Academic Promotion in Academic Rank and Guidelines

As governed by the SUNY Board of Trustees Guidelines, all full-time faculty members eligible for promotion must first schedule an interview with the Office of Human Resources and establish they meet the Minimum Requirements for Appointment and Promotion Rank no later than October 1 in the academic year that they intend to apply for promotion. An up-to-date Academic Data Summary Sheet (ADSS) is required. The Office of Human Resources will generate the Promotion Request form in Interview Exchange (IE).  A two-week appeal process will be afforded to prospective candidates deemed ineligible for promotion. 

As you consider promotion, progression will be based on your subject mastery and excellence in the areas of teaching or librarianship, scholarly activity, university service, growth & development, and leadership. Promotion will be granted based on your achievements in these areas, which are expected to be above and beyond the standard requirements of your position. All candidates for promotion must be in good standing with the college.

Beginning with the 2018-19 academic year, each faculty member holding any academic rank of below Professor (Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Librarian, Senior Assistant Librarian, or Associate Librarian) will be required to develop a minimum three-year Professional Development Plan (PDP) for the purposes of being considered for academic promotion. Each faculty member holding the academic rank below Professor will also be required to convene a professional development mentoring committee (PDMC) to support each candidate and provide guidance throughout the promotion process.  This committee will help mentor the faculty member with the development of a three-year PDP outlining a performance program containing a list of achievable goals required for promotion. The PDMC will also assist the faculty member in applying for renewal/continuing appointment and promotion.  Upon applying for promotion, the PDMC will make a recommendation to the School-level Standing Committee (SSC) indicating whether or not the Professional Development Plan was completed.

For new faculty members who are promoted in their third year, their second promotion may be aligned with continuing appointment.  Faculty cannot receive two promotions before receiving continuing appointment.

Since Program Directors typically serve on all PDMCs within their respective programs, any Program Directors who plan to apply for promotion will need to select a PD from another program within the same academic school to sit on the PDMC.

Candidates for promotion are prohibited from serving on a promotion committee in their respective school (SSC or Academic Promotions Committee) during the year that they plan to apply for promotion.

Timeline for Applying for Promotion

Year One

All faculty holding academic rank below Professor must develop and complete a three-year PDP with the consultation and approval of their PDMC by October 1 in order to be eligible for promotion at the end of year three.  During the first year, the candidate's PDP will primarily outline the faculty member's stated goals towards meeting the necessary requirements within the categories used for promotion.  The PDP will also include a statement indicating how the candidate plans to achieve their goals within the five stated categories.  Each PDP will also be submitted to the SSC by October 15 for approval. The SSC will review each candidate's PDP and submit their recommendations to their Academic Dean/Library Director by November 1 of each academic year. Each PDP must be approved by the PDMC, the SSC, and the Academic Dean/Library Director. Once approved, the PDP will then be submitted to the Provost's Office by November 15 for informational purposes only.

In summary:

1. Convene your PDMC according to the outlined information in the Promotion Guidelines.
2. With consultation of your PDMC, submit your PDP for approval to them by October 1.
3. With signed approval of your PDMC, submit your PDP for review to the SSC by October 15.
4. With signed acknowledgment of review from the SSC, submit your PDP to your Dean/ Library Director by November 1.
5. With signed acknowledgment of review and approval of your PDP by your Academic Dean/Library Director, the Academic Dean/Library Director will provide a signed copy back to you and submit the PDP on your behalf to the Provost’s Office by November 15.

Year Two

At the beginning of Year Two, each faculty member will convene their PDMC to review the PDP and track the progress towards completion of the stated goals. Prior to this meeting, each faculty member will provide the PDMC with evidence and documentation outlining the progress towards completion of the stated goals. Following this meeting, the PDMC will submit a written statement to the SSC and their Academic Dean/Library Director detailing each faculty member's progress toward meeting the stipulated goals from the previous year's PDP.  Each PDP will also be submitted to the SSC by October 15 for approval. The SSC will review each candidate's PDP and the recommendations made by the PDMC and submit their recommendations to their Academic Dean/Library Director by November 1 of each academic year. Each PDP must be approved by the PDMC, the SSC, and the Academic Dean/Library Director. Once approved, the PDP will then be submitted to the Provost's Office by November 15 for informational purposes only.

In summary:

1. Convene your PDMC to review your PDP and track your progress.
2. PDMC will submit a written statement to the SSC and Academic Dean/Library Director detailing the candidate’s progress toward their PDP goals and a recommendation.
3. With signed approval of your PDMC, submit your PDP for review to the SSC by October 15.
4. With signed acknowledgment of review from the SSC, submit your PDP to your Academic Dean/Library Director by November 1.
5. With signed acknowledgment of review and approval of your PDP by your Academic Dean/Library Director, the Academic Dean/Library Director will provide a signed copy back to you and submit the PDP on your behalf to the Provost’s Office by November 15.

Year Three / Final Year (Year you want to be considered for Promotion)

At the beginning of Year Three/Final Year, each faculty member wishing to be considered for promotion must first schedule an interview with the Office of Human Resources and establish they meet the Minimum Requirements for Appointment and Promotion Rank no later than October 1 in the academic year that they intend to apply for promotion. Each faculty member will convene their PDMC to review the PDP and track the progress towards completion of the stated goals. Each PDP will also be submitted to the SSC by October 15 for approval. The SSC will review each candidate's PDP and submit their recommendations to their Academic Dean by November 1 of each academic year. Each PDP must be approved by the PDMC, the SSC, and the Academic Dean. Once approved, the PDP will then be submitted to the Provost's Office by November 15 for informational purposes only. Supporting evidence* (including the narrative) will be collected and submitted to the PDMC no later than January 15. The PDMC will review the supporting evidence and make a recommendation on promotion to the SSC by February 15. The SSC will review the supporting evidence and make a recommendation on promotion to the Academic Dean/Library Director by March 1. The Academic Dean/Library Director will review and make a recommendation on promotion to the Promotion Committee by March 15. All of the recommendations/comments/etc. will be noted directly on the faculty PDP. The faculty member will be required to upload the PDP (including all signatures, recommendations, comments, etc.) to Interview Exchange along with all supporting evidence* no later than March 20.

In summary:

1. Convene your PDMC to review your PDP and track your progress.
2. PDMC will submit a written statement to the SSC and Academic Dean/Library Director detailing the candidate’s progress toward their PDP goals and a recommendation.
3. With signed approval of your PDMC, submit your PDP for review to the SSC by October 15.
4. With signed acknowledgment of review from the SSC, submit your PDP to your Academic Dean/ Library Director by November 1.
5. With signed acknowledgment of review and approval of your PDP by your Academic Dean/Library Director, the Academic Dean/Library Director will provide a signed copy back to you and submit the PDP on your behalf to the Provost’s Office by November 15. 
6. Supporting evidence* (including the narrative) should be submitted to your PDMC by January 15.
7. Your PDMC will review and make a written recommendation to the SSC by February 15.
8. Your SSC will review and make a written recommendation to the Academic Dean/Library Director by March 1.
9. Your Academic Dean/Library Director will review and make a written recommendation to the Promotion Committee by March 15.
10. You must upload your PDP, which should include all signatures, recommendations, and comments to Interview Exchange along with all supporting evidence* no later than March 20.  Keep a copy for your own file.

*Supporting Evidence – should include materials collected since date of hire (if going for initial promotion) or since last promotion (for subsequent promotions).

Professional Development Mentoring Committee (PDMC) Composition

For teaching faculty, the PDMC will be composed of two faculty members (approved by the Dean) and the Program Director from their respective program area. One of the members of the PDMC may come from outside the candidate's academic school.

Each faculty member will choose the members of their PDMC with the consultation of their Program Director and Dean. Program Directors are required to serve on a PDMC, but Deans are prohibited from serving on PDMCs. It is suggested that PDMCs be comprised of senior faculty members whenever possible.

For library faculty, the PDMC will be composed as follows:

• one faculty member from outside the library;
• two librarians;
• If only one librarian meets the qualifications for this position on the PDMC, a second tenured non-library faculty member may fill the second position, for a total of three PDMC members where at least one is a librarian;

• If no librarians meet the qualifications to serve on the PDMC, the Library Director must serve on the PDMC along with two tenured faculty from outside the library.

The PDMC, upon review of the final PDP, must sign the PDP to indicate their support of the PDP. If the PDMC does not approve the PDP, then the PDP does not move forward to the SCC.

School-level Standing Committee (SSC)

Each academic school will maintain a School-level Standing Committee (SSC) to review candidates applying for promotion. The SSC will consist of a minimum of five tenured faculty members (including one external member from another academic school or the library) appointed by the Dean to review candidates’ files for promotion. Those up for promotion are not eligible to serve on an SSC. The SSC for the library will consist of one tenured faculty representative from each academic school, plus one tenured librarian (if possible). The representatives will be appointed by the Deans of those schools and approved by the Library Director. SSC members can serve two consecutive staggered two-year terms. Deans are prohibited from serving on the SSC. Program Directors may serve as non-voting members of the SSC.

The SSC will review each candidate's file for promotion and review the recommendation from the PDMC. Each year, the SSC will meet to discuss each candidate's file, based on the elements within the promotion scoring rubric, and make a recommendation to the Dean of the candidate's academic school on whether or not criteria for promotion/tenure has been met.  In the case of the library, the SSC will make their recommendation to the Library Director, unless the Library Director is a candidate for promotion, in which case the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences will serve in this function.

All decisions will be made by majority vote. The SSC will also provide substantive feedback to the candidate and the Program Director/Dean, as well as a rationale in favor of, or against, promotion.

• Evaluation of PDP in fall semester - By November 1, the SSC will provide feedback on the candidate’s PDP clearly indicating support, or lack of support, for a candidate’s PDP. Feedback should recommend, or not recommend, candidate for promotion with substantiated rationale.
• The SSC, upon review of the final PDP, must sign the PDP to indicate their support of the PDP.
• Evaluation of full promotion packet in spring semester - By March 1, the SSC will provide a letter delineating evaluation of the candidate and their PDP/supporting evidence.  This letter should clearly delineate support, or non-support, of the candidate with substantiated rationale. This letter will become part of the supporting evidence provided by candidate as part of their promotion submission in Interview Exchange.

Role of the Academic Dean/Library Director

The role of the Academic Dean/Library Director is to review the materials submitted by the candidate (as well as the recommendations made by the PDMC and SSC), and to submit their recommendation to the Academic Promotion Committee (APC). The APC will review the recommendations from the PDMC and the SSC, and verify that the PDP for each candidate has been completed with sufficient evidence presented in support of each candidate's dossier. 

• Evaluation of PDP in fall semester - By November 15, the Academic Dean/Library Director will provide feedback on the candidate’s PDP clearly indicating support, or lack of support, for a candidate’s PDP. Feedback should recommend, or not recommend, candidate for promotion with substantiated rationale.
• The Academic Dean/Library Director, upon review of the final PDP, must sign the PDP to indicate their support of the PDP. The Academic Dean/Library Director will forward approved PDPs to the Provost’s Office.
• Evaluation of full promotion packet in spring semester - By March 15, the Academic Dean/Library Director will provide a letter delineating evaluation of the candidate and their PDP/supporting evidence.  This letter should clearly delineate support, or non-support, of the candidate with substantiated rationale. This letter will become part of the supporting evidence provided by the candidate as part of their promotion submission in IE.
• The Academic Dean’s/Library Director’s recommendation is independent from the SSC recommendation. The letter should clearly indicate why the promotion is warranted.

Fall (November 15) - For a candidate’s PDP to move forward to the Provost, their SSC and/or Academic Dean/Library Director must provide affirmative support in writing on the candidate’s PDP.

Spring (March 20) - For a candidate to move forward for consideration by the Academic Promotion Committee, their SSC and/or Academic Dean/Library Director must provide affirmative support in a letter to be included in the candidate’s materials.

Role of Academic Promotion Committee

The role of the Academic Promotion Committee (APC) is to review the materials submitted by the candidate (as well as the recommendations made by the PDMC, the SSC, and the Academic Dean/Library Director).  The committee will evaluate the candidate and their promotion packet to ensure the candidate’s achievements are above and beyond the standard requirements for their position and make a recommendation for, or against, promotion to the Provost.

Required Documentation and Process for Applying for Promotion

All promotion documentation must be submitted on Interview Exchange as an electronic document before the stipulated deadline.

Material/evidence of achievement or mastery must be subsequent to the last promotion or hiring date, if hired at your present rank. No materials prior to the last promotion will be accepted with the exception of degree obtainment.

Materials must be complete and accurate at time of final submission.

All required documents must be included and correctly submitted before the deadline, if the candidate wishes to be considered for a promotion.

You may wish to contact faculty who were promoted previously to serve as mentors to aid you in the process. In addition, the promotion committee is available to offer guidance and answer questions.

The following materials should be submitted electronically:

• A copy of your Professional Development Plan (PDP) with specific evidence included verifying the completion of the stated goals.
• Written evaluation from your Professional Development Mentoring Committee (PDMC) outlining the completion of the candidate's PDP.
• A written recommendation from the School Standing Committee (SSC) acknowledging the completion of the PDP and recommending the candidate for promotion.
• A written recommendation from your Academic Dean / Director of Library acknowledging the completion of the PDP and recommending the candidate for promotion.
• Academic Data Summary Sheet
• Current Curriculum Vitae (CV) – please be sure to provide an up-to-date CV.
• Written evaluation of the Candidate by their Academic Dean, or designee, based on a formal classroom evaluation conducted within the past year, if tenured the past three years.
• Set of student evaluations (gathered using the current college/Library approved evaluation tool, e.g., Evaluation Kit) comprised of all student responses from each of two different courses or library instruction sessions taught during the last academic year. This should be a summary. Specific copies may be placed in the addendum.
• A narrative of NO MORE THAN TEN DOUBLE-SPACED TYPED PAGES, WITH 12 POINT FONT AND 1” MARGINS, organized and aligned with the specific criteria utilized for promotion that briefly describes and summarizes the candidate’s endeavors in each of the promotion criteria categories and provides specific and verifiable evidence supporting the candidate's application for promotion.

Librarian candidates should also include a brief job description to highlight their specialized responsibilities within the library.

A list of evidence in support of the candidate's application for promotion should be included in the narrative. A more detailed description of the evidence should be placed in the addendum. All addenda should be in the same document and the material in the addendum should be aligned and labeled according to the five/six areas of the Section Content.

The remainder of the file will be divided into five sections for Assistant Professor and six sections for Associate/Full Professor. Please bear in mind that files cannot be larger than 2MB. If they are, please compress the files. A narrative that exceeds the 10-page maximum for all sections combined will be ineligible for review. Bullet points are encouraged.

It is advised that the candidate submit succinct evidence pages. For example: if a book has been published, please submit the cover and title page of the book. The entire book is not needed for review of the candidate’s file.

In addition, it is the recommendation of the Promotion Committee that transcripts are not added in the addendum section. Credentials will be verified by OHR.

Candidates need not repeat ideas in multiple sections. The committee understands there will be a lot of overlap.

Evaluation and Recommendation

The Promotion Committee will complete its evaluation by April 20.

At the end of the evaluation process, the Promotion Committee will submit its recommendations to the Provost.

The Provost will review the Promotion Committee’s listing, the candidates’ dossiers, and make recommendations for promotion. All candidates will be confidentially notified of their status.

Candidates not being recommended for promotion will have one week (5 business days) from notification to appeal and provide any additional supporting materials and/or statement to the Provost for consideration.

Appeals will be considered carefully by the Provost and final recommendations for promotion will be made and shared with the President and Human Resources.

The Administrative Assistant to the Provost will prepare and distribute letters to those approved and denied for promotion.

Section Content: For each of the bulleted items, provide examples or descriptions to support your Professional Development Plan (PDP). (Note: some content for assistant professor may be different than associate or full professor, as these two levels of promotion have an additional section.)

Promotion to Assistant Professor

If you are applying for Assistant Professor, your portfolio is complete with the five categories unless you are submitting the “Other” section.

Promotion to Associate or Full Professor

The following Additional Category is required for promotion to the ranks of Associate Professor or Full Professor.

Section Other: Place in this area any items that do not fit in any of the above categories in order to establish a strong case for your promotion.

Promotion Documents Glossary

Academic Promotion Committee (APC) – the role is to review the materials submitted by the candidate (as well as the recommendations made by the PDMC, the SSC, and the Academic Dean/Library Director); check and verify the evidence provided by the candidate; make sure that the process was properly followed; and make a recommendation for, or against, promotion to the Provost. 

PDMC - Professional Development Mentoring Committee

Professional Development Plan - a plan that includes the candidate’s performance objectives for promotion.

SSC - School Standing Committee

Promotion - Promotion is merit based and is based on outstanding performance in the evaluation criteria as documented in a promotion dossier.

Continuing Appointment - an appointment to a position of academic rank, which shall not be affected by changes in such rank and shall continue until resignation, retirement, or termination.

Time of Obligation - An annual obligation or service for any period less than the full year. (e.g., 10, 11 months)

Knowledge outside of college - additional course work or degrees, attained certifications, practice/work/consulting within the field

Performance objectives - tasks/education/experiences that a candidate plans to complete to earn his or her promotion. Specific terms, measurable results, and the value of these objectives to the institution are to be included.

Evaluation period - the period of time that promotion candidates are being evaluated, typically beginning in March and ending in May/June.

Degree explanation (AS, BS, MS, Doctorate) - candidates must include all degrees earned in their dossiers, which may include degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels. Candidates do not have to have specific science degrees as portrayed in the rubric.

Awards and Honors - awards encompass those achieved in previous jobs, campus awards, conference awards, community service awards, organization/club awards, etc.

Maintain teaching - instructors who participate or contribute to journals or currency with contemporary teaching environment.

Poster presentations - poster presentations on campus, at conferences, etc.

Search committee - A committee searching to fill a new staff/faculty position.

Campus committee - A committee recognized by the college that assists in the college’s or college community’s function.

Promotion in Academic Rank

Please refer to the table providing the "Preferred Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion in Academic Rank" for specific requirements.

General Provisions

1. Initial appointment is at the rank for which an individual is judged to be qualified based on academic credentials, previous experience, favorable recommendations, and the need of the
2. In special cases, candidates may be appointed to the rank of instructor or assistant librarian without meeting the preferred minimum However, the preferred minimum qualifications must be achieved by such an appointee prior to subsequent promotion.
3. To receive full consideration at appointment, degrees must be in field of specialization or
4. A maximum of 140 semester hours of undergraduate credit can be applied to the minimum qualifications for appointment or promotion, to include a maximum of 70 semester hours of associates or lower division The fifth year of a five-year professional degree will be considered graduate level.
5. A minimum of 2/3 of credit applied to promotion must be in field of specialization or education unless prior approval has been received in writing from the Provost to broaden or change the field of
6. Only full-time professional experience will be considered to meet appointment or promotion qualifications.
7. Experience or education qualifications that exceed the minimum for appointment to a given rank may be applied to subsequent
8. Attaining the minimum qualifications does not assure Promotion is based on merit and outstanding performance in the evaluation criteria as documented in a promotion dossier.

Definition of Terms Used in "Preferred Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion in Academic Rank"

• Field of Specialization: Generally refers to the discipline that a person has been appointed to teach or
• Professional Experience: Is full-time non-teaching or non-library related work experience in the field of specialization judged appropriate by the Provost in consultation with faculty in that field of
• One-Year Full-time College Teaching/Library: Denotes one contract year of full-time service whether 10, 11, or 12 months or the full-time equivalent for
• Professional License: Refers to possession of a license to practice a learned profession as recognized and regulated by the New York State Department of In some cases, this license may be from another state if the requirements are equal to or exceed those of New York.

One Unit Equals

15 Semester Hours of College Credit OR 12 Months Professional Experience
OR
1 Year Full-Time College Teaching/Library OR Professional License in Field of Specialization

Revised January 2023