Promotion and Tenure

  • Notice of Intent
    • This has been updated as a powerform; this will route directly to the Faculty Affairs office upon completion. 
  • Forms
    • Extending the Tenure Clock
    • The promotion recommendation form and tenure recommendation form will be updated and added by August 1, 2026.

Candidates who are applying for promotion to associate professor with tenure, tenured professors who are applying for promotion for full professor, or special appointment faculty with a research requirement are required to include external review letters in their dossier. 

Dossier composition varies from the local (department or college) level to the VPAA Level. Candidates should assemble dossiers to first meet internal requirements, then to meet VPAA requirements. 

The following items should be submitted to your department chair as electronic copies (as reasonable). These items will remain in the dean's office throughout the process. Items in bold and with an asterisk * will move forward to subsequent levels of review for Promotion and/or Tenure.

  1. CV*
    Outline is as follows: 
      1. Educational Background
      2. Professional Experience (including academic and administrative positions)
      3. Courses Taught
        • Regular assignments and continuing education advisees (Undergraduate)
        • Graduate student advising: independent study/scholarly project/design project, advisor master’s thesis committee (indicate if you served as committee chair), doctoral dissertation committee (indicate role: chair, member, or member-at-large)
        • Curriculum development activities
      4. Service (Include any offices held)
        • Department
        • College
        • University
        • Professional Associations
        • Community
      5. Publications/performances/exhibits/educational products (Please indicate full citations, and the order of multiple authorships. Indicate your contribution to the work if there are multiple authors.)
        • Juried/refereed
        • Non-juried/non-refereed
        • Invited
        • Other
      6. Professional Presentations
        • National/international
        • Regional
        • State/local
      7. Grants and contracts submitted/funded
      8. Professional education/consultant activities 
      9. Honors/awards
  2. Letters of outside peer evaluations*
  3. For tenure candidates: copies of all prior annual evaluations since hire
  4. For promotion candidates: copies of all prior annual evaluations since previous promotion, or since hire for those who have not gone through the promotion process.
  5. Copies/examples of course syllabi/course materials
  6. Student assessments
  7. Peer review evaluations of teaching
  8. Peer review evaluations of creative activities
  9. Letters of professional recognition for awards/honors
  10. Verifications of creative performances/exhibits
  11. For tenure candidates: copies of all publications since hire 
  12. For promotion candidates: copies of all publications since last promotion at UND, or copies of all publications since hire for those who have not gone through the promotion process.
  13. External review approved list.

Department chairs should solicit and collect external review letters for candidates that require external review. 

As subsequent levels of review are completed, the following should be added:

  1. Letter of assessment and evaluation from the department committee, citing scholarship, teaching, and service.* 
  2. Letter of assessment, evaluation,and recommendation from the department chair.* 
  3. Letter of assessment, evaluation, and recommendation from the dean.*
  4. Any memorandum submitted by an advisory body to a decision maker.* 

Please submit an electronic copy to the Vice President for Academic Affairs Office.

  1. Faculty promotion form  (if applicable)
  2. Tenure recommendation form  (if applicable)
  3. Curriculum Vitae
  4. Letter from college/school dean
  5. Letter from college/school department chair
  6. Letter from college/school committee
  7. Letter from department committee
  8. External evaluations (external reviewers are only required for tenure track faculty seeking tenure and promotion, tenured faculty seeking promotion to full Professor, or other special appointment faculty seeking promotion who have a research requirement).
  9. Tenure candidates: copies of all prior annual evaluations since hire (most recent evaluation first)
  10. Promotion candidates: copies of all prior past annual evaluations since last promotion, or copies of all prior annual evaluations since hire for those who have not gone through the promotion process (most recent evaluation first)

Please note: A candidate’s response to any letter goes directly after the letter to which the applicant is responding

Levels of Review & Timeline

Faculty candidates for promotion and/or tenure, as well as all college/school and department faculty or staff who might be involved with this year’s cycle, should familiarize themselves with the timeline, as well as departmental and college/school deadlines. 

Level of Review Timeline Responsibilities
Candidate April 15, 2026 Notice of intent form due
Department

May 1, 2026

*unless required earlier by the department or college

 Names of suggested external reviewers filed with the department chair submitted by applicant to department chair. 
Department

September 8, 2026

Applicant submits promotion and/or tenure dossier electronically to department chair. Once submitted to department, the dossier is complete. The applicant may not add to, delete from, or otherwise alter the dossier after submission. 
Department

September 11, 2026

Chair makes applicant dossier available electronically to department committee. 
Department

September 28, 2026

Department committee's written record of votes on promotion and/or tenure and written advice, including the basis for any recommendation, due to department chair. 
Department October 12, 2026

Department chair's recommendation made on promotion and/or tenure; candidates are informed in writing of chair's recommendation, including the department committee's written record of votes and basis for any recommendation. 
Department Three business days immediately following the date prior

Candidates will be given the opportunity to review the departmental advice, any external review letters, and the chair's recommendation and may respond in writing if desired. Any provided response will become part of the file.
Department Business day immediately following the three day candidate review period

Candidate dossier containing written recommendations and supporting statements from department chair and committee due to the dean. 
College October 23, 2026

Dean's office makes the dossiers and accompanying materials available to the college committee. 
College November 13, 2026

Advice from the college committee, along with written record of votes for and against promotion and/or tenure due to the dean. 
Dean December 1, 2026

Dean's recommendations are made on tenure and/or promotion and applicants are informed in writing of Dean's recommendations.
Dean Three business days immediately following the date prior

Candidates will be given the opportunity to review the college advice and dean's recommendation, and may respond in writing if desired. Any provided response will become part of the file.
Dean December 7, 2026

Written recommendations are supporting statements from dean, along with dossiers due to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. 
University Promotion & Tenure Committee  December 11, 2026

Provost's Office makes dossiers available for review to the University Promotion & Tenure Committee.
University Promotion & Tenure Committee January 25, 2027

University Promotion & Tenure committee advice, along with written record of votes on Promotion and/or tenure due to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. 
University Promotion & Tenure Committee Three business days immediately following the previous date

Candidates will be given the opportunity to review the University Promotion & Tenure Committee recommendation, and may respond in writing if desired. Any provided response will become part of the file.
Committee of Academic Deans February 8, 2027

Committee of Academic Deans advice, along with written record of votes on promotion and/or tenure, due to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. 
Committee of Academic Deans Three business days immediately following the previous date

Candidates will be given the opportunity to review the Committee of Academic Deans recommendation, and may respond in writing if desired. Any provided response will become part of the file.
Provost On or about February 17, 2027

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs' recommendations for promotion and/or tenure are due, and applicants are informed in writing of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs recommendations and basis for decision. 
Provost Three business days immediately following the previous date

Candidates will be given the opportunity to review the Provost's recommendation, and may respond in writing if desired. Any provided response will become part of the file.
Provost Business day immediately following the previous date Written recommendations from Provost and Vice president for Academic Affairs for promotion and/or tenure due to President 
President

On or about March 6, 2027

*based on the NDUS and SBHE set deadlines

 President's decisions on promotion and recommendations on tenure are made and applicants are informed in writing of President's decisions and recommendations.
President

By March 15, 2027

President's recommendations on tenure are forwarded to NDUS and SBHE. SBHE votes on tenure recommendations during their April meeting. After decision is made, applicants will be notified via written letter from the President. 

2026-2027 University Promotion and Tenure Committee Membership

The 2026-2027 Promotion & Tenure Committee will be updated by August 1, 2026.

Guiding Principles for Promotion and Tenure

November 7, 2013

The application of departmental and college promotion and tenure standards should serve the University’s mission and facilitate the institutional fulfillment of the University’s obligation in teaching, scholarly and creative accomplishments, and professional service and contribution to society. Promotion and tenure standards should be applied in a manner that ensures the quality of our academic programs while fostering the success of our faculty. Both the process and the substance of promotion and tenure decisions should reflect the University’s commitment to accurate, appropriate, and fair assessment of faculty productivity, integrity of process and public accountability, and encouraging collaborative, interdisciplinary, and innovative approaches in teaching, scholarly and creative accomplishment, and professional service and contribution to society.

Frequently Asked Questions

What State Board of Higher Education policies provide the basis for UND’s tenure and promotion policies?

    • SBHE 605.1: Academic Appointments
    • SBHE 605.2: Standing Committee on Faculty Rights
    • SBHE 605.3: Nonrenewal, Termination, or Dismissal of Faculty
    • SBHE 605.4: Hearings and Appeal

These policies may be found in their entirety on the State Board of Higher Education webpage. 

When will I be eligible to apply for tenure and promotion?

  • Eligibility for tenure requires a probationary period of six years of continuous academic service to UND, during which the faculty member is evaluated at least annually. Probationary faculty are expected to submit an application for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in the fall of their sixth year of eligibility. This time period may be adjusted to account for tenure credit granted at the time of appointment or the term may be extended beyond six years in exceptional and extenuating circumstances (see questions 6 and 7).
  • Promotion to professor: The expected time in rank for tenured associate professors prior to seeking promotion to Professor is seven years, though the time period can be shorter or longer. Regardless of time in rank, Associate Professors applying for promotion to Professor are expected to meet the department, college and University expectations for promotion to Professor. There is no presumptive right to be promoted to Professor.  
  • Promotion of special appointment faculty: Promotion eligibility for special appointment faculty, including required time in rank, is determined by department and/or college guidelines. Regardless of time in rank, special appointment faculty seeking promotion to the associate or full professor rank are expected to meet the department, college, and University expectations for promotion. Special appointment faculty should be evaluated based on the percent of total effort assigned to particular responsibilities under their contract during the period of review. There is no presumptive right to be promoted.
    • Time served in rank is never a sufficient criterion for promotion and tenure. Instead, promotion and tenure must be awarded based on performance in all relevant faculty roles and responsibilities, and in accordance with expectations in academic rank.

How do I initiate the tenure and/or promotion process?

Faculty seeking promotion and/or tenure must formally notify their department chair and dean’s office no later than April 15 of the spring semester prior to the academic year during which the review will occur.

What are the criteria for promotion and tenure evaluation?

    • Faculty are evaluated in the areas of teaching, research/scholarly activity/creative activity, and service based on their Page 2 percentages during the time under review. The UND Faculty Handbook Section IV.4.B establishes university-wide expectations in teaching, research/scholarly activity/creative activity, and service governing promotion and tenure.
    • The Faculty Handbook states that “Each academic Department must adopt formally in its rules of governance criteria and procedures for promotion, tenure, and evaluation that establish minimum levels of excellence in academic performance, articulate procedures that ensure fairness in the promotion, tenure, and evaluation process, and reflect appropriate discipline-specific expectations in alignment with the policies specified in the Faculty Handbook.”
    • Consistent with this requirement, the Faculty Handbook also states that “Departmental criteria for promotion and tenure should reflect the uniqueness of the discipline and amplify the University’s more general criteria for performance expectations in academic rank.”
    • Each college/school may also have guidelines that interpret and apply university policies within the context of the college’s disciplinary norms and expectations. Faculty should contact their department chair and/or dean for copies of their department and/or college/school guidelines.

If I start my probationary period in the middle of the year, does that half-year count as a full year toward tenure?

As outlined in the UND Faculty Handbook, for probationary tenure-track faculty hired at mid-year the half-year of service shall count as one full year toward tenure.

Can the probationary period be extended?

    • A probationary faculty member may request that their probationary period be extended because of exceptional and extenuating circumstances via the form available on the VPFA promotion and tenure webpage.
    • Exceptional and extenuating circumstances may include parental leave, appropriate accommodations for faculty with disabilities, family emergencies, or extended illness.
    • The purpose of an extension is to provide additional time to meet the standards expected for tenure because of exceptional and extenuating circumstances that substantially impede the faculty member’s progress during the probationary period. Such exceptions must be approved in writing by the Provost, or for SMHS, the VPHA.

When can I request an extension to my probationary period?

    • A faculty member should apply for an extension as soon as it becomes clear that an extenuating circumstance has substantially impeded the faculty member’s progress toward tenure in aspects that can be clearly specified.
    • A request for an extension of the probationary period should be initiated within a reasonable period, not to exceed six months of the occurrence of the circumstances on which the request is based.
    • Above all, the faculty member must not wait until the time of a tenure application to make such a request based on past circumstances. An extension request must be made no later than August 15 preceding the faculty member’s final probationary year and an extension may not exceed two years total.

What are the requirements for external review letters in the promotion and tenure process?

    • The UND Faculty Handbook, as detailed in Section V.3.E, requires that faculty with research obligations seeking tenure and/or promotion include external reviews as part of the review process.
    • The number of external review letters should be specified in department guidelines. To ensure a meaningful external review process and uphold standards of academic quality, the Office of the Provost recommends a minimum of three external review letters, with a preferred range of four to seven letters.
    • For more information, please see the Provost’s Office/VPAA Guidance on external review letters. 

What is the role of the University Promotion and Tenure Committee and the Committee of Deans?

    • The terms “recommendation” and “advice” reflect the UND Faculty Handbook, which specifies that Chairs, Deans, and the Provost and VPAA (or for SMHS, the VPHA) make written “recommendations” on promotion and/or tenure applications. Committees, therefore, advise those entities.
    • Before the Provost (or for SMHS, the Vice President for Health Affairs) makes a recommendation to the President on promotion and/or tenure, the Provost must seek the advice of a University committee. The University Promotion and Tenure Committee is comprised of tenured associate or full professors from each college/school (with 2 from the College of Arts and Sciences).
    • According to the UND Faculty Handbook, the Provost must also seek the collective advice of the academic deans before making promotion and tenure recommendations.
    • The Provost or Vice President for Health Affairs provides their recommendations based on the materials in the candidate’s file and on the advice of the University committee and the deans.

As a candidate, when do I have the opportunity to review my file throughout the tenure and promotion process?

    • The faculty member’s right to review and respond occurs at each instance of formal recommendation in the process.
    • After the Chair’s recommendation, but before the review of the next stage of the review process. (College/School Committee and Dean)
    • After the Dean’s recommendation, but before review at the next stage of the review process. (University Promotion and Tenure Committee, Deans Committee, and VPAA)
    • After the Provost’s or Vice President of Health’s Affairs recommendation, but before review by the President.

What happens if my application for tenure and promotion is denied?

    • Regardless of when tenure review occurs, if a probationary faculty member is denied tenure, the faculty member may not reinitiate candidacy in the subsequent year and they will be issued a one-year special appointment terminal year of employment contract.

Does a faculty member have rights of redress if they disagree with a promotion and/or tenure decision?

    • A faculty member’s ability to appeal a tenure and/or promotion decision is outlined in the UND Faculty Handbook Section VIII.2 and VIII.3.

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