PROVOST’S PERIODIC REVIEW OF DEPARTMENTAL PROMOTION AND TENURE GUIDELINES
I. Introduction
Following discussions between the University Senate leadership and the Provost’s Office, it was mutually agreed that a plan should be developed for the periodic review of each academic unit’s promotion and tenure (P&T) guidelines. The purpose of such reviews is (1) to encourage the academic units to clarify their expectations for P&T, and (2) for the faculty in each unit to review their standards to be sure they remain appropriate for their unit and the institution as a whole.
This plan creates a mechanism for the periodic review of each unit’s promotion and tenure guidelines. Each unit will conduct a review of its P&T guidelines approximately once every three to six years in order to assess their guidelines for clarity and completeness in specifying requirements for P&T. The review is required even if the unit does not revise their guidelines.
The faculty in each academic unit maintain the relevant expertise necessary to determine the most appropriate standards for their discipline within the institutional context of their unit at Auburn University. Therefore, these reviews are intended to ensure that each unit’s P&T guidelines are transparent to faculty members, and that the unit’s expectations for P&T are articulated clearly.
II. Revision Schedule
Each unit’s P&T guidelines are to be reviewed approximately every three to six years as determined for each unit by its college/school dean. The three to six-year window is to provide flexibility based on factors such as accreditation and formal academic program review cycles while emphasizing that units should not make too frequent (e.g. annual) changes to their guidelines. Too frequent changes can be disruptive to faculty who are working toward P&T goals.
III. Revision document
In order to facilitate a faster approval of its revised P&T guidelines, all revisions must be captured and observable with an appropriate editing tool.
IV. College/School Level Promotion and Tenure Guidelines Review Committee
Each college/school is required to have a college/school level review committee to review the unit level P&T guidelines and make written recommendations to the dean. The college/school level committee can either be a standing college/school or ad hoc committee created for this purpose or the college/school can use another standing committee such as the college/school promotion and tenure committee. The committee will make written recommendations to the dean related to approval of the revisions or to require further revisions before approval. The dean will be responsible for notifying the unit of his or her approval or disapproval with written explanation.
V. Revision document
Once the Dean has approved the revised unit level promotion and tenure guidelines, he or she will submit the revised guidelines with an accompanying memo explaining the significance of the revisions to the Provost’s Office for final review before Provost approval. Once the guidelines are approved, the Provost’s Office will notify the dean and post the revised document to the Provost’s website.
Approved 4/11/19
