Tenure and Promotion

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Tenure and Promotion

The Tenure and promotion process provides for a structure for determining the continuous and permanent term of appointment of the professional faculty of Rhode Island College. Tenure protects and reinforces the academic freedom of the faculty in carrying out the preservation, extension and dissemination of knowledge, which is of benefit to society at large.

Annual Review Process

The annual review of faculty is central to the tenure and promotion process.

Faculty, Please Note: It is the obligation of the candidate faculty member, and their department chair and dean, to ensure that they:

are familiar with all aspects of the RIC AFT Contract, which provides details at the annual review process, and understand all relevant policies and procedures
have a shared understanding of the candidate's status
are in compliance

View the RIC AFT Contract

Understand the Complete Tenure and Promotion Process

September–October

Informational meetings with Provost, Deans, Department Chairs and faculty regarding tenure and promotion processes. Candidates considering promotion and/or tenure should be preparing their portfolios for submission, in consultation with their Department Chairs.

October 16: Department Chairs provide Deans with a list of faculty planning to submit for tenure and/or promotion and confirm that the Departmental Advisory Committee has been duly constituted by the department faculty as specified in department by-laws.

October 30: Deans forward list of candidates to Provost.

November–December

November: Candidates submit portfolios to their Department Chairs and the Department Advisory Committee.

December 14: For joint appointments, the Department Chair in the primary appointment (budget line) department solicits evaluation information and recommendation from the Department Chair and Departmental Advisory Committee of the secondary joint appointment department, which will be appended to the annual evaluation form.

February

Before February 1: Departmental Advisory Committees conduct and complete their review of the portfolios, and submit a written summary of their evaluations to Department Chairs with recommendations. Department Chairs conduct independent evaluation of each portfolio, write a summary description of individual’s contributions, a statement relating to the individual’s status regarding tenure, and specific recommendations on promotion and tenure.

February 1: Department Chairs submit evaluations by Chair and DAC to faculty member prior to meeting with that individual. Faculty member signs evaluation and recommendation form (not implying agreement) and may append comments.

February 5: Chairs submit portfolio packages, forms and written Chair and DAC recommendations to Dean.

Before February 19: Deans conduct independent evaluations of portfolios and recommendations, and write their recommendations on tenure and promotion.

February 19: Deans provide portfolios and all recommendations to Provost/VPAA and meet individually with the Provost/VPAA to discuss candidates of each school.

March–April

March 15: Provost/VPAA submits all promotion and tenure recommendations to President.

By April 5: President acts on tenure and promotion recommendations and notifies candidates, Deans and Department Chairs.

Please Note: At least ten working days shall be allowed between the return of the form to the faculty member and final action of the President on recommendations, permitting reconsideration by the President of the portfolio upon the request of a faculty member. (Final presidential action on April 20).