COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES
"COLLECTIVE WISDOM"

Information on Promotion and Tenure/Continuing Status Issues
Updated March 2009

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) faculty have many diverse responsibilities and are assigned to units around the state. The "Collective Wisdom" website was developed as an easily-accessed, internal resource to provide practical, informal guidance and answers to frequently asked questions for college faculty navigating the process to promotion and/or the award of tenure or continuing status. The information below brings together some helpful suggestions from recent committee chairs and experienced administrators in the college, and information presented by university-level reviewers at annual workshops conducted by the Office of the Provost.

Candidates, mentors and unit heads should ALWAYS refer to the most recent set of Provost's Instructions (for either tenure or continuing track) and CALS Guidelines and Criteria for specific requirements and recent changes before preparing a dossier.

WHO MIGHT FIND THIS SITE USEFUL?

• New faculty seeking tenure or continuing status
• Faculty seeking promotion to higher rank
• Administrators and mentors advising candidates
• Staff assisting with dossier preparation

THE "COLLECTIVE WISDOM" GUIDES

1. A Common Sense Guide for New Faculty and Administrators
   Initially designed for new faculty in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, this common sense advice from Vice Provost and Dean Eugene G. Sander offers insight for administrators as well.
   
   
2. Designing a Strong Dossier
   A composite of practical advice and answers to frequently asked questions on content, format, style and purpose of each section of the dossier submitted for promotion and/or the award of tenure or continuing status.
   
   
3. The Evaluation Process for Promotion and Tenure, Promotion and Continuing Status
   A summary of basic information about the following topics:
   • Faculty Appointments in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
   • Clock Dates and Delays
   • Three-year (Required) Review for Tenure- and Continuing-eligible Faculty
   • Early Consideration for Tenure/Continuing Status
   • Six-year (Mandatory) Review for Promotion and Tenure/Continuing Status
   • Role of Teaching, Research, Extension and Service
   • Role of Committees and Administrators
   • Appeals to the President

IMPORTANT DATES - PLAN AHEAD!

• Notification of unit heads regarding next year's personnel actions - April
• Provost's Instructions and Provost's Annual Workshop - April
• All dossiers (P&T, P&C, promotion only, and nonrenewal recommendations) due to CALS Dean's Office - November 1
• All 3-year reviews due to Dean's Office - December 1
• Deadline for dossier submission to Provost's Office - January 15
• Provost's notification to candidates regarding decisions - April-May

GUIDELINES AND POLICIES

In addition to CALS Guidelines and Criteria, all candidates should be given a copy of the appropriate written guidelines and criteria for their department or school or for Cooperative Extension Agents.

• Provost's Instructions, University Guidelines and Online Forms
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Guidelines and Criteria for Promotion and Tenure/Continuing Status (Rev. 2001)
• Abstracts of CALS Guidelines and Criteria for Use in the Dossier
• University Handbook for Appointed Personnel, Chapter 3: Faculty Personnel Policies and Procedures (tenure track)
• University Handbook for Appointed Personnel, Chapter 4: Professional Staff Personnel Policies and Procedures (continuing track)