The College of Education requires a comprehensive review of Assistant Professors (hereafter referred to as tenure candidates) in their third year of tenure accrual at UF. The purpose of the review is to provide structured feedback and assist candidates to meet College and University requirements for tenure and promotion.

The pre-tenure review will occur within the candidate’s department and will be initiated by the Department Chair in September of the candidate’s third year of tenure accrual at UF.  By February 1^st of that school year, the candidate and Department Chair will complete a tenure and promotion packet. The packet will include all standard documentation, except external letters of reference. The packet will include:

1. A complete and accurate T&P form.
2. Annual letters of evaluation from the Chair.
3. Peer review of candidate’s teaching and supporting teaching materials.
4. A publication portfolio including all of the candidate’s research papers, publications, and papers submitted for publication.
5. Annual letters from a mentor, if a department’s mentoring process includes yearly letters.

Tenured faculty in the candidate’s department will review the packet and assess the candidate’s performance.  The assessment will address the issues normally considered in tenure and promotion deliberations and will determine if the candidate is making satisfactory progress toward promotion and tenure.  For example, department faculty may consider:

• Is the candidate’s teaching at or above department norms and expectations or making steady progress in that direction?
• Has the candidate presented papers in appropriate venues and are the number and quality of those papers acceptable?
• Has the candidate published at an acceptable rate and in appropriate journals?
• Does the candidate make appropriate use of theory and method in her/his published work?
• Is the candidate beginning to establish a regional and national reputation in her/his field?
• Is the candidate preparing her/himself to attract external funding to support her/his scholarly work?
• Has the candidate gained graduate status and served on master’s and doctoral committees?
• Does the candidate’s record suggest a teaching and research trajectory that is likely to lead to the rank of associate (and later full) professor?
• Is the candidate appropriately involved in professional service activities at the local, state, national or international level?

A meeting of tenured faculty in the department will be held to discuss the candidate’s progress toward tenure and promotion and advise the Department Chair on what might be included in his/her letter of review to the candidate. By March 1^st, a vote by tenured faculty will be held to indicate whether the candidate has made satisfactory progress toward promotion and tenure. The Department Chair will be responsible for conducting and recording the faculty vote.

The Department Chair will draft a letter of review based on the candidate’s packet, as well as the discussion and vote of department faculty. The letter should consider the candidate’s assignment and any support the department may have provided the candidate. It should identify areas of strengths and weaknesses in the candidate’s record and make clear recommendations on how the candidate may improve her/his packet and performance.  The goal is to give thoughtful and constructive assessments and suggestions that will help the candidate meet college and university requirements for tenure and promotion.

The Department Chair’s letter of review, along with the candidate’s packet, will be forwarded to the Dean of the College of Education for review by April 1^st.  After review of the candidate’s packet, the Dean will meet with the Department Chair to finalize the letter of review. The letter of review will reflect department and college assessment of the candidate’s progress toward meeting college and university requirements for promotion and tenure.

Before the end of the spring semester, the Department Chair will meet with the candidate to provide a copy and discuss the letter of review.  The candidate and Department Chair should discuss strengths and weaknesses in the candidate’s packet; what the candidate might do to strengthen her/his papers in the future; and what assistance might be available in the department, college, and/or university to address candidate needs and improve performance. A copy of the letter of review will be placed in the candidate’s personnel file.

Effective: April 19, 2004