion to Full Professor different?
Promotion to Full Professor is based on the candidate’s “major” impact on scholarship, teaching and mentoring, and service in the field. This is often recognized through the international reputation of the scholar; a body of publications in an area that the candidate is known as a leader; mentoring and placing graduate students at both the MA, MFA and PhD levels; and recognition in scholarly associations through serving as officers, meeting organizers or board members.
Who should serve as External Reviewers?
• Outside evaluators should be from major universities. A list of AAU universities can be found at http://www.aau.edu/aau/members.html..
• Letters from faculty who are at the top of the candidate’s field and at the very best institutions are particularly valued.
• If the external evaluators are from small colleges or conservatories, their importance and reputation in the discipline must be established in the biographical sketch included in the packet. Collaborators, dissertation chairs, and colleagues who studied with the candidate should be avoided in selecting external evaluators. One collaborator from another university is acceptable.
Who selects the External Reviewers?
• You submit a list of 7 possible external reviewers to your Director who then consults with the Dean. In the case of a joint appointment in a center, the Center and School Directors will consult with the Dean to select the external reviewers. The Director will also have a list of other possible external reviewers. The goal is to get the minimum of 5 external evaluators to write letters (some from your list and some from the Director’s list AND…a list should be printed of the evaluators’ names and institutions and it should indicate from whose list they come—Director’s or Candidate’s).
