Faculty Handbook

The forms are intended to facilitate and systematize tenure recommendation procedures on a university-wide basis. If non-substantive errors are made in the record-keeping portion of the procedures (such as failure to record initial action taken, misreporting of the number of peers, etc.) or if further clarification is required, these errors may be corrected or clarifications made at any level of review without impacting the timeline for review.

As described in Policy 205, Faculty Tenure, the review process includes an annual evaluation of faculty on tenure-track appointment and a 5th or 6th year review for tenure recommendation. 

The tenure annual evaluation process takes place every year for a tenure-track faculty member candidate.  This occurs in years one through five provided the candidate is not going up for tenure review in year five.  The departmental/unit chair, in consultation with the departmental/unit peers, shall assess whether or not the candidate is making satisfactory progress toward achieving tenure. Please see the tenure-track schedule for deadlines of this process.

1. The departmental/unit chair follows Form AT3 to facilitate the annual evaluation process.
2. The departmental/unit chair notifies each tenure-track candidate to compile and submit a dossier of information (using Form AT5) by the deadline.  
3. The departmental/unit chair creates a list of departmental/unit peers (Form AT4) and calls a meeting of those listed to discuss and review the candidate’s progress.
4. During this meeting, each peer will review the submitted materials and complete an annual evaluation form (Form AT6).
5. The departmental/unit chair provides the summary of the assessment (Form AT2) to the candidate.
6. The departmental/unit chair forwards Form AT2 and a recommendation to the dean.  
7. The Provost's Office will request information and recommendations from the dean.
8. Provost's recommendation to the President. 
9. President's decision to the Board of Trustees. 

The tenure review process takes place in a tenure-track faculty member candidates fifth or sixth year as he/she chooses. This overview describes a step-by-step process of this review as per Policy 205: Faculty Tenure.  Please see the tenure-track schedule for additional deadlines for this process.

1. The departmental/unit chair follows Form T3 to facilitate the tenure review process.
2. The candidate completes the T0/P0 form to begin the Tenure process. Candidate begins to compile and submit a dossier of information (using Form T5) by the deadline.  
3. The departmental/unit chair creates a list of qualifying departmental/unit peers (Form T4) and creates the tenure committee as per Policy 205 by September 15. 
4. The committee elects a committee chair.
5. In consultation with the members of the committee, the committee chair prepares a report on the content of the tenure dossier consistent with content outlined in Policy 205, Section VII, signs and dates it, and adds it to the dossier.
6. The committee chair sends letters to all the following people requesting evaluation information to include in the dossier:
      -departmental/unit peers (Form T7)
      -departmental/unit chair (Form T8)
      -non-peer evaluators as appropriate (Form T9 through Form T12)
7.  The committee chair invites (Form T13) the departmental/unit peers and departmental/unit chair to view the dossier and attend a meeting to discuss the merits of the candidate.
8. The departmental/unit peers meet and vote (Form T14) on the tenure recommendation by November 15.
9. The committee chair provides the summary of the review (Form T15) to the candidate, gets the candidate's signatures, and adds the signed form to the dossier.
10. The committee chair sends the dossier to the departmental/unit chair.
11. The departmental/unit chair reviews the dossier, makes a recommendation (Form T2), and writes a letter explaining his/her tenure recommendation. This letter is sent to the candidate and added to the dossier.
12. The departmental/unit chair sends the dossier to the dean by January 10.
13. The dean reviews the dossier, makes a recommendation (Form T2), and writes a letter explaining his/her tenure recommendation. This letter is sent to the candidate and departmental/unit chair and is added to the dossier. 
14. The dean sends the dossier to the provost by February 15.
15. The provost reviews the dossier, makes a recommendation (Form T2), and writes a letter explaining his/her tenure recommendation. This letter is sent to the candidate, dean, departmental/unit chair, and is added to the dossier.
16. The provost sends the dossier to the president by April 1.

• Use a 3-ring binder (2” or 3”)
• Use tab dividers, one for each entry listed below, except letters from departmental/unit chair, administrator, peers, and non-peers (numbers 15-18 below) can be combined into one tab
• Plastic sheet protectors are not necessary, but if they are used, only place one sheet in each protector.
• Label outside cover and binder spine with “Tenure Dossier for [name], [department/unit]”
• Another binder may be necessary for other relevant information

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Dossier Order of Documents

1. Form T1 Tenure Cover Sheet
2. Form T2 Tenure Review Summary Sheet, initialed and dated at each step
3. Letters from departmental/unit chair, dean, and provost with tenure recommendation
4. Form T3 Faculty Tenure Review and Recommendations: Flow and Check-Off List,  initialed and dated at each step
5. Form T4 List of Departmental/Unit Peers
6. Form T5 Checklist of Required Items for Tenure Dossier (Initial each entry)
7. CV
8. Agreements on Responsibilities (AORs) from last 5 years or since initial employment; place in reverse chronologic order
9. Student Course Evaluations for all classes taught in last 5 years or since initial employment; place in reverse chronologic order
10. Grade Distribution Reports for all classes taught in last 5 years or since initial employment; place in reverse chronologic order
11. Faculty Annual Reports for last 5 years or since initial employment; place in reverse chronologic order
12. Additional Materials (optional) related to teaching, research/scholarship/creative activity, and service/outreach
13. Form AT2 Summary of Annual Peer Evaluation of Tenure-Track Faculty for tenure-track years; place in reverse chronologic order.
14. Form T6/T6a Form Letter to Faculty Member to be Considered for Tenure signed and dated by departmental/unit chair and candidate
15. Letters from peers in response to Form T7 with original signatures
16. Letter from departmental/unit chair in response to Form T8 with original signature
17. Letter from administrators in response to Form T9 with original signatures
18. Letters from non-peers in response to Form T10
19. Letters from Former Students in response to Form T11 
20. Form T12 Letters from Advisees in response to Form T12
21. Report on dossier, which is a summary of dossier prepared by committee chair, signed and dated
22. Original marked ballots from the bottom of Form T14
23. Form T15 Form Letter Transmitting the Tenure Committee Report and the Peer Vote Results to the Tenure Candidate, signed and dated by tenure candidate

Forms are available via the Provost's website:

www.tntech.edu/provost/tenure_and_promotion_documents.php