Proposed Changes to Eberly College Promotion and Tenure Guidelines
This page provides access to documents and information related to the proposed changes to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, Guidelines for Faculty Evaluation, Promotion, Tenure, and Performance-Based Raises. Prior to these procedures being updated in 2022-23 to allow for promotion of instructors without a PhD, they were last updated in 2015-16.
In addition to making changes to the College document to comply with the University Procedures for Faculty Appointment, Annual Evaluation, Promotion and Tenure, which were updated by vote of Faculty Senate on April 7, 2025, there are proposed changes to clarify certain provisions, update for the shift to electronic faculty files, and offer some limited substantive changes.
Summary of Changes
We have grouped the changes into four sections, highlights of which are listed below. More detailed, line-by-line lists of changes may be found in the summary documents linked below in each section.
Changes to comply with updated University Procedures
Line-by-line changes of compliance 10-30-2025 (PDF)
- Shown in aqua highlight in the proposed draft
- Require narratives for areas of significant contribution
- Require units to develop and maintain absolute criteria for both annual evaluation as well as promotion and tenure standards
- Remove external review requirements for non-tenure track faculty
Changes to reflect the shift from paper to electronic files
Line-by-line changes of shift from paper to electronic files 10-30-2025 (PDF)
- Shown in yellow highlight in the proposed draft
- Update to terminology consistent with University Procedures (e.g.: “digital evaluation file”)
- Replace terminology linked to paper folders and layout
- Clarify when changes may be made to the digital evaluation file
Clarifications
Line-by-line changes of clarifications 10-30-2025 (PDF)
- Shown in grey highlight in the proposed draft
- Clarify provisions that have generated questions since the document was last substantially updated in 2015-16
- Apply stylistic changes and updates
Substantive
Line-by-line changes of substantive changes 10-30-2025 (PDF)
- Shown in green highlight in the proposed draft
- Change Sponsored Research Expectations
- Change College FEC procedure
- Change to default area of expected contribution for service faculty
Current Draft and Faculty Feedback Link
- 2025 Draft of ECAS Promotion and Tenure Guidelines 10-30-2025 (PDF)
- We ask that faculty review these changes and provide input through our Feedback Form.
- Please submit all feedback by Monday, October 27.
Meeting
The college will hold a meeting on Thursday October 30, 2025, at 3 pm in the Gluck Theater in the Mountainlair to discuss the changes and respond to any feedback submitted through the link above. After this meeting, if any changes are necessary as a result of the discussion, we will prepare a final draft of the proposed changes.
Our procedures require that faculty vote on any proposed changes. This vote will occur after the October 30 meeting by electric vote. A link for that voting will be provided after the meeting concludes.
For a summary of changes to the University document, please see the Faculty Senate website.