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Office of the Provost
Academic Personnel

Faculty promotion and tenure

On this page you will find comprehensive information on the criteria, processes and expectations for faculty seeking promotion and tenure (P&T) within our institution. Our guidelines are designed to ensure a fair and transparent evaluation process, supporting faculty in their professional growth and recognizing their contributions to our academic community.

All questions regarding promotion and tenure policies and procedures, or about the SmartPath system, should be forwarded to the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Timeline

Promotion and tenure timeline: additional details are provided in the paragraphs below.

The promotion and tenure process from start to finish takes approximately 18 months to complete. The timelines provided above and below are generalized. Please contact your department/school/college directly for specific deadlines.

January - June: The first six months faculty should work with their department/school, chair/dean and colleagues to generate and refine the P&T documents that will be shared with review committees, internal, and external evaluators.  Many larger schools/colleges have faculty submit a notice of intent to participate in the upcoming P&T cycle during this time.   

May - August: Over the spring and summer, the unit coordinating the P&T process will request and collect letters from internal and external evaluators.

Late August - October: Departmentalized school/college's, departmental and chair reviews are completed in early fall.

November - December: School/college and dean reviews are completed in last fall.

Second Tuesday in January: Complete packets from the school/colleges are due to the Provost's Office.

February - April: University and provost reviews are completed mid-winter.

April - May: Final decisions are announced in the spring and a University wide P&T reception is held by the Provost's Office.

June Board of Governor's Meeting: Tenure recommendations and promotions to full professor are formally reviewed and approved.

Mid-August: The first day of fall semester the approved promotion and tenure actions become effective.

Procedures and factors

The collective bargaining agreement between WSU and the AAUP/WAU provides procedures and criteria for tenure and promotion. They should assist candidates for tenure and/or promotion to understand the scope and the process of assessment and evaluation to which their credentials are subject.

The assessment of a faculty candidate's qualifications [for tenure or promotion] shall be based upon excellence in teaching and in scholarly achievement or, for a faculty candidate in the creative or performing arts, in creative professional achievement. Consideration shall also be given to non-instructional service to the department, School/College, and/or University and/or public and/or professional service which benefits the University.
- AAUP Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article XXII.C and Article XXIII.A.2

Procedures and factors for teaching faculty

There are several differences in the promotion factors for teaching faculty at WSU. Teaching faculty are only required to attain excellence in teaching and one of two categories (i.e., in teaching and service or in teaching and scholarship/creative activities) to be promoted. Faculty may choose which of the two categories they wish to be evaluated on. Additionally, teaching faculty are required to have three letters from evaluators, and one evaluator must be external to Wayne State. Additional information can be found using the link above.

Guidelines for promotion and/or tenure for tenure-track, tenured, clinical, and research faculty

The University utilizes the SmarthPath workflow system from MountainPass to electronically compile P&T packets. The guidelines will provide a walkthrough of the various documents required for the P&T packet and the steps required for administrators to complete.

Faculty ready to begin submitting documents to their P&T packet should contact their department administrator to begin the promotion workflow. Training is available for those who need assistance with SmartPath.

Guidelines for promotion for teaching faculty

Faculty ready to begin submitting documents to their P&T packet should contact their department administrator to begin the promotion workflow. Training is available for those who need assistance with SmartPath.

Additional resources and documents