Tenure Clock

• set at hire
• maximum = 7 years
• time for decision = end of year 6

"Stopping the Tenure Clock" (Extension of the Probationary Period)

Mentoring and Annual Evaluation (Guidance and Oversight)

• mentoring person or committee required (varies by department / division)
• one or more members of department's executive committee
• advice on teaching, research, outreach / service

• oversight committee is required
• one or more members of department's executive committee
• department must inform you of committee's membership
• committee prepares written annual evaluation
• department's executive committee must approve written annual evaluation and provide that written evaluation to you
• department chair must provide you an opportunity to respond in writing to the annual evaluation

The departmental executive committee is required to establish procedures for guidance, annual evaluation, and tenure evaluation. A copy of the procedures must be given to each probationary period faculty member.

Tenure Review Process

• Department
• executive committee votes on appointment renewal and on tenure
• vote options: tenure and promotion, denial of tenure with renewal, denial of tenure with nonrenewal
• you may appeal a nonrenewal decision
• department chair prepares tenure dossier, in consultation with executive committee and you
• department chair sends dossier to dean
• Dean sends dossier to divisional executive committee and requests the committee's advice (executive committees of 4 faculty divisions: Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Studies)
• Divisional executive committee
• publishes guidelines (updated annually)
• evaluates dossier (review procedures vary by committee)
• votes (appointment with tenure, promotion to tenure, deferral)
• communicates vote to dean, informs department
• Dean
• considers divisional executive committee's advice
• options: accept or act against divisional executive committee's advice (latter is rare, requires provost's approval)
• approves or denies tenure (department can appeal denial)
• Provost approves tenure
• Board of Regents grants tenure (for all system institutions, annually, in June)

Information and Support During the Tenure Process