Faculty Handbook

Tenure Procedures

Effective Fall 2024, the process for tenure and promotion reviews has transitioned to viewing of candidate dossier materials and peer and administrative feedback and recommendations all within the Watermark® Faculty Success System. In past years of review, the procedural steps referenced several specific forms to complete or format as the candidate’s hard copy dossier materials were compiled and moved through the various levels of review. Now, the substance of those forms has been translated to a digital interface through digital form completion and workflow screens with steps established within Watermark®.

Every effort has been made to preserve the substance of the existing tenure and promotion review processes as outlined in Policy 205 and Policy 206 in context of the Watermark procedural iteration outlined below. Therefore, given the compilation of dossier materials and review of those materials will take place within Watermark, procedures are focused on general logistics of how to engage with the system relative to review. Faculty candidates, Department Chairs/School Directors, Peer Committee Chairs, Peer Committee Members, and Deans will be provided process updates through annual workshops and have resources available for system training purposes. The Academic Administrative Calendar is distributed to Department Chairs/School Directors in the summer before the academic year starts to help with timeline and planning purposes. In it, current dates/deadlines related to Tenure & Promotion review processes are included. If there are questions, please email Watermark@tntech.edu.

Tenure-Track Faculty Annual Review Process
The tenure-track annual evaluation process takes place in the spring semester coinciding with the annual review process for all faculty. The Department Chair/School Director, in consultation with the Peers, shall assess whether the candidate is making satisfactory progress toward achieving tenure. Please see the tenure-track schedule for deadlines associated with annual tenure-track reviews. Policy 205 should be reviewed by all those involved in the process of review and recommendation and provides additional details.
1. Each year of the probationary period, tenure-track faculty compile and submit dossier materials for annual review by their Department Chair/School Director and Peers. The materials compilation and peer review process occur in Watermark.
2. Once compiled, the faculty’s dossier is made available for Peer review.
3. The Department Chair/School Director convenes a meeting of qualified Peers to discuss and review the faculty’s progress towards tenure.
4. Each Peer completes and submits the Peer Review Recommendation Form within Watermark.
5. The Department Chair/School Director will aggregate comments and recommendations of the Peers in the Summary of Recommendations. Recommendations to renew, or not renew, a tenure-track appointment are shared with the faculty member for review and acknowledgement in Watermark.
6. The recommendations are then moved through the Watermark system from the Department Chair/School Director to the Dean.
7. The Provost Office is then notified of the track-track renewal decision and renewal forms are completed in collaboration with the Deans
Tenure Appointment Review Process
The tenure review process takes place in a tenure-track faculty member candidates fifth or sixth year as he/she chooses. This overview describes a step-by-step process of this review as per Policy 205: Faculty Tenure. Please see the tenure-track schedule for additional deadlines for this process.
1. All full-time faculty will be notified in the spring semester that the T0/P0 Form (intent to apply for tenure and/or promotion) is available for completion by those eligible candidates. The eligible faculty member can submit Form T0/P0 as soon as the form opens in the spring, but no later than the first day of fall semester classes during the upcoming fall semester, absent due cause. The T0/P0 list of faculty candidates is then distributed to Department Chairs/School Directors, and Deans, where applicable, for review.
2. The Department Chair/School Director establishes Peer Review Committees by September 5th with Peer Committees selecting a Chair by September 12th.
3. The Department Chair/School Director submits the Peer Committee List and Peer Committee Chair to Watermark so roles can be marked in the system.
4. Faculty candidates submit names and contact information within Watermark of recommended reviewers for letters of recommendations/support.
5. Peer Committee Chairs work with the Watermark System Administrator on email distribution of reviewer and letter of recommendations/support requests and monitoring of submissions.
6. Faculty candidates work with Peer Committee Chairs and Department Chairs/School Directors on dossier readiness within Watermark.
7. Candidate acknowledges dossier is ready for Peer review within Watermark. The review of the dossier and supporting documentation submission then begins to move in the Watermark system across the levels of review outlined in Policy 205.

View current tenure forms