Handbook of Operating Procedures > Series 300 Faculty and Academic Policies > 3.3.5 Promotion

3.3.5 Promotion

A. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to specify the procedures for recommending faculty promotion.

B. Persons Affected

Faculty, Department chairs, Deans, Executive Vice President of Health Affairs, Provost, President

For faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (UTHSCT), when any discrepancy between this document and similar policies at UTHSCT is observed, the UTHSCT policy takes precedence.  

C. Definitions

For purposes of this document, department chair is synonymous with school director.

D. Policy 

Each department/school and/or college shall develop written promotion policies which shall include:

1. Definitions and criteria of excellence in teaching, research/scholarship, creative endeavor, and service;
2. Qualitative and/or quantitative standards by which such activities and achievements shall be judged; and
3. A listing of activities and achievements properly associated with promotion to all faculty titles listed in this policy.

E. Responsibilities

The Office of the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs is responsible for the administration of this policy.

F. Academic Titles

1. Tenure Titles. The only titles to be used in which faculty members may hold tenure or be on the tenure track are as follows:
   1. Professor
   2. Associate Professor
   3. Assistant Professor
2. Non-Tenure Titles for Faculty with a Terminal Degree
   1. Assistant Professor of Instruction, Associate Professor of Instruction, and Professor of Instruction.  These titles designate nontenure-track faculty primarily engaged in instruction. Appointments to the faculty with a Professor of Instruction title track may be with or without pay and shall be for a period not to exceed three academic years with the possibility of renewal.  If the appointment is not renewed, it shall terminate upon expiration of the stated period of appointment.
   2. Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, and Clinical Professor. These designate regular part-time or full-time service by the faculty while involved in a professional clinical experience program. Appointments to the faculty with a clinical title may be with or without pay and shall be for a period not to exceed three academic years with the possibility of renewal.  If the appointment is not renewed, it shall terminate upon expiration of the stated period of appointment.
   3. Patient Care or Research titles: Professor of (title of specialty), Associate Professor of (title of specialty), Assistant Professor of (title of specialty), Instructor in (department). These titles are for persons appointed to positions for the primary purposes of patient care and other service activities or to positions for the primary purposes of research activities. These individuals may be assigned teaching responsibilities.
   4. Assistant Professor of Practice, Associate Professor of Practice, and Professor of Practice.  These titles designate faculty with or without a terminal degree who qualified to teach by virtue of professional experience in lieu of typical academic credentials. Appointments to the faculty with a Professor of Practice title track may be with or without pay and shall be for a period not to exceed three academic years with the possibility of renewal.  If the appointment is not renewed, it shall terminate upon expiration of the stated period of appointment.
   5. Visiting Professor, Visiting Associate Professor, Visiting Assistant Professor. These titles are used only for the temporary appointment of persons who are either visiting from other institutions where they hold similar ranks or are appointed by the University on a trial basis. Such appointments are subject to annual review and are limited to two (2) years.
3. Non-Tenure Track Titles for Faculty Without a Terminal Degree
   1. Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Distinguished Lecturer. These titles designate nontenure-track faculty without a terminal degree primarily engaged in teaching. Appointments to the faculty with these titles may be with or without pay and shall be for a period not to exceed three academic years with the possibility of renewal.  If the appointment is not renewed, it shall terminate upon expiration of the stated period of appointment.
   2. Clinical Instructor, Clinical Senior Instructor, and Clinical Distinguished Instructor. These titles designate nontenure-track faculty without a terminal degree primarily involved in a professional clinical experience program. Appointments to the faculty with a clinical title may be with or without pay and shall be for a period not to exceed three academic years with the possibility of renewal.  If the appointment is not renewed, it shall terminate upon expiration of the stated period of appointment.
   3. Assistant Professor of Practice, Associate Professor of Practice, and Professor of Practice.  These titles designate faculty with or without a terminal degree who qualified to teach by virtue of professional experience in lieu of typical academic credentials. Appointments to the faculty with a Professor of Practice title may be with or without pay and shall be for a period not to exceed three academic years with the possibility of renewal.  If the appointment is not renewed, it shall terminate upon expiration of the stated period of appointment.

G. Procedures

I. Promotion of Tenure-Track Faculty

While promotion criteria should be viewed as guidelines for faculty development, more importantly, they are standards for a summative judgment about the individual's lifelong commitment to UT Tyler and to the academic life. The promotion process is a collegial one, and the judgment of faculty colleagues and responsible administrators is required. All recommendations on promotion shall begin at the lowest level of organization in which the candidate resides (department, school, or college), and pass sequentially through the recommending levels. However, in colleges that are organized without departments or schools, nothing in this document shall be construed as requiring a review at a level lower than the college. 

Because the needs and goals of each program vary widely, the level of faculty involvement in teaching, research/scholarship/creative activity, and service may also vary from program to program. To this end, each department/school and/or college shall develop written promotion policies of their own. 

In the development of the criteria and policies for promotion the tenured and tenure track faculty within that department/school and/or college shall be consulted. Such policies, both at the departmental and college level, should be reviewed at least once every five years to ensure that they are consistent with UT Tyler's and each respective college's expectations and reflect the variance in the responsibilities and assignments of individual faculty members. All promotion policies must be in compliance with University of Texas System and UT Tyler rules and be approved by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President. 

1. Appointment and Promotion. The decision to appoint a faculty member to a rank or to promote a faculty member from one rank to the next is a recognition of the faculty member's accomplishments to date. The recommendation for the tenure of an assistant professor normally shall be concurrent with the recommendation for promotion to associate professor. However, a recommendation for promotion does not require a recommendation for tenure. Recommendation for promotion and tenure must be voted separately.
2. Criteria for Promotion. The same criteria that apply to promotion to a given rank will also apply for initial appointment to that rank. These criteria recognize three broad areas of academic activity: teaching, research/creative activity, service, and collegiality.
   1. Assistant Professor. Appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor normally requires that individuals hold the highest earned degree or its equivalent appropriate to their discipline. Appointment to this rank is made on the judgment that the individual has the potential for an award of tenure within the maximum six-year period. Evidence of potential for excellence in scholarship and teaching is required.
   2. Associate Professor. Appointment or promotion to the rank of Associate Professor is recognition that the faculty member has a clearly defined record of strong teaching and research/scholarship/creative activity, a commitment to continued growth in both activities and a commitment to responsible and conscientious participation in service activities and demonstrated collegiality.

      A strong record of achievement in teaching and research/scholarship/creative activity requires evidence. Evidence of strong research/scholarship/creative activity is documented not only through peer-reviewed publications, professional presentations, exhibits, performances, etc. but also through input of colleagues in the department as well as peer recognition of the candidate’s reputation by independent scholars outside of the University.

   3. Professor. Appointment or promotion to the rank of Professor is recognition of demonstrated achievement and distinction over the span of a faculty member's academic career in teaching and research/scholarship/creative activity, service and collegiality. The faculty member must also have actively participated in professional service and been actively involved in department, college and university service.

      Evidence of strong research/scholarship/creative activity is documented not only through peer-reviewed publications, professional presentations, exhibits, performances, etc. but also through input of colleagues in the department as well as peer recognition of the candidate’s reputation by independent scholars outside of the University.

      External letters of review from peers outside the University will be required for faculty members applying for Professor who were hired as tenured Associate Professor or promoted.

3. External Letters of Review. A recommendation for tenure and/or promotion must include supporting evidence that the individual's contributions have had an impact on the discipline; that is, the research/scholarship/creative activity should have made a significant contribution to the candidate’s discipline and be recognized by professional colleagues. To that end, the dossier for tenure and/or promotion of all candidates must include a minimum of three (3) outside review letters, with a minimum of one (1) letter from the candidate’s list of external reviewers.

   Letters of review should be solicited from disinterested scholars of appropriate rank or stature not affiliated with UT Tyler who serve in the faculty member's field of training, specialty, or a closely related field. Individuals who may have a bias or perceived bias, such as dissertation committee members, co-authors, classmates, former students, research collaborators, departmental colleagues, and friends should not serve as external reviewers. Reviewers will be nominated by the department chair and the candidate. The candidate should provide the department chair with the names of at least five (5) potential reviewers as well as a statement of their credentials and clarifying the nature of any prior contact the candidate has had with any suggested reviewer.

   The department chair will likewise compile a list of at least five (5) additional qualified reviewers. Chairs will also disclose their relationships with potential reviewers to the dean of the college. The final selection will be made by the dean of the college. The dean will select three (3) potential reviewers from each list (candidate and chair), resulting in a total of six (6) potential reviewers. Understanding that not all reviewers will agree to participate or that reviews will not arrive in a timely manner, the final list will contain no fewer than five names. At least two (2) reviewers must be from the candidate’s list. The final list of names of external reviewers is to be kept confidential from the candidate.

   The department chair shall contact the external reviewers to request their willingness to participate in the external review process. If the reviewers agree to participate, the department chair shall prepare and mail letters requesting outside reviews. Letters shall follow the standard template approved by the University. In the case where an insufficient number of reviewers are unable to participate, alternate reviewers may be selected by the dean.

   Reviewers will be provided with the candidate’s c.v., appropriate reprints and other representations of the candidate’s scholarship, and a summary of the candidate's teaching and service responsibilities since arriving at UT Tyler.

   Candidates will be informed when reviews are received and may have access to them. The department chair will place all reviews into the candidate’s dossier before the departmental committee begins its review. Outside letters received after the departmental committee begins its deliberations will not be included in the review process without the approval of the dean.

   The department chair shall prepare a summary of the outside review process that will be included in the candidate’s dossier. This summary shall list the name, position, and organization of each person from whom evaluations were requested. For those whose letters are included in the dossier, the summary shall include relevant information about the reviewers' professional/academic qualifications for evaluating the candidate for tenure and/or promotion.

   If the candidate for promotion is a department chair, then the dean of the college will be substituted for department chair in the process above.

4. The Promotion Process. The promotion decision-making process begins with the faculty member being considered and ends with the President. A faculty member should consult the dean regarding the timetable for the process.

   It is the responsibility of all faculty to be aware of departmental, college, UT Tyler and UT System rules and regulations regarding promotion. The faculty member who is to be considered begins compiling their files in the summer. The documentation of professional accomplishments shall be submitted in accordance with the criteria, standards and guidelines established by the department and/or college.

   At no time after the deadline for submission of the materials may additional materials to be used in the review process be placed into or withdrawn from the file without the permission of the dean.
   A faculty member being reviewed may withdraw from further consideration for promotion at any point in the process by submitting to the dean a written request for withdrawal.

   Because the promotion process is a collegial one, the judgment of both faculty colleagues and responsible administrators is required.

   Each department/school and/or college shall adopt procedures governing the consideration of faculty member seeking promotion. At minimum, such procedures shall include the following:

   1. All cases for promotion shall pass sequentially through the recommendation levels as described below.
   2. Faculty eligible to vote are those of higher rank than the faculty member being considered for promotion. Where there are fewer than three eligible faculty in a department, the dean, in consultation with the candidate, will select eligible faculty from similar or related departments.
   3. The eligible tenured faculty of the department shall vote by secret ballot on the promotion of the faculty member being considered. The outcome of the vote and the vote count shall be recorded.
   4. A college committee of eligible tenured faculty shall vote by secret ballot on the promotion of a faculty member being considered. The outcome of the vote and the vote count shall be recorded.
   5. The appropriate administrator at each level of review shall inform the faculty member in writing of the vote or recommendation before the file is sent forward to the next level.
   6. No person shall serve as a voting member of any promotion committee during an academic year in which he or she is under consideration for promotion, nor shall any individual make a vote or recommendation on his or her promotion nomination.
   7. No individual shall make a vote or recommendation on their own promotion nomination.

Departmental Faculty Recommendation. For all cases of promotion that are reviewed at the departmental level, there shall be a recommendation and a record of votes of faculty qualified to participate. That recommendation and vote shall be forwarded to the department chair.

Department Chair. The vote of the qualified faculty in the department is advisory to the department chair. After making an independent judgment on the promotion, the chair shall submit their recommendation and written summary to the chair of the college committee. The department chair will notify the affected faculty member if their recommendation differs from that of the department faculty. In cases where the chair's recommendation and that of a departmental faculty differ, the faculty may submit a dissenting report to the college committee.

College Committee. Committee members shall individually review the file of the faculty member being reviewed, taking into consideration the departmental criteria and guidelines for promotion. The recommendation of the members and a vote count are recorded and forwarded by the committee chair to the dean along with the file of the faculty member and the department chair's recommendation and summary. Committee members shall leave the room during deliberations on a faculty member with whom they share a significant personal or professional relationship and shall abstain from voting on or making a recommendation concerning that faculty member.

Dean. The dean, after review of the faculty member’s file and, if appropriate, consultation with the department faculty, department chair, and college committee, prepares their recommendation. Before submitting the recommendation to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the dean will notify the affected faculty member of their recommendation and provide them a copy of the college committee's recommendations.

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and when appropriate the Executive Vice President of Health Affairs. After review of all materials and consultation with the dean and any other appropriate individuals or groups, the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs (when appropriate) will prepare their recommendation regarding promotion. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will notify the candidate of their recommendation. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs’ recommendation, along with all previous recommendations, shall be forwarded to the President.

President. After review of all recommendations, the President will prepare their recommendation regarding promotion. The President will notify the affected faculty member of their recommendation and provide the candidate an opportunity, within two weeks of notice, to discuss the recommendation.

II. Promotion of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

1. Each department/college that employs lecturers shall have guidelines which describe criteria and procedures for evaluating requests for promotion from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer and from Senior Lecturer to Distinguished Senior Lecturer. These titles do not require a terminal degree.  The criteria for promotion to senior lecturer shall, include at least five years of teaching experience in which the applicant has “Exceeded Expectations” or “Met Expectations” in teaching each year and clear descriptions of how “special qualifications” and the “significance” of responsibilities other than teaching will be evaluated. The criteria for promotion to Distinguished Senior Lecturer shall build on those expected for promotion to Senior lecturer. The criteria shall include at least five consecutive years of teaching experience in which the applicant has “Exceeded Expectations” in teaching and other ways that their “teaching experiences and qualifications demonstrate extraordinary service and performance”. The guidelines shall also describe the contents of applications, timelines for reviews, and those involved in each stage of the review process. The guidelines must be reviewed and approved by the Dean of the College, the Executive Vice President of Health Affairs, the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President.
2. Each department/college that employs Professors of Instruction shall have guidelines which describe criteria and procedures for evaluating requests for promotion from Assistant Professor of Instruction to Associate Professor of Instruction, and from Associate Professor of Instruction to Professor of Instruction. These titles require a terminal degree. The criteria for promotion to Associate Professor of Instruction shall, include at least five years of teaching experience in which the applicant has “Exceeded Expectations” or “Met Expectations” in teaching each year and clear descriptions of how “special qualifications” and the “significance” of responsibilities other than teaching will be evaluated. The criteria for promotion to Professor of Instruction shall build on those expected for promotion to Associate Professor of Instruction. The criteria shall include at least five consecutive years of teaching experience in which the applicant has “Exceeded Expectations” in teaching and other ways that their “teaching experiences and qualifications demonstrate extraordinary service and performance”. The guidelines shall also describe the contents of applications, timelines for reviews, and those involved in each stage of the review process. The guidelines must be reviewed and approved by the Dean of the College, the Executive Vice President of Health Affairs, the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President.
3. Each department/college that employs Clinical Professors and Clinical Instructors shall have guidelines which describe criteria and procedures for evaluating requests for promotion from Clinical Instructor to Clinical Assistant Professor, from Clinical Assistant Professor to Clinical Associate Professor and from Clinical Associate Professor to Clinical Professor; and from Clinical Instructor to Clinical Senior Instructor and from Clinical Senior Instructor to Clinical Distinguished Senior Instructor. A terminal degree is required for clinical faculty promoted to the rank of Assistant Clinical Professor or above. The criteria for promotion from one rank to the next shall be based on the expectations associated with the role of clinical faculty. The guidelines shall also describe the contents of applications, timelines for reviews, and those involved in each stage of the review process. The guidelines must be reviewed and approved by the Dean of the College, the Executive Vice President of Health Affairs, the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President.
4. Each department/college that employs Professors of Practice shall have guidelines which describe criteria and procedures for evaluating requests for promotion from Assistant Professor of Practice to Associate Professor of Practice and from Associate Professor of Practice to Professor to of Practice. Criteria for promotion of professors of practice should be based on the expectations for that faculty role, that is, teaching, mentoring and advising students, student recruiting and retention, engaging with the professional community, and professional development. Work assignments for professors of practice are based on the expertise of the person and the needs of the College. Therefore, criteria for promotion will need to address the expectations set for individual professors of practice. The guidelines shall also describe the contents of applications, timelines for reviews, and those involved in each stage of the review process. The guidelines must be reviewed and approved by the Dean of the College, the Executive Vice President of Health Affairs, the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President.
5. Each department/college that employs Professors Patient Care or Research specialty titles shall have guidelines which describe criteria and procedures for evaluating requests for promotion from Assistant Professor of (title of specialty) to Associate Professor of (title of specialty) and from Associate Professor of (title of specialty) to Professor of (title of specialty). Criteria for promotion will need to address the expectations set for individual professors of (title of specialty). The guidelines shall also describe the contents of applications, timelines for reviews, and those involved in each stage of the review process. The guidelines must be reviewed and approved by the Dean of the College, the Executive Vice President of Health Affairs, the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President.

G. Review

The Divisional Head for this policy is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. This policy shall be reviewed every five years or sooner if necessary by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Faculty Senate President, the Council of Academic Deans, and a committee of faculty members designated by the Faculty Senate.