The Reappointment, Promotion & Tenure Process
Dietrich College’s reappointment, promotion and tenure (RPT) process evaluates faculty for continued appointment, career advancement, and tenure through a formal multi-level review.
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Overview
The Dietrich College Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) process evaluates faculty contributions in research, teaching and service through a multi-level review process that includes departmental, college and university review.
Candidates submit materials such as a CV, personal statements, evidence of accomplishments and external review letters. The process is designed to ensure fair, rigorous and consistent evaluation while supporting faculty development and academic excellence.
Different review timelines and criteria apply by faculty track and rank.
See the Dietrich College Promotion & Tenure Handbook (pdf) for full details.
Timeline & Responsibilities
The RPT process in Dietrich College typically begins in the spring or summer before the review year. Faculty work with their department head to prepare materials such as a CV, personal statements, and documentation of research, teaching and service. Departments then assemble the casebook, gather external reviews, and conduct the initial evaluation before the case moves through college and university review.
Casebook Checklist
Preparing for a reappointment, promotion or tenure review — or supporting a faculty member through the process?
Use the checklist below to help prepare a complete casebook, including required forms, supporting materials, and submission components. Checklist requirements may vary by department and review type. Faculty should work closely with their department head and RPT staff to ensure materials align with departmental expectations and review procedures.
- Include the year each academic degree was awarded
- Clearly distinguish between published work, work under review, and works in progress
- Do not include personal images (e.g., headshots or speaker photos)
- The combined statement (covering both research and teaching) must not exceed 8 pages
- Statements may include links to online materials; however, links must remain active and the materials unchanged throughout the review process
- Submit approximately three, but no more than five, representative works (e.g., publications, manuscripts, articles)
- Preference is given to work completed since the candidate’s last review
- Submit approximately three, but no more than five, representative items for a given class (e.g., syllabi, curricular materials, assessments)
- Preference is given to materials from recent teaching, particularly since the last review
- Suggested External Reviewers:
- Provide the names, titles and brief biographies of approximately three to five potential external reviewers.
- Note: External letters are not required for assistant-level reappointments or abbreviated reviews for Full Teaching Professors.
- Reviewers should be recognized experts in the candidate’s field
- They must hold a rank equal to or higher than the rank under consideration
- For tenure and research-track cases, reviewers must be external to CMU
- For teaching-track cases, reviewers may be from within or outside CMU
- Provide the names, titles and brief biographies of approximately three to five potential external reviewers.
- Suggested Student References:
- Provide the names and email addresses of approximately seven to 9 potential student reviewers
- Students may be current or former (undergraduate or graduate)
- Alumni who have taken the candidate’s courses or worked with them may also be included
Tenure Decision Deadline (TDD)
All tenure-track faculty members are required to complete a tenure decision deadline (TDD) document at the start of their appointment. The TDD establishes the faculty member’s tenure review schedule and official tenure decision timeline.
Tenure Delay
Approved changes to a tenure review timeline require an updated Tenure Delay Document (TDD). Faculty approved for a tenure clock extension must submit a revised TDD extension form for appointment extensions and delayed review requests related to approved tenure clock extensions.
Candidate Feedback
Faculty members receive feedback throughout the RPT process at the department, college and university levels. Key feedback mechanisms include:
- Written Notifications: Candidates receive written recommendations at each review stage in accordance with university policy.
Formative Feedback: At the conclusion of the process, department heads and deans may provide feedback on strengths, areas for improvement, and next steps.
For CMU-Qatar faculty and joint appointments, departments and colleges coordinate feedback to support consistency across reviews.
Policies & Resources for Candidates
Dietrich College
Resources for Department Administrators
These resources are for RPT department administrators; candidates may disregard this section.
- Committee Confidentiality Statement
- Ballots and Google Form Templates
- Materials for Department Heads
- Materials for RPT Staff
Frequently Asked Questions
The RPT process generally begins in the spring or summer before the review year. During this time, candidates and departments prepare materials, identify external reviewers, and coordinate timelines.
The process typically spans the academic year. Casebooks are prepared and submitted in early summer, followed by departmental, college, and university-level review throughout the academic year.
Candidates are responsible for preparing and submitting their materials, including statements, CVs, and supporting documentation. Departments coordinate the overall review process, assemble additional materials, and prepare departmental evaluations and recommendations.
Casebooks typically include a CV, personal statements, documentation of research, teaching and service, external review letters, student feedback, departmental evaluations, and other supporting materials.
Evaluation criteria vary by faculty track and rank, but generally include the quality, impact and trajectory of contributions in research, teaching and service. Reviewers also consider interdisciplinary work, inclusiveness and professional effectiveness.
After the department review, materials and recommendations move to additional levels of review, including college and university committees, the dean, the provost, and, in tenure cases, the president or Board of Trustees.
The Tenure Decision Deadline (TDD) establishes the official schedule for a tenure-track faculty member’s tenure review. All tenure-track faculty complete a TDD at the start of their appointment, and any approved changes to the review timeline require an updated TDD document.
Certain types of approved leaves may affect the tenure review timeline or review schedule. Faculty members should consult with their department head and the Office of the Vice Provost of Faculty regarding any implications for reappointment, promotion or tenure review timing, including possible extensions to the tenure decision deadline.