Promotion and Tenure Guidelines

Introduction
The College Handbook correctly notes that promotion is one of the "most important rewards in academic life" and that tenure is "the most important commitment the university can make to an individual faculty member...." However, the Handbook's utility as a guide in making tenure and promotion decisions has been diminished by new and superseding rules and procedures made and promulgated since 1978 regarding tenure and promotion.
The purpose of this document is to compile and update the procedures that we--as individual faculty, individual units, and a College--must follow and the standards we must apply in making tenure and promotion recommendations to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Chancellor, and the Board of Regents. A number of sources (e.g., Bylaws of the Board of Regents, the UNL Guidelines for the Evaluation of Faculty: Annual Evaluations, Promotion, and Tenure, and memos from the Office of the SVCAA and Dean of A&S) have contributed to this document. Each is cited when used; some, especially memos from the SVCAA and Dean, are in the appendices. This document does not address procedures and standards related to the promotion of non-tenure line faculty. For these, see Dean Brian Foster’s memo of February 3 1999 in the appendix.

Contents
SECTION I: Principles
SECTION II: Standards

• SECTION II.A. Standards for Tenure 
• SECTION II.B. Standards for Promotion to Associate Professor 
• SECTION II.C. Standards for Promotion to Professor 
• SECTION II. D. Standards for Promotion with Practice Ranks

SECTION III: Documentation of Quality

• SECTION III.A. Candidate Statements 
• SECTION III.B. External Reviews 
• SECTION III.C. Teaching 
• SECTION III.D. Service 

SECTION IV: Candidate Files

• SECTION IV.A. File Preparation 
• SECTION IV.B. File Contents 
• Document Materials

SECTION V: Procedures
CLARIFICATION OF TERMS
PROCESS SUMMARY
COLLEGE DUE DATES

Minutes, Memoranda, and Forms
Academic Affairs

• Guidelines, Memos, Due Dates

College of Arts & Sciences

• Memos from the Dean
• College Policy on Promotion of Non-Tenure Track Faculty

Forms

• College Transmittal & Documentation Request Form (pdf) (MS Word)
• College Transmittal Documentation Request Form Professors of Practice (pdf) (MS Word)
• College Waiver of Rights Regarding External Letters of Review (pdf) (MS Word)
• College Model Letter Soliciting External Reviews (pdf) (MS Word)
• Course Listing and Evaluation Form (pdf) (MS Word)