Guidelines for Handling Faculty Promotion and Tenure Cases and for Preparing Faculty Promotion Dossiers
This document is intended to provide guidance to CAS Department Chairs and Assistants to Chairs in the development of faculty promotion and tenure cases and in the creation of promotion dossiers. These Guidelines apply to all actions involving promotion to the rank of associate professor with continuing appointment (tenure) and to the rank of full professor.
This document consists of three sections:
Section A. An outline of the tasks and responsibilities of Department Chairs in the management of promotion cases. This section presents CAS policies and guidelines for such critical matters as the selection of external evaluators, inclusion of teaching evaluations, and the Chair's letter. It also identifies a recommended timetable for handling the required components in the development of promotional actions.
Section B. The full text of the current University at Buffalo "Policies, Procedures, and Criteria for Faculty Personnel Actions" as published in the most recent Faculty/Staff Handbook. Before initiating any faculty promotional action, Department Chairs should first carefully review all parts of Section B. Sections A and C of these CAS Guidelines assume that Department Chairs are fully informed as to the specifics of UB policies. It is the Chair's responsibility to check the web site prior to starting any promotional action in order to be informed of any recent changes in University policy.
Section C. A template for promotion dossiers. This section presents a section-by-section model for the preparation of faculty promotion dossiers as specified in the current University Checklist. Within each section of the template, such as the Chair's letter, the Candidate's Statement about Research or Creative Activity, or the Candidate's Teaching Portfolio, are included the relevant University policies and CAS Guidelines or addenda (if applicable).
These CAS Guidelines were initially developed with the advice and suggestions of an ad hoc Dean's Advisory Committee on Promotions & Tenure, which met with the Dean and members of the Dean's Office staff during spring semester 2003. The current version incorporates some changes and classifications. These Guidelines are intended to provide consistent standards and uniform practices for all faculty promotional actions undertaken across the departments of the College.
Promotions to the ranks of UB or SUNY Distinguished Professor are handled by different procedures and are not addressed in this document. Also new faculty appointments carrying tenure either at the associate or full professor rank for faculty currently holding such rank at their former university normally have an expedited procedure and are not governed by the full processes identified herein; Chairs should consult with the Senior Associate Dean as to the development of such cases.
June 2008