A junior faculty member’s probationary review, known as the Third Year Review, takes place after May 1 of the second year, with a decision made by September 25 of that year. If the review is positive, the faculty member will be offered a new contract of two years, leading to the tenure review.
After successfully completing the Third Year Review process, faculty members have the opportunity to work with the Ad Hoc Tenure Committee to ensure that their research file is ready for tenure.
The Ad Hoc Tenure Committee serves to ensure that colleagues prior to tenure receive consistent, helpful advice as to how to build the research component of their tenure files. On an annual basis, this committee provides a report to the Dean, which not only helps upcoming tenure candidates to set out and follow through on a successful set of projects, but is also an important part of the third review file and the tenure file itself.
Faculty will, with some exceptions, be considered for Tenure (promotion to Associate Professor) by April 15 of their fifth year, with all materials being prepared over the summer of the fourth year.
Promotion to Full Professor is a discretionary process. By October 15 of each year, all Associate Professors are given an opportunity to put their name forward for promotion; the Promotions Committee, chaired by the Dean, determines which files should go forward. There is no specific timing for promotions, which can occur anywhere from ten to twenty years post- the initial appointment.