Promotion and Tenure
The promotion and tenure policies of the University should contribute to academic excellence. An equitable and widely-understood promotion and tenure system ensures that considerations of academic quality will be the basis for academic personnel decisions.
At the links below, you will find the criteria, procedures, and conditions used for awarding of promotion and tenure to academic personnel.
Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations - Policy HR-23: The purpose for this policy is to determine the criteria, procedures, and conditions of the review of University academic personnel and for the awarding of promotion and tenure.
Administrative Guidelines for HR-23: The Administrative Guidelines are provided to implement the University's policy on promotion and tenure, HR-23, “Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations.” The Guidelines supplement but do not alter basic policies set forth in HR-23.
Abington College Promotion and Tenure Criteria: Within the context of the regulations of the University, this document delineates the expectations and standards for promotion and tenure at the Abington College.
Responsibility for Preparation of the Dossier: (See HR-23, Section III., B., Nos. 2, 3, and 4.)
1. For colleges at University Park and other locations, the department head has the responsibility for preparing the dossier.
2. It is ultimately the responsibility of the college dean to ensure that each dossier follows the proper format and is accurate and complete.
3. Insofar as a faculty member under review may need to supply materials for the dossier, there is a sense in which there is some shared responsibility between the faculty member and the administrator for the timely preparation of the dossier.
More information about the Promotion and Tenure process, including Frequently Asked Questions, Early Tenure Review Procedures and Immediate Tenure Review Guidelines can be found at the website of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs for Tenure and Promotion.
Abington College
Timetable for 2009-2010
Promotion and Tenure Review
3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th year dossiers
2009
The Promotion and Tenure Administrative Guidelines are updated annually and will be distributed upon receipt from the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.
July 1 - List of outside evaluators for P&T plus sample letters compiled by Division Head due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
September 18 - Letter from Division Heads listing members of the Division P&T Committees, and letter from Faculty Senate listing members of the College P&T Committee and Instructional Review Committee and describing method used to select committee due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
October 9 - All promotion and tenure review committees and procedures established. In most cases, units will have established procedures previously and will continue to use them. If, however, changes are recommended, the changes must be adopted formally by the faculty, approved by the Chancellor, and approved by the Executive Vice President and Provost prior to this date.
Membership lists, including rank and title, for all promotion and tenure review committees forwarded to the Executive Vice President and Provost, together with a statement of procedures for forming review committees or a statement that such procedures have not changed.
October 9 - Division Heads should submit dossier drafts for review and revision to the Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
October 9 - Letters from Instructional Review Committee for Abington College faculty who have retained their tenure status in a college at University Park due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
October 30 - Letters from Instructional Review Committee for Abington faculty due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
November 6 - All reviews for faculty at non-University Park locations who have retained their tenure status in a college at University Park completed and forwarded to the college dean at University Park.
November 20 - All Division Committee reviews for faculty with Abington tenure-home due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
December 18 - Division Head reviews due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
2010
February 12 - College Committee reviews due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
February 15 - All factual changes or new information must be submitted by this date.
March 1 - All college level reviews completed, including Chancellor’s recommendations; positive recommendations and dossiers of candidatesfor whom all reviews have been positive regardless of the Chancellor’s review for final tenure forwarded to the University Promotion and Tenure Review Committee via the Office of Human Resources.
April 27 - All reviews completed by the University Promotion and Tenure Review Committee; all recommendations forwarded to the Executive Vice President and Provost.
May 14 - All final decisions on promotion and tenure completed by the President based on recommendations of the Executive Vice President and Provost; all candidates notified of the results of the reviews.
June 15 - All notifications for 3rd, 4th, and 5th year reviews completed by Chancellor and Associate Dean.
June 15 - For all faculty not having a promotion or tenure review in this academic year, annual personnel evaluations completed and faculty informed of results of these evaluations, in writing.
June 15 - All reports required in HR-23 and the Administrative Guidelines submitted.
June 30- All final decisions must be entered into IBIS through UTNA and UPRM functions.
2nd year dossiers
January 29 - Letters from Instructional Review Committee for Abington faculty due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
January 29 - Second Year dossiers (with Fall SRTEs) for faculty whose tenure home is Abington College due.
February 12 - All Second Year reviews for faculty at non-University Park locations, whose tenure status is in a college at University Park completed by Abington College and forwarded to the appropriate Department Head at University Park.
February 19 - Division Committee reviews for faculty with Abington tenure-home due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
March 12 - Division Head reviews due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
April 9 - College Committee reviews due in Office of Academic Affairs (Eleanor Meehl).
April 29 - All second-year reviews completed by the Chancellor.
April 30 - Notification by Chancellor and Associate Dean.
CHECKLIST FOR PROMOTION/TENURE REVIEWS AT THE ABINGTON COLLEGE
P & T Cover Sheet: Promotion and Tenure Form
---- Two cover sheets for simultaneous tenure and promotion with tenure on top
---- 2nd , 4th year review typed and 6th Year Tenure crossed out for candidates in their 2nd or 4th year reviews.
---- Accurate PSUID number
---- Complete rank and title. Example: Assistant Professor of Mathematics (proposed rank and title for promotion).
---- Check one of the two boxes about graduate faculty status
---- Box checked, signed & dated by Chair of the Division P/T Committee (if applicable)
---- Box checked, signed & dated by Division Head (if applicable)
---- Box checked, signed & dated by Chair of P/T Committee
---- Box checked, signed & dated by the Chancellor
Biographical Data Form: Biographical Data Form
---- Complete all categories that are applicable.
---- Complete rank and title.
---- Location of Residence is: Abington College
---- If the candidate holds professional status, such as law, etc.
---- Under III, Occupational Record, list most recent employer (other than Penn State) first.
---- Signed & dated by candidate
Narrative Statement
---- At the front of the dossier and no more than two pages, single spaced. This is the candidate’s sense of their scholarship of teaching and learning; scholarship of research and creative accomplishments; and service and the scholarship of service to the University, society, and the profession.
College Criteria and Procedures for P&T: Abington College Criteria
---- College Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure must be copied and inserted in the dossier immediately before the rainbow dividers. Candidate, committees and external evaluators are provided the current version.
Orange Section – The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
---- All Pages numbered beginning with A-1, A-2 including peer review letters (bottom center)
---- Normally, the time span for material included is from date of last promotion or date employed at PSU. However, if the last promotion was more than five years ago, the benchmark would be to provide evaluation for only the most recent five years.
---- Chronological order, most recent date first
---- Two methods of assessment for student evaluation are required:
- One being SRTEs;
- The second method may be either a summary of written student evaluations; a summary of formal interviews with students at the end of the semester or a summary of exit interviews.
---- Instructional Review Committee letter signed and dated by committee members
---- No unsolicited letters included
Green Section – The Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishments
---- All pages numbered beginning with B-1, B-2 (bottom center)
---- The time span for material included is the candidate's entire career
---- Chronological order, most recent date first
---- Role of author defined on each multiple authored publication
---- Role and contribution indicated on research projects
---- For articles published only electronically and listed under the category of refereed publications, confirmation of its refereed status and its editorial board must be included in the dossier.
---- Listings of work in progress should be eliminated from all tenure reviews beyond the fourth year and all promotion reviews beyond the assistant professor level or equivalent. Work accepted, submitted, or under contract should continue to be listed in all dossiers.
---- Beginning and ending dates for membership in professional and learned societies
---- Letter of acceptance included for papers accepted for publication (if appropriate)
---- No unsolicited letters included
Pink Section – Service and the Scholarship of Service to the University, Society, and the Profession
---- All pages numbered beginning with C-1, C-2 (bottom center)
---- Normally, the time span for material included is from date of last promotion or date employed at PSU. However, if the last promotion was more than five years ago, the benchmark would be to provide evaluation for only the most recent five years.
---- Chronological order, most recent date first
---- Beginning and ending dates for service
---- Provide short description of the kind of work entailed for service activities. Thus, rather than just listing a committee, it is helpful to describe what that committee did, how often it met, etc. This helps the University Committee (and the other committees) to access service more accurately. This is not a requirement but an enhancement of the dossier.
Gray Section – External Letters of Assessment (for Promotion and Final Tenure Reviews)
---- All pages numbered beginning with D-1, D-2 (bottom center)
---- Description of how the letters of assessment were solicited.
---- Description of the procedure for selecting external evaluators.
- External letters must be requested from individuals who are of higher rank than the candidate.
- The evaluator should be familiar with the candidate’s area, research or teaching.
- External evaluators should not be former teachers, students, or collaborators (e.g., co-authors) of the candidate or have a personal relationship with the candidate.
- Candidates should not have any contact with external reviewers before or during the promotion and tenure review process.
- Division Heads should select evaluators from diverse sources (not from the same institution)
---- Identify evaluators in order listed on log; include a short biographical sketch.
---- Include a College-Approved Sample letter of request. When considering a tenure decision and a promotion decision simultaneously, external referees should be asked to address both concerns in a single letter.
---- The college criteria, a curriculum vitae and copies of key publications included with the letter of request sent to the external evaluators
--- Log of External Letters (Date of request, Date of receipt, Date of entry in dossier). The log as well as the external letters shall not be made available to the candidate at any time.
---- Letters from evaluators included in order listed in log. Dossiers must include a minimum of four letters from external evaluators.
Blue Section – Statements of Evaluation of the Candidate by Review Committees and Administrators
---- All pages numbered beginning with E-1, E-2 (bottom center)
---- Committee letters and Division Head letter addressed to the Chancellor in memo form
---- Committee Members listed with professorial rank on Committee signup sheet
---- Instructional Review Committee letter
---- Division P&T Committee letter
---- Division Head letter
---- College P&T Committee letter
---- Chancellor’s letter
---- Numerical vote indicated on Committee letters, even if unanimous.
---- Consultation noted and discussed or any absentia explained if applicable.
---- All letters in chronological order
---- No identification of external evaluators in Review Letters
--- For tenure reviews, include all evaluative statements from the previous probationary tenure reviews (2nd, 4th year reviews, etc...)
Candidate
---- The candidate has received written copies of all previous evaluative letters.
---- The tenure/promotion candidate has reviewed the factual part of the dossier (all sections except the external letters) for accuracy and completeness prior to the beginning of the review process.
---- Dossier does not contain evaluative statements written by the candidate, samples of the candidate’s publications, letters of appreciation or thanks, course outlines, vita, etc.
---- The Candidate Signature Page is signed and dated.
Factual Changes
---- No factual changes or new information is included in the dossier after the deadline specified in the Administrative Guidelines for HR-23: Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations. Example: February 15 for the 2009-2010 academic year.
---- If factual changes or new information is included, all review committees and administrators who have completed their review of the candidate are informed and shall have the opportunity to reconsider their recommendation.
---- A letter from each committee that they have viewed additions to the dossier.
Other
---- No staples, rubber bands, etc., are used in the dossiers. Paper clips or binder clips are acceptable.
---- For the candidates with locus of tenure at Abington College, one original and one copy are submitted to Human Resources together with a summary memo listing names and actions.
