General Instructions for Assembling a Dossier and Preparing a Candidate's Case

Preparation for tenure and promotion review begins when the candidate enters the University. Soon after the candidate’s arrival, the APT policy calls for the the administrator of the academic unit that will become the faculty member’s tenure home: (a) meet with the candidate and provide a written copy of the approved promotion procedures and promotion criteria by which the candidate will be evaluated (policy references #1) & #2 and (b) appoint one or more senior faculty mentors (policy reference); See also the Senate Task Force Report on Mentoring Junior Faculty). The list of new tenure-track faculty and their mentors is due in the Office of the Associate Provost by February 1, 2009.

The award of tenure or promotion is a milestone in a faculty member’s professional life and represents a significant commitment by the University. The review for tenure and promotion is the University’s primary means for ensuring a productive and accomplished faculty befitting an outstanding research university. Faculty members are expected to demonstrate accomplishment in three areas: (1) research, scholarship, and creative activity; (2) teaching, advising, and mentoring; and (3) service (policy reference #1 & #2). Colleges, and Departments should have written explicit evaluative criteria covering these areas. These criteria should be included in the dossier as an attachment to the letter written by the First-Level Head.

The candidate’s dossier forms the basis for review at all levels. It is ,therefore, extremely important that it is well prepared and that it includes all relevant information in a form that will be clear to reviewers both within and outside the First-Level Unit.

This section contains the general guidelines for preparing all dossiers. Non-departmentalized Colleges will obviously omit the material (Chair’s Letter and Department APT report) that requires departmental input. See also:

• The Transmittal Form and the APT Dossier Checklist provide a list of the different components in a candidate's dossier.
• What is in a Dossier for Different Cases? describes the dossier elements for different kinds of APT cases.

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