04-06-18 Tenure and Promotion

Dear Friends of the College:

 The end of the Spring Semester at Texas A&M University brings with it events that receive a great deal of attention, such as graduation for over 5000 students and the announcement of Distinguished Achievement Awards by the Association of Former Studies.  An announcement that usually receives less public attention, but is extremely important for Texas A&M, is the granting of tenure to a new group of faculty members.  Awarding tenure and promotion from assistant professor to associate professor usually comes at the end of a five-to-six year probationary period during which time the University thoroughly reviews an individual faculty member’s record of teaching, research, and service, and concludes that he or she has achieved levels of excellence that foreshadow a lifetime of outstanding accomplishments.  This letter explains briefly this most critical process.  Understanding how we make this decision should inspire confidence in the University’s commitment to pursuing excellence, to serving students and the State, and to advancing the frontiers of knowledge.

Untenured faculty are usually hired for a six-year probationary period during which time they are reviewed annually by the department’s faculty, the department head, and the Dean’s Office.  These annual reviews consider an untenured faculty member’s work in the areas of teaching (i.e., course outlines and materials, teaching evaluations by students, or classroom visits by senior faculty); research (i.e., publications, grants, or creative work); and service (i.e., work on University committees, professional organizations, outreach, etc.).  During this probation period, the faculty member receives written progress reports annually, with suggested activities to strengthen their records.  The feedback may include offers of help with teaching (i.e., working with master teachers in the department or with the Center for Teaching Excellence), with research activities (i.e., reading drafts of articles), or with service (i.e., help in determining the appropriate service load for untenured faculty).  Tenure candidates undergo an intensive review during their third year that includes a progress report and a formal department vote regarding that progress.  The third year review often refines the plan for that faculty member as he/she works toward the tenure review that will take place about 30 months later. 

 In the late spring and summer of a faculty member’s 5^th year, he or she will begin to assemble a tenure file, or dossier, consisting of teaching materials (i.e., course outlines, sample tests, pedagogical aids), professional publications, and service materials.  The faculty candidate will write a three-page personal statement summarizing his or her accomplishments and future plans. 

 He or she will also provide a list of faculty at peer universities for consideration as external reviewers for the file.  The department head will appoint a review committee to review the faculty candidate’s file and work with the department head to identify four to six leading scholars beyond the candidate’s list of reviewers to give written assessments of the faculty member’s scholarship. 

 All tenured members of a department will review the completed file, the reports of the committee, and the external review letters before meeting to discuss the case.  Thereafter, they will vote on whether or not to recommend tenure (and promotion to the rank of associate professor).  The department head will add his or her recommendation, giving a though analysis of the faculty member’s record and the basis for the recommendation.

 The file and department recommendation then advances to the college level where the case is carefully read by the Dean, the associate dean for faculty affairs, and the Dean’s Advisory Committee (DAC) – an appointed committee of six senior liberal arts faculty.  This committee meets with the Dean to discuss the case, votes whether to recommend tenure, then writes a report reflecting its judgment about the case.  This report is added to the file, as is the Dean’s recommendation with a written report based on his or her reading of the case and the advice from the Dean’s Advisory Committee.

 The entire case, which now includes materials from the candidate, the department, and the college, is forwarded to the Dean of Faculties and the Provost’s Office.  Officials in these two offices review all the University’s tenure files between semesters in December and January, preparing to make recommendations to the President and the Board of Regents.  Any questions or concerns are addressed in meetings with college deans in January. 

 The granting of tenure is a most serious and time consuming process because these decisions will affect the life of a faculty member and the life of the University.  Every effort is made to assure fairness and thoroughness in the review, and the faculty member is kept informed at every stage in the process.  At the end, if the Board of Regents grants tenure, the members can be assured that the individual has passed the highest standards for teaching and scholarship, and that his or her future contributions will advance the interests of Texas A&M and that person’s area of study.  Once tenured, faculty continue to be reviewed annually.  There is another level of review that is even more comprehensive for promotion to the rank of Professor, usually five or more years after tenure is granted.

 In granting tenure, Texas A&M University formalizes an important relationship with a faculty member that a former Dean of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University calls a type of social contract.  Awarding tenure guarantees continued employment at the institution subject to well-defined rules of behavior and ethics.  This long-term guarantee of employment assures a level of loyalty and commitment by the faculty to the University.  Faculty, in exchange, are guaranteed the academic freedom to explore the frontiers of knowledge, take risks with new ideas or methods, spend time with students, and make the institution better through selfless service. 

 Let me close by giving you an example of a faculty member tenured by Texas A&M this past year.  I think you will agree that we are, indeed, tenuring truly exceptional individuals. 

 The English department hired Victoria Rosner in 1999.  She came to College Station from New York City, where she had earned a Ph.D. in English from Columbia University and specializes in 20th century British literature, gender studies and cultural studies.  At Texas A&M Victoria has taught 13 different English courses, developed a new graduate English course, and developed a new course in the Women’s Studies program.  She has written two books, two book chapters, five articles, four book reviews, and delivered 17 conference presentations.  Her service has focused on helping students.  A partial list includes serving on the Marshall and Mitchell Scholarship selection committees, a committee for the Honors Program as well as on a committee that hosted brown bag luncheons focusing on professional development for graduate students.  She was able to work on specific writing projects with assistance from fellowships she received from the Mellon Foundation and Graham Foundation for Fine Arts.  Victoria also used funds from four Glasscock Humanities Center fellowships to support in her work on her book manuscripts.

 Please let me know if you have any questions about the tenuring process at the University.  Best wishes for the summer.

 Sincerely,

Charles A. Johnson

Dean