Texas Tech University

Frequently Asked Question About Tenure and Promotion Procedures

1. What happens at the department/school/area level in preparation for submitting to the Dean?

Each academic unit and each college, the Law School, and the Library have their own procedures for the tenure and promotion review process. In all instances, however, the candidate is to have had some input into every component of the dossier and have an opportunity to review the complete dossier once it is reviewed by the chairperson/director/coordinator, including the latter's letter addressed to the Dean. For example, the candidate may suggest names of external reviewers, although the final selection of external reviewers is the chairperson's to make, giving fair consideration to the candidate's suggestions.

2. What is the chairperson's role in faculty consideration of a candidate for tenure or promotion?

The department chairperson may be involved in discussion of a candidate's case among eligible voting faculty, but the chairperson should be absent if balloting is done in a meeting. The chairperson's vote is her or his recommendation to the Dean, and will be informed by the faculty vote after that vote is tallied and reported to the chairperson. Faculty should be encouraged to submit anonymous ballot comments at the time they submit ballots. Ballot comments should refer to merits of the candidate's performance on standard criteria for tenure or promotion in the unit and college.

3. How are cases typically managed at the Dean's level?

The Dean's office receives the completed dossier including the chairperson's letter stating his or her recommendation with justification. Most colleges have a Dean-level committee that reviews each case and makes corporate recommendations to the Dean, usually as a vote of those committee members. No such committee member would vote on candidates from their home department or unit if they voted at the faculty level. The college committee's recommendation is used by the Dean as another source of information in reaching his or her decision to recommend to the Provost.

4. What is the due date for submitting to the Provost's office?

Typically, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

5. What happens after the dossiers reach the Provost?

The dossiers are distributed to the Provost, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Vice President for Research, and the Vice Provosts. This group spends December reviewing the dossiers. The group meets during the month of January to discuss the applications and make recommendations to the Provost. At this time, the Dean will meet with the group and present the case for each candidate. The Graduate Dean places a vote as part of his recommendations to the Provost. The Provost discusses his decisions with the President. Cases approved for tenure and for promotion are then prepared for presentation to the Board of Regents at its winter meeting (e.g., March 1-2, 2018).

6. Should ballot comments be included with the submission to the Provost?

Yes

7. Are candidates to be informed about the outcomes of review at the college level before their dossiers are submitted to the Provost?

Yes, the Dean should report the Dean's recommendation and the college review committee's recommendation to the candidate. If recommendations are negative, the candidate may withdraw without prejudice (i.e., without having been denied tenure or promotion).

8. If a candidate for tenure in the mandatory year withdraws during the process, what happens?

The candidate should formally write a statement of withdrawal through the chairperson to the Dean. A response from the Dean and chairperson should acknowledge the withdrawal and advise the faculty member that, because it is the last year of the probationary period for tenure, she or he will be notified of non-reappointment by issuance of a terminal contract for the next academic year (cf. OP 32.02 4.d.).

updated Nov. 14, 2017

 

Office of the Provost