TENURE & PROMOTION TIMELINE

This timeline includes key dates and activities for numerous university individuals and offices central to Winthrop’s tenure and promotion review cycle. To see any one role featured, for a PC: highlight that role and then click the Ctrl key and the F key (simultaneously) to highlight those responsibilities throughout the review cycle. For a Mac: click the Command and F key (simultaneously).

For purposes of this timeline, roles include Candidate, Department Chair, Dean, Dean’s Office, Committee Members, Department Committee Chair, College Personnel Advisory Committee Chair, Faculty Personnel Committee Chair, Office of Academic Affairs, Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator, Chief Academic Officer, President, Board of Trustees, and AFTP.

Questions or Suggestions? Contact Dr. Meg Webber, the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, who directs the annual tenure and promotion cycle on behalf of the Office of Academic Affairs.

Key Dates	Considerations regarding key dates: If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the effective deadline will be the first business day after the stated deadline. The deadline for each step is 11:59 pm on the date listed. Because candidates have three business days to write an optional response letter at each level up until it reaches the Chief Academic Officer, reviewers and review committees should allow up to three days from the prior review-level's letter date before reviewing a case they have just received. The effective date for tenure and promotion is the beginning of the next appointment period.
No later than 04/15	Office of Academic Affairs holds Division-Wide Tenure & Promotion Spring Workshop. Deans notify faculty who are scheduled for tenure review during the upcoming academic year via e-mail. Department, College, and University deadlines for submission of documentation will be shared with those standing for tenure and/or promotion. Deans provide promotion intention forms to eligible faculty via e-mail. Department, College, and University deadlines for submission of documentation will be shared with those standing for tenure and/or promotion. Candidates are encouraged (but not required) to consult their Department Chair before deciding to go up for promotion. Department Chairs may use this opportunity to discuss promotion readiness and their degree of support, but the decision to apply for promotion remains with the faculty member.
05/01	Dean’s Offices can begin to create cases in Interfolio for each faculty member up for review. Dean’s Offices should not begin this earlier than 05/01.
No later than 05/15	Candidate returns promotion intention form to Department Chair via e-mail. The Department Chair signs the form, acknowledging that the faculty member is pursuing promotion in the upcoming cycle. The Department Chair then e-mails the completed form to the Dean, copying the Candidate. Department Chairs, in consultation with their Dean, begin to form department review committees (CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library).
No later than 06/15	Department Chairs complete comments on Annual Reports for tenure and/or promotion candidates.
No later than 08/01	Deans complete comments on Annual Reports for tenure and/or promotion candidates.
No later than 08/20	Department Chairs finalize committees for tenure and/or promotion review (with approval from Deans) (CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library) and inform committee members that they will receive invitations from the Office of Academic Affairs to the Division-Wide Tenure & Promotion Kick-Off Meeting at the end of August. Deans provide a list of tenure and promotion committee members (CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library) to the Office of Academic Affairs. Dean’s Offices update all cases in Interfolio to include department review committees, including designating the person who will serve as committee chair (CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library).
No later than 08/24	The Office of Academic Affairs invites Committee Members to the Division-Wide Tenure & Promotion Kick-Off Meeting at the end of August and sends information about completing the required confidentiality form. The Office of Academic Affairs also ensures that college and university personnel committees are updated in Interfolio.
No later than the end of August	Required Division-Wide Tenure & Promotion Kick-Off Meeting for all Academic Affairs faculty and staff who are directly involved in the evaluation process. This includes members such as, or from, the following: Candidates, Department Chairs, Deans, Dean’s Office, Committee Members, Department Committee Chairs, College Personnel Advisory Committee Chairs, Faculty Personnel Committee Chair, Office of Academic Affairs, Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator, Chief Academic Officer, and AFTP.
No later than 09/01	Candidates submit tenure and/or promotion portfolios in Interfolio. Department Chairs check portfolios for problems or omissions and forward to the administrative step where cases will be held to check that all reviewers have completed the confidentiality form. Changes to the candidate’s portfolio must be made prior to it being sent to the College Personnel Advisory Committee. No further supporting evidence may be added after this point. All previous reviewers or review committees must be made aware of and review any added material. See Tenure: Conditions and Procedures policy, 8.9
No later than 09/02	Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator confirms that reviewers at all levels have completed the confidentiality form and then forwards cases to department (CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library) or college (CBT) committees for review. If any reviewer has not yet completed the form, the Office of Academic Affairs will notify that reviewer and the Committee Chair or Dean.
No later than 10/01	In CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library, Department Committee Chairs upload recommendation letters for tenure and/or promotion to Interfolio; record committee vote tallies for tenure and/or promotion; and forward all cases to Department Chairs. In CBT, Department Chairs add their reports and recommendations to portfolios and forward them to the CBT College Personnel Advisory Committee. Dean’s Offices share letters with candidates within Interfolio, and Candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.
No later than 10/05	Deans receive confidential updates from the Office of Academic Affairs about recommendations for their faculty candidates thus far in the review cycle.
No later than 10/15	In CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library, Department Chairs upload recommendation letters for tenure and/or promotion into Interfolio and forward all cases to College Personnel Advisory Committees. In CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library, Dean’s offices share letters with candidates within Interfolio, and Candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.
No later than 11/15	In all Colleges and the Library, College Personnel Advisory Committee Chairs upload recommendation letters for tenure and/or promotion into Interfolio, record committee vote tallies and forward all cases to Deans. Dean’s offices share letters with candidates within Interfolio, and Candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.
No later than 12/15	Deans upload their recommendation letters for tenure and/or promotion to Interfolio and forward all cases to the (university-level) Faculty Personnel Committee. Deans may share confidential updates about recommendations for their faculty candidates with Department Chairs as part of administrative planning. Dean’s Offices share letters with candidates within Interfolio, and Candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.
No later than 02/01	The Faculty Personnel Committee Chair uploads recommendation letters regarding tenure into Interfolio, records committee vote tallies for tenure, and forwards tenure cases to the Chief Academic Officer. Academic Affairs Interfolio administrator shares tenure letters with candidates within Interfolio, and candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.
No later than 02/15	The Faculty Personnel Committee Chair uploads recommendation letters regarding promotion into Interfolio, records committee vote tallies for tenure, and forwards promotion cases to the Chief Academic Officer. Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator shares promotion letters with candidates within Interfolio, and Candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio. An optional meeting occurs with Faculty Personnel Committee, Chief Academic Officer, and the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.
No later than 02/20	Deans receive confidential updates on Faculty Personnel Committee recommendations from the Office of Academic Affairs. Deans may share with Department Chairs as part of administrative planning.
No later than 02/22	Chief Academic Officer shares tenure recommendations and promotion recommendations with the President. No letters are generated at this time. Office of Academic Affairs sends lists of faculty expected to stand for tenure in the next academic year to Deans.
No later than 03/01	President notifies Candidates and their Department Chairs and Deans of tenure decision outcome (award or notification of nonrenewal) and/or promotion decision outcome, pending final Board of Trustees approval. Notifications are sent to candidates in writing via e-mail. Negative decisions receive e-mail notifications and a hard-copy letter, with an additional copy of negative decision letters saved to candidates’ Interfolio case(s) and within Office of Academic Affairs’ faculty personnel files.
No later than 03/08	Candidates’ appeals of tenure decisions (only an option for procedural reasons) are due to the Committee on Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Promotion (AFTP), copying the Chief Academic Officer. See Tenure – Conditions and Procedures (procedures, 9.0 Notification of Tenure Decision) and Termination of Appointment (procedures, Denial of Tenure) policies. Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator archives cases for all candidates who are not appealing their decision and makes cases available to AFTP committee within Interfolio, as necessary.
No later than 04/01	AFTP sends report on findings related to denial of tenure decisions for procedural reasons to Candidate, Chief Academic Officer, and President. Deans confirm with the Office of Academic Affairs the names of faculty who will stand for tenure in the next academic year.
No later than 04/15	President notifies AFTP, Candidates and their Department Chairs/Deans of denial of tenure appeal decisions. Notifications are sent to candidates in writing via e-mail and hard-copy letter, with an additional copy saved to candidates’ Interfolio cases and within Office of Academic Affairs’ faculty personnel files. See also: New cycle simultaneously begins for next review cohort. *Office of Academic Affairs* holds Division-Wide Tenure & Promotion Spring Workshop. *Deans* contact faculty via e-mail to begin tenure and promotion processes while *Candidates* consult with their *Department Chairs*. Please reference the start of this timeline for more detail.
April BOT	Upon action by the Board of Trustees, the names of faculty granted tenure and/or promotion are submitted for publication. Within a week after the Board of Trustees’ April meeting, the Office of Academic Affairs notifies Candidates and their Department Chairs and Deans of final tenure and/or promotion approval outcome from the Board of Trustees. Notifications are sent to candidates in writing via e-mail and hard-copy letter, with an additional copy saved to candidates’ Interfolio cases and within Office of Academic Affairs’ faculty personnel files.
No later than 5/1	Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator updates case templates as needed for next year’s reviews.

Key Dates

Considerations regarding key dates:

If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the effective deadline will be the first business day after the stated deadline. The deadline for each step is 11:59 pm on the date listed.
Because candidates have three business days to write an optional response letter at each level up until it reaches the Chief Academic Officer, reviewers and review committees should allow up to three days from the prior review-level's letter date before reviewing a case they have just received.
The effective date for tenure and promotion is the beginning of the next appointment period.

No later than 04/15

Office of Academic Affairs holds Division-Wide Tenure & Promotion Spring Workshop.

Deans notify faculty who are scheduled for tenure review during the upcoming academic year via e-mail. Department, College, and University deadlines for submission of documentation will be shared with those standing for tenure and/or promotion.

Deans provide promotion intention forms to eligible faculty via e-mail. Department, College, and University deadlines for submission of documentation will be shared with those standing for tenure and/or promotion.

Candidates are encouraged (but not required) to consult their Department Chair before deciding to go up for promotion. Department Chairs may use this opportunity to discuss promotion readiness and their degree of support, but the decision to apply for promotion remains with the faculty member.

05/01

Dean’s Offices can begin to create cases in Interfolio for each faculty member up for review. Dean’s Offices should not begin this earlier than 05/01.

No later than 05/15

Candidate returns promotion intention form to Department Chair via e-mail. The Department Chair signs the form, acknowledging that the faculty member is pursuing promotion in the upcoming cycle. The Department Chair then e-mails the completed form to the Dean, copying the Candidate.

Department Chairs, in consultation with their Dean, begin to form department review committees (CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library).

No later than

06/15

Department Chairs complete comments on Annual Reports for tenure and/or promotion candidates.

No later than

08/01

Deans complete comments on Annual Reports for tenure and/or promotion candidates.

No later than 08/20

Department Chairs finalize committees for tenure and/or promotion review (with approval from Deans) (CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library) and inform committee members that they will receive invitations from the Office of Academic Affairs to the Division-Wide Tenure & Promotion Kick-Off Meeting at the end of August.

Deans provide a list of tenure and promotion committee members (CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library) to the Office of Academic Affairs.

Dean’s Offices update all cases in Interfolio to include department review committees, including designating the person who will serve as committee chair (CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library).

No later than

08/24

The Office of Academic Affairs invites Committee Members to the Division-Wide Tenure & Promotion Kick-Off Meeting at the end of August and sends information about completing the required confidentiality form.

The Office of Academic Affairs also ensures that college and university personnel committees are updated in Interfolio.

No later than the end of August

Required Division-Wide Tenure & Promotion Kick-Off Meeting for all Academic Affairs faculty and staff who are directly involved in the evaluation process. This includes members such as, or from, the following:

Candidates, Department Chairs, Deans, Dean’s Office, Committee Members, Department Committee Chairs, College Personnel Advisory Committee Chairs, Faculty Personnel Committee Chair, Office of Academic Affairs, Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator, Chief Academic Officer, and AFTP.

No later than 09/01

Candidates submit tenure and/or promotion portfolios in Interfolio.

Department Chairs check portfolios for problems or omissions and forward to the administrative step where cases will be held to check that all reviewers have completed the confidentiality form.

Changes to the candidate’s portfolio must be made prior to it being sent to the College Personnel Advisory Committee. No further supporting evidence may be added after this point. All previous reviewers or review committees must be made aware of and review any added material. See Tenure: Conditions and Procedures policy, 8.9

No later than

09/02

Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator confirms that reviewers at all levels have completed the confidentiality form and then forwards cases to department (CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library) or college (CBT) committees for review. If any reviewer has not yet completed the form, the Office of Academic Affairs will notify that reviewer and the Committee Chair or Dean.

No later than

10/01

In CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library, Department Committee Chairs upload recommendation letters for tenure and/or promotion to Interfolio; record committee vote tallies for tenure and/or promotion; and forward all cases to Department Chairs.

In CBT, Department Chairs add their reports and recommendations to portfolios and forward them to the CBT College Personnel Advisory Committee.

Dean’s Offices share letters with candidates within Interfolio, and Candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.

No later than 10/05

Deans receive confidential updates from the Office of Academic Affairs about recommendations for their faculty candidates thus far in the review cycle.

No later than

10/15

In CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library, Department Chairs upload recommendation letters for tenure and/or promotion into Interfolio and forward all cases to College Personnel Advisory Committees.

In CAS, CESHS, CVPA, and Library, Dean’s offices share letters with candidates within Interfolio, and Candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.

No later than 11/15

In all Colleges and the Library, College Personnel Advisory Committee Chairs upload recommendation letters for tenure and/or promotion into Interfolio, record committee vote tallies and forward all cases to Deans.

Dean’s offices share letters with candidates within Interfolio, and Candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.

No later than

12/15

Deans upload their recommendation letters for tenure and/or promotion to Interfolio and forward all cases to the (university-level) Faculty Personnel Committee.

Deans may share confidential updates about recommendations for their faculty candidates with Department Chairs as part of administrative planning.

Dean’s Offices share letters with candidates within Interfolio, and Candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.

No later than 02/01

The Faculty Personnel Committee Chair uploads recommendation letters regarding tenure into Interfolio, records committee vote tallies for tenure, and forwards tenure cases to the Chief Academic Officer.

Academic Affairs Interfolio administrator shares tenure letters with candidates within Interfolio, and candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.

No later than 02/15

The Faculty Personnel Committee Chair uploads recommendation letters regarding promotion into Interfolio, records committee vote tallies for tenure, and forwards promotion cases to the Chief Academic Officer.

Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator shares promotion letters with candidates within Interfolio, and Candidates have three business days to upload optional response letter to Interfolio.

An optional meeting occurs with Faculty Personnel Committee, Chief Academic Officer, and the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.

No later than 02/20

Deans receive confidential updates on Faculty Personnel Committee recommendations from the Office of Academic Affairs. Deans may share with Department Chairs as part of administrative planning.

No later than 02/22

Chief Academic Officer shares tenure recommendations and promotion recommendations with the President. No letters are generated at this time.

Office of Academic Affairs sends lists of faculty expected to stand for tenure in the next academic year to Deans.

No later than 03/01

President notifies Candidates and their Department Chairs and Deans of tenure decision outcome (award or notification of nonrenewal) and/or promotion decision outcome, pending final Board of Trustees approval. Notifications are sent to candidates in writing via e-mail.

Negative decisions receive e-mail notifications and a hard-copy letter, with an additional copy of negative decision letters saved to candidates’ Interfolio case(s) and within Office of Academic Affairs’ faculty personnel files.

No later than 03/08

Candidates’ appeals of tenure decisions (only an option for procedural reasons) are due to the Committee on Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Promotion (AFTP), copying the Chief Academic Officer. See Tenure – Conditions and Procedures (procedures, 9.0 Notification of Tenure Decision) and Termination of Appointment (procedures, Denial of Tenure) policies.

Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator archives cases for all candidates who are not appealing their decision and makes cases available to AFTP committee within Interfolio, as necessary.

No later than 04/01

AFTP sends report on findings related to denial of tenure decisions for procedural reasons to Candidate, Chief Academic Officer, and President.

Deans confirm with the Office of Academic Affairs the names of faculty who will stand for tenure in the next academic year.

No later than

04/15

President notifies AFTP, Candidates and their Department Chairs/Deans of denial of tenure appeal decisions. Notifications are sent to candidates in writing via e-mail and hard-copy letter, with an additional copy saved to candidates’ Interfolio cases and within Office of Academic Affairs’ faculty personnel files.

See also: New cycle simultaneously begins for next review cohort. Office of Academic Affairs holds Division-Wide Tenure & Promotion Spring Workshop. Deans contact faculty via e-mail to begin tenure and promotion processes while Candidates consult with their Department Chairs. Please reference the start of this timeline for more detail.

April BOT

Upon action by the Board of Trustees, the names of faculty granted tenure and/or promotion are submitted for publication.

Within a week after the Board of Trustees’ April meeting, the Office of Academic Affairs notifies Candidates and their Department Chairs and Deans of final tenure and/or promotion approval outcome from the Board of Trustees. Notifications are sent to candidates in writing via e-mail and hard-copy letter, with an additional copy saved to candidates’ Interfolio cases and within Office of Academic Affairs’ faculty personnel files.

No later than 5/1

Academic Affairs Interfolio Administrator updates case templates as needed for next year’s reviews.

For Tenure procedures, see: Tenure – Conditions and Procedures

For Promotion procedures, see: Promotion – Faculty

Last Revised 8/14/24