Each tenure-stream faculty member will undergo a Mid-Course Review to assess their progress toward tenure, which should be completed by the end of their fifth year in the tenure stream. The primary objective of this review is to provide both the candidate and their chair with a clear assessment of whether the candidate is on track to meet the UPSOM tenure criteria by the end of their eighth year (or sooner) or if specific remedial actions are necessary.
The candidate’s chair is responsible for implementing the review procedure. The chair will appoint at least two referees who can be either internal or external to the department and who must hold the rank of tenured associate or full professor. An existing departmental mentoring or review committee (eg, the Departmental Appointments and Promotions (A&P) committee) can act as the referees. These referees, with the chair, will evaluate the candidate’s scholarly contributions. The chair will then compile a summary report, signed by all referees, which includes an appraisal of the candidate’s strengths and the quality of their contributions to research, teaching, and service. This report should also provide clear benchmarks that should be met for the faculty member to fulfill the criteria for promotion and for tenure. Future annual faculty performance evaluations (FPE) will assess the candidate’s progress towards these goals. After the mid-course review is completed, the chair will submit the summary report and the candidate’s curriculum vitae to the Office of Faculty Affairs and share a copy with the candidate.
For faculty members who will be nominated for promotion to the rank of associate professor in the tenure stream or associate professor with tenure (at about the same time as the midcourse review), the promotion review process by department and UPSOM standing committees will satisfy the requirement for the mid-course review. For those faculty who are nominated for promotion to associate professor in the tenure stream, the TFPA will render an opinion on the faculty member’s progress towards tenure, including specific recommendations to increase the faculty member’s probability of meeting the criteria for conferral of tenure.
Approved by the Executive Committee on 02/07/25
Amended by the Office of Faculty Affairs on 01/09/25