Factors and Why They are Important

Departmental Factors: The contract mandates that each department draw up factors that describe standards of excellence in specializations under the umbrella of that department. The factors are extremely important in that they guide prospective candidates toward tenure and promotion and articulate the expectations of the department about the achievements of its faculty. They are also essential documents in tenure and promotion cases after these leave the departments to go to college and university committees. They are included in the tenure or promotion dossiers that are recommended to the colleges and to the university. College and University T&P committees cannot be acquainted with the specific requirements of each specialty, and the more eloquent and clearer the departmental factors are, the better the candidate’s chances with colleagues from other disciplines. Faculty should review the factors and familiarize themselves with them; should the factors become outdated, the faculty through the proper committees should initiate a review and revision process.

College Factors: Each college or school has its own factors, of necessity broader than those of departments. These should be available to all faculty in the College. They serve the same function vis-à-vis the University T&P committee that the departmental factors serve in relation to the college committee, making the standards of excellence of a college known to the university community.

University Factors: These are the factors used by the University T&P committee to make the final decision on tenure and promotion. They articulate the standards of excellence at the university level. Faculty going up for promotion and tenure should acquaint themselves with the factors at this level as well as at the departmental and college/division level.

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