Questions? Please contact Kathleen Hinchman, SOE ADAA, 230 Huntington Hall, kahinchm@syr.edu or Ralph Lorenz, VPA ADAA, 205 Crouse College, ralorenz@syr.edu
Procedures for Joint Tenure and Promotion Review
School of Education/College of Visual and Performing Arts
The Annual Review Process
Typically, new faculty members are given three-year terms when they are appointed dually to the faculties of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and the School of Education (SoE). Dually -appointed, untenured, tenure-track faculty members are reviewed each year to provide them direct feedback on their accomplishments. This feedback is designed to support the new faculty member’s efforts to progress toward successful promotion and tenure reviews in the years to follow. The process is documented in the “Annual Report and Recommendation on Non-Tenured Faculty” (AR&R) form provided by the University. It is conducted separately by the respective department chairpersons in VPA and SoE in consultation with each other, and with the concurrence of the deans. One AR&R form is completed with each unit’s letters of review attached, and the form signed by all parties. Copies of the completed forms are on file in each school/college. This review process is followed in years 1, 2, 4, and 5, with a more extensive review conducted in the third year (see the document “Procedures for Joint Annual Review and Third-Year Review: Dual-Appointment Faculty Members” for guidelines). The procedures for joint review in year 6 are detailed in this document.
Joint Review for Tenure/Promotion
The SoE utilizes a Teaching Committee as part of its tenure and promotion reviews, whereas VPA does not. In the case of joint tenure cases, it makes sense to include a VPA faculty member on this committee since the report from this committee becomes part of the documentation evaluating the candidate’s teaching. The joint Teaching Committee will consist of three members: one SoE faculty member, one VPA faculty member, and one doctoral student (either dually enrolled in programs served by both faculties, or alternately selected from VPA or the SoE). The associate dean for academic affairs in VPA will select the VPA faculty member in consultation with the School of Music/Department of Art; the appropriate associate dean in the SoE will select the SoE faculty member; the associate deans will select a doctoral student together.
VPA utilizes a portfolio binder of materials produced by the candidate for review by its tenure review committees, department chair, and the dean. A confidential binder is also produced which contains all relevant materials solicited by the department on behalf of the candidate. This portfolio binder system will be retained with appropriate modifications to the binder tabs (as agreed to by the associate deans) to reflect materials normally included in reviews conducted by the SoE.
Established procedures call for a Joint Tenure and Promotion Committee consisting of 8 members (4 faculty members each from VPA and SoE). This committee replaces the normal school/college level tenure committee. Thus, the review protocol will be as follows:
- review and recommendation by the department-level tenure committee in the School of
Music/Department of Art;
- review and recommendation by the appropriate department chair in each school/college and review and recommendation by the Joint Tenure and Promotion Committee;
- review and recommendation by the respective deans of each college; and
- review and decision by the Provost and Board of Trustees of Syracuse University;
With regard to promotion, the joint committee will follow the VPA practice whereby an affirmative decision on tenure automatically results in a recommendation of promotion to associate professor, which must be confirmed by the University Senate.
Timeline and Process Details
To maximize clarity and understanding of due dates and how review materials should be routed through the review process, the following guidelines were agreed to:
Before the year of the review
November 15 | If teaching has not yet been reviewed by an SOE Teaching Committee, the candidate informs the associate deans from each school/college, and they form the Teaching Committee. The candidate prepares materials on her/his teaching and submits them to the Committee chair by January 15th. Guidelines for preparing materials are provided on the SoE’s Form T-1: Candidate’s Report for Promotion and Tenure Teaching Committee. Reference should also be made to the SoE Statement on Promotions and Tenure Policies and Procedures for an overview of the Teaching Committee structure and process. |
April 1
| The candidate submits a list of 6-10 names of potential external reviewers to the chair/director of the School of Music/Department of Art, and to the Promotion and Tenure Committee of the SoE. The candidate should include a written rationale for the selection of each reviewer, consistent with criteria/guidelines specified by the Provost. The SOE Dean and Department Chair also submit a list of 6-10 external reviewers to the Promotion and Tenure Committee of the SoE. |
April 2-24 | School of Music/Department of Art Tenure and School of Education Promotion and Tenure Committees each generate its own list of 3-5 potential reviewers. The director/chair of the School of Music/Department of Art and Dean of SoE then contact each of the potential external reviewers to solicit their willingness to serve and call a meeting of the School of Music/Department of Art Tenure and School of Education Promotion and Tenure Committees no later than April 24 to identify and rank-order the final group of external reviewers for this review. Ultimately a minimum of six external reviewers must be elicited from the combined tenure committee lists. |
Late April
| A meeting is convened by the associate deans, including two members from each college who may serve on the Joint Tenure and Promotion Committee the following year. The purposes of this meeting will be to:
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| June 30 | Candidate to submit six packets of external review materials;
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| July 31 | External review packets (including cover letter from the SOE dean) are distributed to the external reviewers no later than this date, with a return due date of September 15. |
The year of the review
Fall | Joint Tenure and Promotion Committee named (as recommended by their respective dean or promotion and tenure committee). |
October 15 | Candidate submits one portfolio binder to the chair/director of the School of Music/Department of Art to be shared with the chair of the appropriate department in the School of Education; each department chair writes a letter of evaluation to be included in the confidential binder. |
November 15 | The department chairs submit the candidate’s portfolio binder and the confidential binder to the respective co-chairs of the Joint Tenure and Promotion Committee. |
| February-March | The Joint Tenure and Promotion Committee co-chairs submit the portfolio/confidential binders, including the committee’s recommendation, to their respective deans in keeping with the timeline established by the Provost. The deans include their own (joint or separate) recommendations to the Provost. |
| May | The Provost informs the candidate in writing of his and the Board of Trustees’ decision regarding tenure. |
- Approved by the School of Education Assembly, February 6, 2009;
- Approved by the College of Visual and Performing Arts Faculty Council, February 20, 2009.
- Revisions approved by the School of Education Assembly, February 18, 2011;
- Revisions approved by the College of Visual and Performing Arts Faculty Council, November 19, 2010.
- Approved by the Senate Committee on Appointments and Promotions, December, 2012.
- Revisions made according to changes to SOE Promotion and Tenure Policies and Procedures and the Faculty Manual, August, 2016.
- Revisions made to blend SOE & VPA deadlines by preliminary joint VPA & SOE Promotion and Tenure Committee, May 8, 2017.