A candidate for promotion and/or tenure must submit a carefully prepared and well-organized dossier of their activities applicable to the promotion and/or tenure decision. The dossier submitted for either promotion and tenure or promotion alone shall be organized as specified in the Dossier Template and per Provost requirements and noted in CHSP Guidelines. Candidates should meet with the PTC chair no later than two weeks before the deadline to confirm submission procedures.
Candidates should submit digital versions of their dossier according to the required date. Formatting alone should not be a reason for denial of promotion and/or tenure and candidates should be allowed to address formatting concerns. Candidates should also be given opportunities to provide missing documentation. Clarification but not additional content may be added according to the unit’s guidelines. All changes and/or additions of material must occur before the unit’s PTC formally votes.
After departmental approval and dean’s approval, select documents within the faculty promotion and tenure packets will be forwarded to the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost by March 1 for review. It is the responsibility of the P&T candidate to submit materials following Provost templates. If not properly prepared, the materials will be returned to the candidate by the DSPH PTC Chair to be reformatted in compliance. Candidates are cautioned that very little time may be allowed for this resubmission, where necessary, and are encouraged to prepare their materials so that submission to the Provost is easily accomplished.
Mid-Probationary Review
After the completion of three (3) academic years, all probationary faculty members within the DSPH are required to participate in the pre-tenure or pre-promotion review process. This process, including rationale, due dates, and required materials, is described in the CHSP Promotion and Tenure Policy.
Early Promotion
A recommendation for early promotion is possible, but such a recommendation requires a case to be made for a candidate’s exceptionality. Early promotion occurs when a faculty member requests review before the timeline documented in their appointment letter or typical in the Faculty Handbook. In such cases, candidates are advised to conduct preliminary discussions with the Department PTC, the DSPH Chair, and the CHSP Dean before seeking early promotion. An explicit explanation of exceptionality must be included in the dossier. Candidates who are not successful for early promotion or promotion with tenure can reapply in their penultimate year of the probationary period.
Exceptionality means above average or typical in terms of quality, quantity, and impact of work in all workload categories. Some examples of exceptionality:
- Research/scholarship: major external grant award; publication of a peer-reviewed book; award for research from a professional organization or university.
- Teaching: development of new curriculum; teaching or mentoring award; innovative teaching approaches.
- Service: significant service that contributes to creating new partnerships; award for service contributions from professional organizations or universities; leadership role on university/college/departmental committees.
- Clinical activities: recognition by professional organizations for clinical excellence; innovative approaches to clinical education; and feedback from clinical partners.
Timeline and Schedule for Promotion and Tenure Consideration and Mid-Probationary Review
The dates below are based upon Ohio University or CHSP requirements, or DSPH workflow preferences. Should any of these time frames change, the DSPH dates will be changed to conform to the revised deadline schedule of the highest authority.
| Not Later Than June 1 | The Chair of the DSPH appoints the PTC for the next academic year and selects the chair. |
| Not Later Than The Last Day of Spring Semester | Each candidate notifies the Chair of the DSPH in writing of their decision to stand for promotion and tenure, or promotion, and will receive a copy of the DSPH and the CHSP guidelines and criteria. |
| Not Later Than July 1 | Each promotion and tenure candidate meets with the Chair of the DSPH to verify past work load assignments and to review the job description that was effective at the time of their initial appointment (i.e., original appointment letter). If the faculty member received start-up funding, a copy of the start-up plan should also be provided as well as documentation of any officially agreed upon changes that may have occurred since the time of initial appointment (e.g., extension of tenure clock for illness, pregnancy, catastrophe, etc.). |
| Not Later Than September 1 | Candidate meets with PTC Chair and/or Department Chair to review requirements for submitting materials. |
| Not Later Than September 15 | Candidate submits dossier (and supporting materials) arranged according to the Ohio University Faculty Handbook format to the Chair of the PTC. The candidate also submits a list of six (6) external reviewers to the Chair of the DSPH. All materials will be secured physically (if necessary) and electronically so that only PTC members and the Department Chair will have access. |
| Not Later Than September 22 | Except in the case of mid-probationary review, the Chair of the DSPH, after consultation with the PTC, selects 3-5) external reviewers and initiates the process by sending a letter with the required information to the selected individuals. The written assessment should be requested from the external reviewers no later than November 1. The PTC Chair reviews each dossier to determine whether all required information is present and notifies the candidate of any missing items. |
| Not Later Than November 1 | The Chair of the PTC asks the candidate if he or she wishes to include any added materials not previously available at the time of dossier preparation. If added materials will be submitted it is the responsibility of the candidate to provide them to the PTC at this time and to explicitly describe the nature and significance of all such materials for the benefit of the PTC committee members. |
| Not Later Than November 15 | The PTC will review each candidate's dossier and follow the procedures stipulated in these guidelines for the objective assessment of the three criteria: Instruction and advising, scholarly accomplishments, and service. The evaluations received from external reviewers will be considered at this time. After allowing for adequate consideration and discussion, a formal recommendation for or against promotion and tenure will be voted on by the PTC using a secret ballot process. This single vote will decide both promotion and tenure and it is therefore not possible to earn promotion without also earning tenure. A majority vote is needed for a favorable recommendation. |
| Not Later Than December 1 | The Chair of the PTC will prepare and submit to the Chair of the DSPH a written summary report that includes the results of the vote and the committee's recommendation for or against promotion and tenure (or promotion only in the case of candidates seeking Full professor status), as well as a brief rationale and analysis supporting the final decision. All PTC members will have an opportunity to contribute, review, and approve the written summary report before it is submitted. In addition, if desired, any individual committee member may append a separate, written minority opinion for inclusion with the final written summary report. The written summary report (and any appended minority opinion), the candidate's dossier, and all documentation materials will be forwarded to the Chair of the DSPH. |
| Not Later Than the Last Day of Fall Semester Exams | The Chair of the DSPH notifies each candidate, in writing, of the PTC's formal recommendation for or against promotion and tenure (or promotion only in the case of candidates seeking Full professor status). In the event the PTC decision is negative, no further action will be taken on the candidate's behalf unless the decision is appealed by the candidate. If a candidate chooses to appeal a PTC decision, he or she must do so according to the guidelines in the Ohio University Faculty Handbook . In the event the PTC decision is positive, the Chair of the DSPH prepares their recommendation for submission to the Dean of the CHSP and also forwards the written summary report from the PTC (and any appended minority opinions), the candidate's dossier, and all documentation materials to the Dean for consideration. |
| Not Later Than the First Day of Spring Semester | Dossiers are forwarded to the Dean's office. |
| Not later than February 1 | The chair of the DSPH provides probationary faculty with an annual letter of evaluation regarding progress toward tenure. |
| Not Later Than March 1 | The Dean of the CHSP submits recommendations for or against promotion and tenure (or promotion only in the case of candidates seeking Full professor status) to the Provost. In the event of a negative recommendation, the Dean of the CHHS must notify the Chair of the DSPH and the candidate in writing along with the reason(s) for the decision. |
| Not Later Than Apri11 | Provost notifies Dean, DSPH Chair, and candidate in writing of rejection of department recommendation. |
Appeal Process
In the event the PTC decision is negative, no further action will be taken on the candidate's behalf unless the decision is appealed by the candidate. If an Instructional or Clinical Faculty candidate chooses to appeal a PTC decision, he or she must do so according to the guidelines in the Ohio University Faculty Handbook .