— Academic Affairs — Faculty Affairs — Promotion & Tenure

Promotion & Tenure

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It’s never too early to start preparing for a promotion.

When you advance in your academic rank and/or receive tenure (continuous appointment), it is proof of your outstanding achievements and personal growth. In order to achieve these goals, you should begin preparing for advancement as soon as possible, ideally when you first start at UNMC.

To make the promotion and tenure process as easy as possible, it is a good idea to create and add to your portfolio as you go along. That way you don't have to remember — and find — all your achievements in scholarship and research, teaching, service and patient care when you go to submit your application.

Also, it's important to know your particular college/institution's guidelines and deadlines, as they can vary by area.

Tip: All final documentation from your college/institute for the upcoming promotion cycle must be received in Academic Services by March 22, 2024. The deadline to have your initial documents to your area for consideration will be much earlier than that, sometimes shortly after annual faculty appraisals. Check with your P&T committee for exact dates.

View P&T guidelines

Promotion & Tenure Process

Step 1: Complete and Submit All Documentation

Step 2: Area Review and Approval

Step 3: Leadership Review & Approval

Required Documents

Transmittal Form
Chairperson's Letter — Your chairperson (or equivalent) must write a comprehensive letter of evaluation.
Dossier in Curriculum Vitae (CV) Format — This ensures everyone submits information in the same format, making it easier for the committee to review each applicant's dossier.
Academic Portfolio — Prepare succinct narratives, both quantitatively and qualitatively, of the highlights and importance of your academic accomplishments in these areas (do NOT reiterate the CV):
- Teaching — consider creating an additional Teaching Portfolio
- Scholarly activities
- Patient care (if applicable)
- Professional service to UNMC, peers or the public
Copies of Publications — Submit no more than five of your most important publications.

Additional Documents

If you're seeking an associate professor or professor appointment, you'll also need:

External Letters of Recommendation — provide at least three authorities outside of the university who may be contacted to write letters of evaluation; guidelines vary, so review the ones for your college or institute.

Department/Unit Review

All your documentation is reviewed and a decision is made whether to advance the recommendation for promotion or tenure. You will be notified in writing of the decision, which can be appealed to your dean or director if you feel necessary.

After the department/unit review, the documentation is moved on to the college/institute review.

College/Institute Review

All your documentation is reviewed, including a summary from the previous step as to why they support your recommendation, and a recommendation is made to your dean or director regarding your promotion or tenure request.

Dean/Director Review

All your documentation is reviewed, including summaries from previous steps as to why they support your recommendation, and a decision is made whether to advance you to the final step. You will be notified in writing of the decision. There is normally no appeal possible if you disagree with the decision, unless the decision is considered prejudiced or capricious.

Chancellor Review

The Chancellor reviews all documentation and makes a decision, which is then reported to the President and Board of Regents for their information. You will be notified in writing of the decision.

P&T Planner

This document provides a broad view of the process and contains a checklist for helping faculty to track their progress.