2023-24 Sam Fox School Tenure and Promotion Calendar
Here is a brief overview regarding dates and procedures for the Sam Fox School tenure and promotion process. For those seeking tenure and/or promotion in the 2023/2024 academic year, the following dates apply:
March 1, 2023: Deadline for letters from faculty to college director with intent to be considered for tenure and/or promotion in the 2023-24 academic year
By March 15, 2023: Tenure and Promotion Advisory Subcommittee appointed by the college director to advise the candidate for tenure and/or promotion
April 1, 2023: External reviewer recommendations due to college director from the Advisory Subcommittee and the candidate
June 1-Aug. 1, 2023: Candidate materials for external review due to college director (college directors will provide a deadline)
October 1-15, 2023: Deadline for letters from external reviewers
Oct./Nov. 2023: Tenured faculty vote (within the college)
December 2023: Sam Fox School Dean’s Advisory Committee on Tenure and Promotion vote
January 2024: Promotion materials to the Office of the Provost (for cases not involving tenure)
February 2024: Tenure materials to Office of the Provost (for tenure cases only)
March 2024: Tenure cases provided to the Board of Trustees
Tenure & Promotion Process:
The Tenure and Promotion Advisory Subcommittee is appointed by the director of the college by March 15. The three-person committee will include one of the candidate’s mentors (for tenure-track faculty), faculty member(s) from the candidate’s discipline, and an additional member of the tenured faculty. The committee will support the candidate in the tenure and/or promotion process and advise on the preparation of materials for external review. A chair will be designated by the college director.
Sam Fox School policy indicates that a minimum of six objective, external letters of evaluation should be secured for every case of tenure and/or promotion. Letters should be solicited from universities with well-regarded departments in the candidate’s field, and letters should be from well-regarded senior people in the field. Typically, evaluators will hold the rank of full professor; however, the director may use discretion in cases for tenure and promotion to associate professor and select associate professors as evaluators who add specific expertise or diversity to the external review process. One of the recommenders for tenure and/or promotion may be a highly-ranked specialist in the field without academic affiliation.
The candidate and the Tenure and Promotion Advisory Subcommittee should independently develop lists of proposed external reviewers. The final list will be determined by the college director in consultation with the Advisory Subcommittee chair. Ideally, at least three letters come from the Advisory Subcommittee’s list, without overlap on the candidate’s list. At least two alternate names should be proposed by both the committee and the candidate.
Cases for promotion that do not involve decisions on tenure do not require approval by the University’s Board of Trustees. Once affirmative faculty votes have been cast on both the College and School levels, the Dean of the Sam Fox School drafts a letter to the Provost requesting approval of promotion, accompanied by the external letters and the basic dossier materials. The Provost reviews cases for promotion as they are received.
A sum up to $1,000 will be provided for candidate expenses associated with the production of materials for external review for all cases (tenure and/or promotion). Digital dossiers are encouraged.