Skip Navigation

Office of Faculty

Principles and Procedures for Promotion and Tenure

Printable version (PDF) *Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF files.

Statement of Principles Used for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure in Emory College

Guidelines for Appointments, Reviews, and Promotions in Emory College

  • Preamble
  • Appointments
  • Departmental Reviews of Assistants and Associate Professors
  • Reviews for Promotion of Faculty on Regular Appointment
  • Additional Provisions and Procedures
  • Appeal Procedures
  • The Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee

Principles for Determining Length of Service of Faculty Members to Establish Eligibility for Continuous Appointment

  • Introduction
  • Full-time Appointments
  • Leaves of Absence
  • Previous Service

Statement of Principles
Used for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure

Revised September 2003

Teaching, research, and service encompass the primary activities of the faculty of Emory College. Since each of these is essential to the College, each is weighed carefully in all considerations involving appointment, reappointment, promotion, and the granting of tenure. To be eligible for tenure and promotion a faculty member should combine strength in teaching and research, showing excellent achievement and promise in at least one of these and very good achievement and promise in the other as well as in service.

Teaching is defined as any activity undertaken by a faculty member within the formal academic programs of Emory University that contributes to the efforts of Emory students to acquire intellectual skills, to extend knowledge and understanding, or to develop attitudes and habits that foster continuing growth. Excellence in teaching draws continuously upon the teacher's ability as a scholar in the discipline. Teaching is a central activity of the faculty, and excellence in it is encouraged and rewarded.

Research is defined as inquiry undertaken that establishes facts, develops principles, or illuminates or answers questions within an area of intellectual pursuit through the systematic collection of evidence that can be subjected to replication, verification, or critical evaluation by persons other than the original researcher. When a faculty member's duties include the teaching of creative writing, sculpting, painting, dance, choreography, music performance or music composition, original works and performances will be evaluated as equivalent to research. Research will be evaluated primarily by the quality of the faculty member's work that has been published or formally accepted for publication.

Service is defined as contributions and activities that promote the general welfare of a department, the College, or the University. Activities that contribute to the development of a professional discipline, a professional society, or an outside agency or community also will be weighed. But service will be evaluated primarily by a faculty member's contribution to student advising, committee work, and administrative duties within the department, College, or University. The idea of "service" includes displaying a collegial spirit of cooperation and avoidance of disruptive behavior.

The principles stated above outline the general requirements for eligibility for appointment, promotion, and tenure. But since all appointments are contingent upon the College's needs and the University's resources, eligibility does not guarantee appointment, reappointment, tenure, or promotion.

These principles for appointment, promotion, and tenure are in conformity with the Affirmative Action Program, Emory University, which was established on 15 July 1976 and has been updated annually, and with the University Statement of Principles Governing Faculty Relationships.

Specific guidelines and procedures for recommending faculty appointments, promotions, and tenure are published below in the "Guidelines for Appointments, Reviews, and Promotions in Emory College."

Guidelines for Appointments, Reviews, and Promotions

1. Preamble

A. The general criteria for appointments, promotion, and tenure in Emory College are set forth above in the "Statement of Principles Used for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure in Emory College."

B. The guidelines here set forth are in conformity with the Affirmative Action Program, Emory University, which was established on 15 July 1976 and has been updated annually, and with the University Statement of Principles Governing Faculty Relationships.

C. The Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee is established by these guidelines to advise the Dean of Emory College on matters pertaining to appointments, reappointments, promotion, and tenure. This committee shall consist of nine members, three from each of the three divisions of the Faculty of Emory College (Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences/Mathematics). Members shall be elected from among the tenured members of the faculty as described in Section VII of these guidelines. The Committee will not have alternate members. The Dean may appoint alternates, however, when members are unable or ineligible to serve.

2. Appointments

A. Every recommendation for appointment shall be initiated by one of the several departments of the College. For regular appointments, the department shall collect pertinent information on a candidates' promise and achievement in teaching, research, and service and then convene to consider its recommendation. Following this meeting, the chair of the department shall formulate the department's recommendation, including any substantial reservations expressed by the department's members, and shall forward this recommendation and accompanying material to the Dean of the College. For visiting, adjunct, and part-time appointments, the chair of the department shall consult with members of the faculty within the department prior to formulating the department's recommendation. The chair shall then forward this recommendation to the Dean of the College.

B. For all visiting, adjunct, and part-time appointments, and for all regular appointments at the ranks of instructor and assistant professor for a specified limited term, the Dean of the College shall in turn formulate his or her decision; if he or she wishes, the Dean of the College may also confer with representatives of the department or may request additional information from the department. After formulating his or her decision, the Dean shall inform the department of his or her decision to appoint or not to appoint the candidate.

C. For all appointments at the rank of associate professor and professor and for all appointments carrying tenure, the Dean shall forward the department's recommendation and the material accompanying it to the Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee, which shall, in turn, review both the department's recommendation and the accompanying material. Departments shall ensure that documentation includes material on the candidate's teaching and service at the prior institution, and normally at least four (4) statements on research by appropriate referees identified by the department in addition to letters from referees identified by the candidate. Strong documentation is especially important on candidates who seek a promotion or first-time tenure as part of their move to Emory College.

Following its review, the Committee shall send all material submitted to it and its recommendation to the Dean. The Dean shall then formulate his or her recommendation, having first consulted the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. If he or she wishes, the Dean of the College may also confer with representatives of the Department or with the Tenure and Promotion Committee. Having formulated his or her recommendation to make an appointment, the Dean shall inform both the Committee and the department of the recommendation and shall forward it, together with the material and recommendation submitted by the department and the recommendation of the Committee, through the Provost to the President.

3. Departmental Reviews of Assistant and Associate Professors

A. Departmental Review Procedures

Each department shall follow specific procedures for reviewing the teaching, research, and service of its members, who shall be informed in writing of the results of this review. These procedures shall include deadlines for completion of the file by the candidate and, where appropriate, for completion of a list of outside reviewers. These procedures shall also include a list of the types of material desired by the department for inclusion in the file by the candidate. A candidate may introduce any materials he or she wishes so long as these materials are clearly pertinent to the criteria established by the College as appropriate for promotion and tenure. Once introduced, these materials shall remain part of the file throughout the evaluation process. The departmental procedures shall be written and they shall be made available to members of the department, to the Dean of the College, to the Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee, and to the office of the Provost. All reviews shall begin in the fall term and shall conform to the guidelines set forth in this document.

B. Annual Review of Assistant Professors

Early in the fall term, chairs in each of the departments of the College shall convene the appropriate members of the department to review the progress of the department's untenured assistant and associate professors on regular appointment and to recommend to the Dean of the College whether to renew or not to renew each appointment. The sections that follow set forth procedures for evaluating the performance of all such untenured regular faculty in the areas of teaching, research, and service. However, since all appointments are contingent upon the needs of the department and the College and the resources of the University, eligibility for renewal of appointment does not guarantee reappointment.

  1. For assistant professors (and in rare instances where faculty have been appointed associate professor without tenure) this review shall be conducted by all tenured members of the department. For untenured faculty beginning their second, third, and fifth years, the review shall include a thorough evaluation by the department of the faculty member's teaching, research, and service. At the conclusion of this review, the chair shall summarize the department's review and state the department's recommendation for renewal or non-renewal of the faculty member's appointment. The recommendation shall be sent to the Dean of Emory College, and a copy or an accurate summary of the substance of the recommendation and evaluation shall be sent to the faculty member under review. Should the department decide to provide a summary rather than a copy of the recommendation and evaluation to the faculty member under review, it shall inform the candidate that the document is a summary and shall forward a copy of the summary to the Dean.
  2. For untenured faculty beginning their fourth year, a department's review of teaching, research, and service shall be more searching than the second and third year reviews. In evaluating research, the department shall normally seek evaluations from faculty outside the department. There should be two such evaluations, preferably sought by the department and the Dean from qualified and objective scholars outside Emory University. In certain cases it may be appropriate to solicit faculty members from other departments or divisions of Emory. The candidate shall normally submit all materials pertinent to an outside review to the department and the Dean by 15 September.
    Following the departmental meeting in which a fourth-year faculty member is reviewed, the chair shall write both a recommendation for renewal or non-renewal of the candidate's appointment and a detailed letter summarizing the department's evaluation of the candidate's progress toward tenure in the areas of research, teaching, and service. Both the recommendation and the evaluation shall be forwarded to the Dean with a copy or an accurate summary of the substance of the recommendation and evaluation forwarded to the candidate, usually not later than 30 November. Should the department decide to provide a summary rather than a copy of the recommendation and evaluation to the faculty member under review, it shall inform the candidate that the document is a summary and shall forward a copy of the summary to the Dean.
  3. It is understood that some assistant professors with prior faculty service elsewhere will be on accelerated schedules. Such individuals may have an "agreed" fourth year earlier than their actual fourth year on the Emory campus. All provisions of B.2 above shall apply equally in such cases.

The Dean shall forward to the Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee all recommendations for renewal of appointment following fourth-year reviews. The Committee shall in each case review the recommendation and accompanying materials and advise the Dean of its conclusions. The Dean shall inform both the department and the candidate of his or her decision. Upon receipt of a departmental recommendation not to renew an untenured faculty member's appointment, the Dean shall inform the candidate of the right to appeal as described in section VI. If a candidate elects not to appeal a department's negative recommendation, the Dean shall inform the candidate in writing of his or her decision.

C. Review of Associate Professors

At the beginning of fall semester the tenured full professors of each department shall convene, usually under the leadership of the chair and otherwise under the leadership of an alternate designated by the Dean, to discuss the progress of all tenured associate professors. If an associate professor is judged to merit serious consideration for promotion, a thorough review of teaching, research, and service shall be conducted.

Every tenured associate professor shall be evaluated by the department at least once every five years. This review should be more than cursory and should include an examination by the tenured full professors of teaching, research, and service. Outside evaluations should be solicited only if the individual is considered to be a serious candidate for promotion. Copies of the evaluation or an accurate summary of the evaluation should be given to the faculty member under review.

4. Reviews for Promotion of Faculty on Regular Appointment

A. Promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor with Tenure

Assistant professors may be considered for promotion to associate professor with tenure at any time during their pre-tenure service to the College. However, the maximum length of service to the College prior to this decision shall be determined by the guidelines set forth in the Principles for Determining Length of Service of Faculty Members to Establish Eligibility for Continuous Appointment. In most cases this decision will occur in a candidate's sixth year of service as an assistant professor, and in no case may it be deferred beyond that point. Candidates in their sixth year of service must either be recommended for promotion to associate professor with tenure or for non-renewal. Candidates who are to be considered by their departments for promotion to associate professor with tenure shall submit all materials pertinent to the review to the department and the Dean no later than 15 September. Prior to formulating a recommendation either for or against promotion, furthermore, the tenured faculty shall conduct a thorough review of the candidate's teaching, research, and service as these are defined in the "Statement of Principles Used for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure in Emory College" above.

In evaluating teaching, the department shall collect, consider, and evaluate all honors and awards for teaching that the candidate has received and all teaching evaluations by students, peers, and former students collected as part of the College's or Department's regular appraisals of teaching effectiveness. Other pertinent material such as a department's notes on conversations with former students, teaching aids (e.g., textbooks, lecture notes), student papers and other work supervised by a candidate, enrollment figures for a candidate's courses, the development of new courses, and the directorship of training institutes may also be included. When a faculty member's duties include the coaching of intercollegiate or club sports, performance in coaching will be evaluated as equivalent to teaching. Teaching materials should finally include a succinct statement by the person under review as to his or her teaching philosophy, goals, and experience.

In evaluating research, the department shall consider primarily the quality of the candidate's work that, following formal professional review, has been published or has been accepted for publication. Other evidence of the quality of research such as research grants, submitted manuscripts, responsible positions in professional and scholarly organizations, lectures, exhibitions, performances, consultantships, and awards for scholarly achievement shall also be included. The department shall consider evaluations by members of the department and, where appropriate, evaluations by members of the faculty of other departments of Emory University. Evaluations by outside reviewers, approximately six in number, will also be considered. In every case, the scholars from whom these reviews are solicited shall be selected by the Dean, in consultation with the department, from a list of approximately 15 scholars suggested by the candidate. The department may then add two names (together with alternates for these two names) to the list, and the Dean may, if he or she wishes, add up to two names to the list as well. The list shall consist of the names of scholars best qualified as authoritative, disinterested judges of the candidate's work. All letters soliciting these reviews shall be written by the Dean and all responses shall be addressed to the Dean. They shall indicate neither the department's nor the Dean's disposition toward the candidate, and they shall request candid, detailed, disinterested appraisals of the candidate's scholarly achievement and promise. Having received these letters, the Dean shall then make copies of them available to the department in advance of the departmental recommendation. Included among materials submitted should be a succinct statement by the person under review as to his or her achievements to date and plans for future research.

In evaluating service, the department shall consider work on departmental, College, and University committees, participation in student advising, performance and administrative duties, and other activities essential to the life of the College and the University. The candidate's contribution to his or her discipline, to outside agencies, and to the larger community may also be included. In evaluating service, letters shall be solicited from committee chairs and other appropriate persons. The department chair and the candidate shall each suggest at least one individual adjudged best able to appraise the candidate's contribution in the area of service. All letters soliciting these evaluations of service shall be written by the Dean and all responses shall be addressed to the Dean, who shall then make them available to the department in advance of the departmental decision.

After these evaluations of the candidate's teaching, research, and service have been compiled the tenured members of the department shall meet to consider its action. Following this meeting, the chair shall write a detailed letter summarizing and justifying the department's decision for or against the candidate's promotion. When a departmental decision is negative, the chair shall write a letter to the Dean recommending that the candidate's appointment not be renewed (or if the negative decision concerns promotion prior to the sixth year of service, the department may elect to recommend annual renewal). When a departmental decision is positive, the chair shall write a letter to the Dean recommending that the candidate be promoted. A copy of the recommendation and evaluation, or an accurate written summary of the substance of the recommendation and evaluation, whether positive or negative, shall also be forwarded to the candidate. Should the department decide to provide a summary rather than a copy of the recommendation and evaluation to the faculty member under review, it shall inform the candidate that the document is a summary and shall forward a copy of the summary to the Dean. When a decision is not unanimous, the department must, in its letter to the Dean, record and explain dissenting opinions. Having reviewed the recommendation prepared by the chair on behalf of the department, each individual faculty member participating in the decision shall either sign the department's recommendation or prepare a separate letter stating his or her own recommendation. As early as feasible, usually by 31 January, the chair shall forward the department's recommendation and all material pertinent to the recommendation to the Dean.

The Dean shall inform each candidate in writing when the departmental recommendation is negative and shall advise the candidate of the right to appeal this recommendation as described in Section 6 of these guidelines. The Dean shall forward to the Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee all recommendations for promotion. The Committee shall then review the recommendation and accompanying materials. In each case, the Committee shall schedule meetings with the chair of the candidate's department to discuss the recommendation. In addition, each candidate may choose an advocate, usually a member of the Emory College Faculty, to appear before the Committee to discuss the candidate's qualifications. The Committee is empowered to gather additional information as it sees fit from the department, the candidate, and/or from appropriate persons inside or outside Emory University. Following its review, but usually not later than 1 April, the Committee shall send both the material submitted to it and its recommendation to the Dean. The Dean shall then formulate his or her decision, having first consulted the Dean of the Graduate School; if he or she wishes, the Dean of the College may also confer with representatives of the department or with the Committee. Having formulated his or her decision, usually by 15 April, the Dean shall inform in writing the candidate and the chair of the department of his or her decision. A decision by the Dean to promote an assistant professor to associate professor with tenure shall be forwarded as a recommendation, together with the materials and recommendation submitted by the department and the recommendation of the Committee, through the Provost to the President.

B. Promotion from Associate Professor to Professor

In evaluating candidates judged to merit serious consideration for promotion from associate professor to professor, the tenured full professors of the department shall conduct a review evaluating the associate professor's teaching, research, and service, prior to the formulation of its recommendation. The review shall follow in thoroughness and procedure the review of assistant professors who are being considered for promotion to associate professor, its purpose being to determine whether a candidate's continuing development in teaching, research, and service merits promotion. Promotion to full professor is a recognition of accomplishment in research, usually a second thrust beyond the body of work on which tenure was based, with an appropriate body of scholarly publication and with clear establishment of a national and/or international scholarly reputation in a recognized field of inquiry. Promotion to full professor is also recognition of growth and/or continuing excellence in teaching and significant contributions in service.

Following this review, the full professors shall meet to consider the department's recommendation. The chair or designated alternative shall then write a detailed letter summarizing and justifying the department's recommendation with regard to the candidate's promotion. When decisions are not unanimous, the department's recommendation shall record and explain dissenting votes. Having reviewed the recommendation prepared by the chair on behalf of the department, each individual faculty member participating in the decision shall either sign the department's recommendation or prepare a separate letter stating his or her opinion with regard to the promotion of the candidate. As early as feasible and usually by 31 January, the chair shall forward all recommendations for promotion and all material pertinent to such recommendations to the Dean. A copy of the recommendation and evaluation or an accurate written summary of the substance of the recommendation and evaluation, whether positive or negative, shall also be forwarded to the candidate. Should the department decide to provide a summary rather than a copy of the recommendation and evaluation to the faculty member under review, it shall inform the candidate that the document is a summary and shall forward a copy of the summary to the Dean.

Having received both the department's recommendation and the material accompanying it, the Dean shall forward both the recommendation and the material accompanying it to the Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee. The Committee shall in turn review both the recommendation and the accompanying material. In each case, the Committee shall schedule meetings with the chair of the candidate's department to discuss the recommendation. In addition, the candidate may choose an advocate to appear before the Committee to discuss the candidate's qualifications. Following its review, but usually not later than 1 April, the Committee shall send all the material submitted to it, together with its recommendation, to the Dean. The Dean shall then formulate his or her decision, having first consulted the Dean of the Graduate School. If he or she wishes, the Dean may also confer further with the department and the Committee. Having formulated his or her decision, usually by 15 April, the Dean shall inform both the candidate, the Committee and the chair of the department of the decision. A decision by the Dean to promote an associate professor to full professor shall be forwarded as a recommendation, together with the material and recommendation submitted by the department and the recommendation of the Committee, through the Provost to the President.

C. Promotion of Long-Term Associate Professors

Longevity is not a sufficient basis for promotion in Emory College. Exceptional cases may exist, however, of faculty who have performed with sustained excellence in both teaching and service over a period of not less than fifteen years in the rank of associate professor and who may thereby be considered for promotion to full professor. Such a candidate's record should be strongly documented by incontestably excellent teaching evaluations, a collection of detailed letters from present and former students and from knowledgeable colleagues, and teaching awards or similar tangible evidence of distinction. The service record should show sustained, genuinely significant contributions at department and higher levels including some external professional or community involvement. With respect to research or scholarship, the record should show continuing intellectual involvement of the candidate in his or her discipline and a quality level of at least "good" on work that has been published. At least three research/scholarship letters should be secured from appropriate external reviewers.

5. Additional Provisions and Procedures

A. A department may in principle initiate a promotion and tenure review at any time it deems appropriate. Only under unusual circumstances, however, should departments initiate reviews for assistant professors prior to their sixth year of service, or any promotion or tenure review at any time other than very early in the fall semester.

B. A candidate may in principle initiate a review for promotion or tenure at any time he or she wishes to do so. Only in the most unusual and compelling circumstances, however, should a review for promotion to full professor be initiated (a) at any time other than very early in the fall semester, or (b) more than once in any three-year period.

C. A candidate for renewal of appointment, promotion, or tenure shall be informed of the departmental recommendation and the reason or reasons for that recommendation in writing by the chair or other alternate designated by the Dean. But the contents of a department's deliberations and of all materials accompanying its recommendation shall remain strictly confidential except as they are conveyed to the Dean of Emory College, the Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee, other members of the faculty and administration whose duties require knowledge of the information, and the Board of Trustees.

D. Although the contents of a department's deliberations should be kept strictly confidential, the department's recommendation on a candidate must be arrived at by open voice or hand vote. Secret voting, while perhaps making the process more comfortable for the voters, undermines fairness and transparency and is unacceptable in Emory College.

E. A tie vote at the department level does not constitute a positive recommendation, but such a vote shall go forward automatically for review by the College Tenure and Promotion Committee without necessity of candidate appeal.

F. Those in a department who vote in a tenure or promotion case will be all those tenured faculty who hold appropriate rank, i.e., rank not less than that for which the candidate is being considered. This group must be at least five (5) in number. If necessary, an ad hoc promotion committee of five will be formed from the candidate's department plus faculty of appropriate rank drawn from other departments. The candidate and/or department chair may make suggestions as to the committee appointments, but it is finally the prerogative of the Dean of the College to select the non-department membership the Dean considers best able to appraise the research, teaching, and service of the candidate.

G. In promotion or tenure cases involving joint appointment, one department shall be clearly designated as primary locus or "tenure home". Both departments (or department and program), however, shall conduct promotion and/or tenure reviews. The reviews shall be independent, except that both units will use the same external research evaluation letters and work together on an equitable basis in the process of selecting external evaluators. Each unit should send to the other a copy of its final written report on the candidate. Both chairs should appear at the Tenure and Promotion Committee meeting on the case. Similar separate procedures should be followed with respect to annual and fourth-year reviews of junior faculty on joint appointment.

On joint appointments with other schools or divisions of the University, some ad hoc adjustments will no doubt have to be made. But if a College department is the candidate's tenure home, that department shall do all in its power to ensure that the other school/division participates in a timely way in selecting external evaluators and in reporting the result of its review, and that its review is recognized as full and valid within that school/division's own system.

On joint-appointment promotion/tenure cases where the tenure home department does not have five tenured members of appropriate rank, i.e., rank not less than that for which the candidate is being considered, a single promotion committee of five shall be formed from the tenure home department plus faculty of appropriate rank drawn from other departments. The department or program constituting the non-tenure home part of the joint appointment shall be represented on the committee, and the candidate and chairs of both units may suggest appointments. But it is finally the prerogative of the Dean of the College to select the non-tenure home membership that the Dean considers best able to appraise the research, teaching, and service of the candidate.

H. The Dean of the College is ultimately responsible for the implementation of these guidelines, and the Dean may therefore do whatever he or she deems necessary at any point in the review process to ensure that a candidate receives adequate consideration and that the candidate's academic freedom is not violated.

I. When an appointment or promotion involves tenure, the President shall send his or her recommendation and all pertinent materials through the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees to the Board of Trustees for final action. Only positive recommendations shall be forwarded by the President to the Board of Trustees.

J. A candidate for promotion or tenure may withdraw his or her name from consideration at any point in the evaluation process.

6. Appeal Procedures

The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that every candidate for renewal, promotion, or tenure shall receive a fair and thorough review. The appeal procedure described below offers an additional protection in the exceptional circumstances of a candidate who believes that an adverse recommendation either constitutes an infringement of his or her academic freedom or is based upon inadequate documentation and/or consideration of the evidence.

It is therefore expected that appeals will be made only in exceptional circumstances, and it is understood that the appeal procedures set forth below shall not impede or preclude other kinds of communication between faculty and administrators concerning cases of renewal, promotion, or tenure.

A. Appeal of Departmental Recommendation

  1. The Dean shall notify a candidate in writing that he or she has not been recommended by the department for renewal of term appointment or promotion or tenure in his or her department and shall advise the candidate of the right to appeal such recommendation.
  2. A candidate who believes that the departmental recommendation either involves an infringement of his or her academic freedom or is based upon inadequate documentation and/or consideration of the evidence and who wishes to appeal shall appeal the recommendation to the Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee. Such an appeal shall be made in writing not later than three (3) weeks from receipt of notice from the Dean and shall state whether it is based on an alleged infringement of his or her academic freedom or an alleged inadequate documentation and/or consideration. Within the same three-week period, following receipt of notice from the Dean, the candidate may also submit, with the written appeal document, supplemental materials relevant to the appeal. The candidate's written appeal and all supplementary materials shall be made available to the chair and/or other appropriate members of the department who may, if they choose, submit a response within one week of receipt of these materials. The Tenure and Promotion Committee shall then convene to review all materials pertinent to the issues of the appeal. As in other review hearings, the Committee meeting shall include discussion with the department chair and with the candidate's advocate, if the candidate chooses one. The Committee is empowered to gather additional information regarding the appeal from the department, the candidate, and/or from appropriate scholars inside or outside Emory University.
  3. The Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee shall respond to the appeal in one of two ways:
    • (a) Having found insufficient evidence to support the appeal, the Committee may recommend to the Dean that the department's recommendation be upheld.
    • (b) Having concluded that the department may have failed adequately to consider or document the evidence or may have violated the candidate's academic freedom, the Committee may either (1) request that the department reconsider the credentials of the candidate and render a second recommendation to the Committee prior to the Committee's final recommendation to the Dean, or (2) move directly to make a recommendation to the Dean based on the Committee's judgment of the merits of the candidate's case.
  4. In all appeal cases the Committee shall forward its final recommendation to the Dean in writing. The recommendation shall be accompanied by a written explanation of the recommendation.
  5. After conferring with the Dean of the Graduate School, the Dean of the College will decide what appropriate action is to be taken and will inform the candidate, the Committee, and the Department of that action.

B. Appeal of Dean's Decision or Recommendation

After the Dean has notified a candidate and the appropriate department in writing that the candidate is not to be renewed for term appointment, or is not to be recommended through the Provost to the President for promotion to a tenured position or to full professor, the candidate may within three (3) weeks of receiving the Dean's notification appeal the Dean's decision or recommendation in writing to the Provost in accordance with procedures established by the Provost.

7. The Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee

A. The Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee shall consist of nine members who shall all be tenured and, if possible, all full professors. The Chair of the Tenure and Promotion Committee shall be elected by the Committee's members for a one-year term.

B. Members of the Committee shall be elected by faculty vote to serve three-year staggered terms. The College Nominating Committee, acting in close consultation with the Dean, shall nominate two faculty members from the appropriate division for each of the annual vacancies. Constitution of divisions shall be understood as follows:

Division I (Humanities)

  • African American Studies
  • Art History
  • Classics
  • English
  • Film Studies
  • French and Italian
  • German Studies
  • ILA
  • Middle Eastern Studies
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Religion
  • Russian and East Asian Languages & Cultures
  • Spanish
  • Theater Studies

Division II (Social Sciences)

  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • Educational Studies
  • Environmental Studies
  • Health, Physical Education, and Dance
  • History
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Women's Studies

Division III (Natural Sciences and Mathematics)

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Mathematics and Computer Science
  • Physics

C. No one shall serve on the Committee when the Committee is evaluating a member of his or her department. Committee membership should normally not include more than a single person from any one department.

D. The Dean may appoint alternates when members are unable to serve or, under paragraph C, are ineligible to serve.

E. For voting purposes a quorum shall be understood as constituted of at least six Committee members. The Chair shall be a voting member.

F. The names and terms of office of all Committee members shall be made public.

G. An associate dean designated by the Dean of Emory College shall serve as an ex officio (non-voting) member and secretary to the Committee.

H. The Emory College Tenure and Promotion Committee may advise the Dean on a wide range of matters pertaining to the College, but it shall review all appointments and promotions at the rank of associate professor and professor, all recommendations for reappointment following fourth-year reviews, and all appointments involving tenure.

Principles for Determining Length of Service of Faculty Members to Establish Eligibility for Continuous Appointment

Approved by Emory College Faculty October 1968
Revised 1970
Revised Spring 1975
Approved by Board of Trustees May 1975
Revised 1998

1. Introduction

These principles, adopted by the Legislative Council of Emory College on 12 November 1968, supplement and implement the following paragraph from Statement of Principles Governing Faculty Relationships, Emory University, revised 16 July 1970.

The following conditions shall apply to full-time appointments in the ranks of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Instructor:

(a) Appointments to the rank of Professor shall be continuous unless otherwise specifically agreed upon.

(b) Appointments to the rank of Associate Professor may be continuous or limited.

(c) Appointments to the ranks of Assistant Professor and Instructor shall be limited.

(d) Limited appointments at Emory in any rank enumerated above or in a combination of these ranks shall not exceed seven years." (see 2a below)

2. Full-time Appointments

(a) Only full-time College or University appointments of a rank not lower than Instructor will be counted in determining length of service, except that in Emory College a faculty member may elect to count only such service as he or she accrued after completion of the requirements for the doctoral degree. Full-time faculty appointments must involve classroom instruction and/or supervision of student research.

(b) Persons appointed to the ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor must have completed the requirements for the doctoral degree unless they have already attained unusual distinction. Persons who have already attained unusual distinction may be appointed at any rank.

(c) A person who has not completed the requirements for the doctoral degree may be appointed as Instructor for one year and may be reappointed for a second year. If all the requirements for the doctoral degree have not been met by 15 December of the second year, upon recommendation of the department, the person may be retained as a terminal third-year instructor.

(d) Full-time faculty appointments, including visiting appointments, will be counted whether the source of funds for remuneration is grant funds or regular funds.

(e) Faculty appointments that are voluntary or without compensation will not be counted even though the service is full-time. Neither summer school appointments nor summer school teaching will be counted.

3. Leaves of Absence

(a) At the discretion of the Dean, leaves of absence for maternity, military service and for illness may be counted.

(b) Leaves of absence for graduate work leading to a doctorate and for work of a non-academic nature will not be counted.

(c) Leaves of absence for services performed elsewhere may be counted if, in the opinion of the department and the Dean, such services are significant for judgment of the person's performance as a faculty member at Emory.

4. Previous Service

(a) Unless by specific written agreement to the contrary at the time of appointment, previous service at other institutions shall not be counted towards continuous service at Emory College. In no case shall more than three years' previous service be counted. Institutions at which appointments may be counted must be accredited by the regional accrediting agency.

(b) Service as a member of the faculty of Emory College is interpreted to include service at Oxford College.

Return to top