Third–Year Review Policy in the College of Fine Arts

Approved by the Interim Dean on October 24, 2007

The College of Fine Arts is committed to providing mentoring and guidance to our assistant professors as they prepare for promotion and tenure review in the sixth year of appointment. The College has established an internal third–year review process, which simulates the promotion and tenure process on a minimal level, as an assessment tool for both the assistant professor and the departments/school.

The official “probation period” for assistant professors is seven years. Normally, the review for promotion and tenure takes place during the assistant professor's sixth year. If, however, during the first five years of appointment an assistant professor takes a 25% (or greater) leave without pay during either the fall or spring semester, he/she is eligible to delay the promotion/tenure review by one year. He/she would, therefore, be reviewed in his/her seventh year of appointment. Similarly, the third year review may be postponed for a year if the assistant professor is on 25% (or greater) leave with out pay during any of the first three years.

Timeline for typical assistant professor appointment:

Spring semester of the second year (4th semester)
March

Dean's Office and department/school determine and send to the Provost's Office the list of assistant professors to be reviewed in the coming academic year.
April

Department/school notifies assistant professors who are to be reviewed in the coming academic year with a copy to the Dean's Office.
Fall semester of the third year (5th semester)
Sept.–Jan.

Faculty assemble their third–year review dossier following the established guidelines.
Spring semester of the third year (6th semester)
Early spring

Assistant professors' dossiers are due to chair/director. The exact due date will be determined by each department/school chair/director.
April 15

Executive committee/chair/director's written report and faculty member's dossier are due to the Dean's Office.
Early May

The College of Fine Arts Promotion and Tenure Advisory Committee reviews the dossier and then meets with the dean and department/school chair/director to discuss.
Late May

Chair/director meet with faculty member to discuss the written report and the College of Fine Arts Promotion and Tenure Advisory Committee's comments.
June

The faculty member may provide a written response to the review for his/her file.

Dossier contents (these materials should be assembled into a three ring binder):

Three written statements (approximately one-page in length) provided by the assistant professor emphasizing his/her perceived strengths in the following areas: 1. research/creative activity, 2. teaching, and 3. service

Curriculum vitae

Faculty Annual Reports (a copy of each one completed while at the assistant professor rank)

At least one peer evaluation/observation report (will be coordinated by the department/school chair/director)

Instructional activity report (will be supplied by the Provost's Office in January of year 3)

Course–instructor survey summary evaluations (one per course that was evaluated) for all courses taught at the assistant professor rank

List of students supervised for theses and dissertations

Supplemental material (left to the discretion of the assistant professor)

Download This Page

Third–Year Review Policy (pdf - download adobe reader.)