Important Deadlines in the Promotion Process

The President’s memo regarding promotion of faculty indicates some important deadlines in the timetable. These are intended to ensure the quality of the review process and to allow the departments ample time to assist the candidates with preparation of the required materials. Preparation of promotion dossiers requires significant staff assistance and is a team effort between the candidate and department chair, which is benefited by early consultation regarding the candidate’s intentions and the department leadership’s views. The Dean is asked to submit names of candidates wishing to be promoted by the end of April; names may be removed from this list later in the summer but no names are to be added (consult President’s memo on the Provost’s website for these dates).

Normally, candidates for promotion to full professor will have received guidance from the department concerning whether the time is right for consideration and act accordingly. Should there be disagreement, the candidate has the right after ten years in rank to prepare the dossier and have it considered at every level. The candidate, however, must notify the department by February 1 of the ninth year of service. This right can be exercised every five years thereafter, with the same February 1 deadline in effect.

Again, in both cases the process and the candidate’s chances of success are served by early preparation. This particularly permits the scheduling of peer teaching evaluations in the spring semester and the identification of external reviewers.