Quick Guide to Promotion & Tenure

Understanding Expectations

• Obtain copies of the Board of Governors policies, the Greenbook, and your college and department/division tenure and promotion guidelines. Know where these documents are and refer to them regularly.
• If your offer letter specifies expectations for tenure or promotion, add it to your file of relevant policies and expectations.
• If you received credit toward tenure or promotion for prior work at another institution, document that work in the same way you document your work at Marshall.
• Review requirements for Teaching, Research, and Service, including how many and what types of products are expected.

Teaching

• Develop and maintain effective teaching practices.
• Seek and respond to feedback from students and peers.
• Engage in activities that support instructional improvement.
• Contribute to student learning through mentoring, advising, and research supervision where appropriate.

Scholarship and Professional Activity

• Develop a clear and sustainable scholarly or creative agenda.
• Understand expectations for the quantity, quality, and impact of scholarly products in your discipline.
• Present your work at appropriate conferences and venues.
• Regularly apply for external funding relevant to your field.
• Develop collaborations with colleagues outside your institution to enhance productivity and expand professional opportunities.

Service and Professional Engagement

• Prior to tenure, limit service commitments so you can establish your teaching and scholarly or creative work, while contributing appropriately to departmental, college, and professional responsibilities.
• As a general guideline before tenure, consider serving on:
  • one department activity or responsibility
  • one college or university committee
  • one community or professional activity

Mentoring

• Meet with a variety of senior colleagues within and outside your department to gain different perspectives on tenure and promotion.
• Identify at least one mentor in each of the areas
  • teaching
  • research
  • service.
• Meet regularly with your mentors, including any assigned by your department.
• Meet regularly with your chair or division head to discuss your progress toward tenure and promotion.

Professional Development

• Attend department, college, and university programs designed for pre-tenure faculty.
• Participate in workshops, training, and other activities that support teaching, research, and professional growth.
• Engage with your professional community to stay current in your field.

Documentation and Record Keeping

Preparing your portfolio will be much easier if materials are collected and updated each year.

• Treat each annual evaluation as documentation of your progress toward tenure and promotion.
• Start a P&T portfolio document in your first year and update it annually.
• Save documentation continuously across all areas, including:
  • Teaching
    • student course evaluations, available through MyMU and MU BERT
    • peer and chair observation reports
    • teaching development activities
  • Scholarship and Professional Activity
    • publications and creative works
    • manuscript submissions — accepted and rejected
    • conference attendance and presentations, including dates, locations, and copies of conference programs listing your contribution
    • grant submissions — funded and unfunded
  • Service
    • department, college, and university committees
    • professional and community activities
  • Mentoring and Student Supervision (include student names and project titles)
    • independent studies
    • undergraduate and graduate research
    • theses and projects
  • Professional Development
    • workshops, training, and faculty development programs
  • Awards and Recognition
    • honors, awards, and other professional recognition
• Maintain records of courses taught and enrollments. This information is available through MyMU and MU BERT.

Mid-Tenure Review

• Marshall University requires a mid-tenure review.
• Mid-tenure packets must be submitted in the year specified in your offer letter.
• This review provides an important opportunity to assess your progress and strengthen your portfolio.
• Use this process to identify areas for improvement and adjust your plans as needed.

Tenure Preparation

• Tenure applications must be submitted in the year specified in your offer letter.
• Consult your chair and senior colleagues as you prepare for the process.
• Ask colleagues if you can review successful tenure and promotion portfolios.
• Learn who serves on department and college tenure and promotion committees.
• External reviews are required for tenure and promotion. Consult your chair and senior colleagues early about potential reviewers.