Reviews - T/TT Faculty

Mid-Point (Third-Year) Review of Tenure-Track Faculty a.k.a. Mid-Point Probationary Review

See EVPP: Mid-Probationary Review for Tenure-Track Faculty.

As a regular part of the annual review and evaluation process for all faculty, every fall the department Budget Councils or Executive Committees will provide written feedback through the Department Chair to each Assistant Professor regarding their performance in teaching, research, advising and student services, committee and public service, and other categories. In some departments, the Chair holds a conference with each Assistant Professor to review strengths and weaknesses, progress toward promotion and tenure, and areas of needed improvement.

During the spring semester of the third year of appointment, a more comprehensive review of each Assistant Professor is conducted. The College policy grants departments considerable flexibility, but ensures that all Assistant Professors receive a formal evaluation near the midpoint of the probationary period. The review covers the criteria that are typically considered in the promotion process. The department Budget Council or Executive Committee, sometimes initially through appointed faculty subcommittees, review the Assistant Professor’s vita; annual reports; teaching evaluations, including peer evaluations of teaching; advising and student services; scholarly progress; community, university, and professional service; and recognitions. The review, which addresses the accomplishments of the Assistant Professor in the areas of research, teaching and service, is intended to be consultative and corrective. In some departments, the chair drafts a written report based on the evaluation of the Budget Council or Executive Committee. In other departments, the Budget Council or Executive Committee or an appointed subcommittee drafts the report for review and revision by the entire Budget Council or Executive Committee.

In all cases, the Department Chair provides a copy of the report and holds a conference with the Assistant Professor to give an assessment of progress on each of the criteria for promotion and tenure. The chair also advises the Assistant Professor on areas that need improvement before the formal promotion/tenure review. If progress is satisfactory in the criteria areas, the Assistant Professor is advised to continue the progress.

The report is maintained in department personnel files and a copy is sent to the Dean’s Office, and later included in the Assistant Professor's dossier for Promotion and Tenure.

Timeline

The Mid-Point Probationary Review is typically conducted in the spring semester of the third year of appointment as Assistant Professor, but can be in their fifth through seventh semester. If an Assistant Professor is approved for a probationary period extension before their third year in rank, the Mid-Point Probationary Review can be deferred for a semester or year.

Example: A faculty member hired in fall of 2020 would have their Mid-Point Probationary Review conducted during the 2022-23 academic year.

Associate Professor Third Year Review

The department chair will conduct a third-year review with all tenured associate professors, typically in their third year of rank.  In this review, the department chair will review scholarship, teaching, student advising, and service. In spring of the third year in rank, the candidate will submit a vita, CIS chart for the last three years, and the UT list of service on student committees. The department chair will meet face-to-face and provide written feedback with the candidate at the end of the third year in rank (i.e., spring or summer of the third year). The faculty member is welcome to have her/his mentor attend the meeting. During the meeting, the department chair can offer both support and suggestions for continued development. In addition, the chair will recommend to the associate professor to set an appointment with the Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs for college-level feedback.

The Associate Professor Third Year Review is an internal review. It is not sent to the Provost's Office, and does not become part of Promotion and Tenure files. This review is intended solely to provide constructive feedback to Associate Professors as they consider their move towards promotion to full Professor.

This policy was established in winter 2019 and went into effect at the beginning of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Process

In the spring or summer, the Dean's Office will request confirmation from the department chair that these reviews have been completed. 

The Chair's review letter sent to the faculty member should also be either cc'd or sent as a separate email/attachment to the following: the appropriate Associate Dean, the Office of the Dean EA, and COE-FacultyAffairs@austin.utexas.edu.

Timeline

An Associate Professor with an approved Personal Circumstances Flag during a year included in the third-year review period will have a one-year deferral of that review, so that the review would take place in year four. In that case, the clock for Comprehensive Periodic Review would still be done during year six.

Comprehensive Periodic (Six-Year) Review of Tenured Faculty (CPR)

Procedures and guidelines

See:

• HOP 2-2150: Comprehensive Periodic Evaluation of Tenured Faculty 
• 2021-22 Guidelines Comprehensive Periodic Review
• EVPP: Faculty Evaluation

Tenured faculty are evaluated every six years, in combination with the annual review. Individual notice of at least six months of intent to evaluate is provided by the Department Chair. The six-year evaluation is carried out by an appropriate faculty committee at the level of the department. The Chair of the department communicates the result of the evaluation in writing to the faculty member and to the Dean. The Dean reports the results to the Provost’s Office.

For effects of a Personal Circumstances Flag on the timing of CPRs, see EVPP: Personal Circumstances Flag, "Impact on Faculty Evaluation."

Timeline

Tenured faculty are evaluated every six years in rank, during the sixth year. The clock is reset with promotion.

Faculty being reviewed should be notified in advance. Guidelines recommend informing faculty by March 31 that their review will be conducted the following fall.

Examples:

• A faculty member who achieves tenure in fall of 2020 would have their first CPR in 2025-26. Their second would be in 2031-32.
• If an Associate Professor in their sixth year of rank goes up for promotion to full Professor, the promotion review will count as their CPR. If the promotion is successful, their their CPR six-year clock is reset. If the promotion is not successful, the department/Dean's Office should discuss with APS how the CPR should be reported.
• If an Associate Professor goes up for promotion before their sixth year in rank and is successful, the CPR six-year clock is reset. If not successful, they continue until their sixth year when the CPR is due.

Effects of leave

CPR "clocks" do not stop. Periods when a faculty member is on leave do still count towards the six-year requirement. If the faculty member is on leave during the sixth year, they may request a deferral.

Deferral

In accordance with Texas Education Code Section 51.942 and Regent’s Rule 31002, "Evaluation of Tenured Faculty," CPR may not be waived for any tenured faculty member, but may be deferred for one year in some circumstances. A deferral request must be submitted by the department chair via the Dean to the Provost's Office for approval.