Promotion and Tenure Standards

Brief Overview of the Policy

This policy outlines the minimum University standards for tenure, promotion to associate professor and promotion to professor. Standards for teaching, scholarship and service for each of these status considerations are described, as well as requirements for departmental guidelines.

Reason for Policy

Promotion and tenure standards that set minimum University expectations are essential to assure consistency of criteria and procedures across the University.

Entities or Individuals affected by this policy

• Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty Members and Librarians
•  Deans of the Schools of Liberal Arts, Business and Science
•  Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
•  President
•  Board of Trustees

The Official Policy

Guiding General Principles

Siena University supports the concept of rigorous peer review of teaching, scholarship, and service for tenure and promotion decisions. Excellent teaching is a priority; teaching, scholarship and service are all important to the ongoing success of the University. Excellence in one or two areas does not offset inadequacies in another.

Definition of Terms

According to the Faculty Handbook, departments must “provide clear and specific guidance for faculty members” who are submitting applications to the Status Committee (see Section III.A.1-4). Therefore, Departmental standards should define, as clearly as possible, terms which may be specific to their disciplines.

Standards for Scholarship

Siena University recognizes different aspects of scholarship described by various terms, including the scholarship of discovery, artistic production, synthesis, integration, application, and pedagogy. As teacher-scholars, we engage in scholarship for several reasons: we wish to contribute to the advancement of knowledge, we wish to provide a model for our students, and we wish to enhance the reputation of our institution. Quality is always more important than quantity, but minimum quantity standards must prevail.

Peer-reviewed (refereed) professional journal articles are the standard of reference for scholarship. We understand that there are many equivalents, that flexibility is necessary for the different disciplines across the three schools, and that standards must be clearly defined by departments in keeping with the general tenor of rigorous review.

In setting minimum guidelines below, the term peer-reviewed (refereed) publication or the equivalent is understood to mean that departmental standards must define equivalents according to their disciplines. The department must determine how a mix of these contributions might be equivalent to peer-reviewed (refereed) articles published in scholarly journals and how journals and presses themselves are ranked within the relevant discipline. If faculty wish to consider alternative intellectual contributions, they need to consult with their departmental tenure and promotions committee.

University Minimum Standards

All departmental documents should include the following minimum standards, with the clear understanding that meeting the minimum does not presume a positive recommendation from the department, dean, or Status Committee.

Tenure

Faculty hired at the rank of assistant professor are expected to work full time at Siena for five (5) years before applying for tenure. This gives faculty the time needed to demonstrate excellence in teaching, scholarship and service as recognized by their colleagues at Siena. Faculty who have taught full time at a previous institution of higher education may be granted time toward satisfying this requirement at the time of hire.

Faculty hired at the rank of professor may be appointed for an initial term of up to two (2) years.  If reappointed thereafter, the professor must apply and be considered for tenure, as per the Handbook II.D.1.b. These cases are rare, and the presumption is that hiring a professor is based on an outstanding scholarly record. Consideration for tenure in these cases will necessarily be grounded primarily on accomplishments in teaching and service during the first year at Siena, provided there is evidence of continuing scholarly or creative production.

Teaching

The University reaffirms the Handbook statement that “the primary function of faculty at Siena University is to teach” and refers departments to the teaching evaluation section of the Handbook III.A.1. Faculty applying for tenure should have established a record of excellence in teaching, as assessed by student, departmental, and dean evaluations. The e-portfolio should include a “SmartEval Custom Report” for each course section and aggregated course evaluations; the narrative should include reflection on pedagogical growth.

All departments must recognize that successful teaching in the First Year Seminar, Core courses, team or collaborative courses, community engaged courses and interdisciplinary courses should be considered positively toward developing a “record of excellence” in teaching.

Departmental guidelines must request evidence that the faculty member is remaining current in pedagogy and content in their field and has contributed to curricular development and innovative instructional assignments or technologies. Peer review of syllabi and other course materials can accomplish this. Evidence of participation in pedagogy workshops at national professional associations can also document currency. Faculty are encouraged to attend professional development programs offered at the University and to share course materials and successful teaching strategies with their peers.

Scholarship

Generally, faculty applying for tenure should have a minimum of two (2) peer-reviewed (refereed) publications or the equivalent, as defined and determined by the department, and evidence of additional intellectual contributions, all achieved during the candidate’s employment at Siena. Faculty must demonstrate that they are producing independent scholarship or scholarship in association with their peers. Intellectual contributions co-authored with students should be considered positively.

Each department should include standards for their discipline in their tenure and promotion standards.

Service

Tenure-track faculty should focus on developing teaching and scholarship in their first two years in the tenure track, while participating fully in departmental business and service activities. Thereafter, service to their School, the University, their professional field, and the wider community is encouraged. Faculty should consult with their department chair and dean to choose committees in which they can best contribute their expertise to the campus with gradual introduction to more complex levels of service. Faculty members are encouraged to contribute service to their professional disciplines and to their communities. Community service should be considered only as it is relevant to the faculty member’s professional expertise. Evidence of service should be provided by chairs of committees on which faculty serve at Siena or by relevant administrators or faculty and by written recommendations of individuals outside the University  with whom candidates work.

Promotion to Associate Professor

Faculty promoted to or hired at the rank of assistant professor are normally expected to remain at that rank for at least six (6) years prior to seeking promotion to associate professor. This time in rank is required to give faculty the time needed to demonstrate excellence in teaching, scholarship and service as recognized by their colleagues at Siena. Faculty with extensive teaching and/or research experience may seek early promotion to associate professor if they can demonstrate that they have exceeded department and university standards in all three areas of teaching, scholarship and service while serving as an assistant professor at Siena University.

Teaching

Faculty applying for promotion to associate professor must demonstrate that they have accomplished achievements that meet the minimum  requirements for tenure and continue to demonstrate excellence in teaching in accordance with department standards.

Scholarship

Faculty applying for promotion to associate professor must demonstrate that they have produced intellectual contributions that meet the minimum requirements for tenure and continue to maintain minimum production requirements for scholarship in accordance with department standards.

Service

Faculty applying for promotion to associate professor must demonstrate they have engaged in service that meets the minimum requirements for tenure and have continued to provide service to the School, University, professional field, and community.

Promotion to Professor

Faculty promoted to or hired at the rank of associate professor are normally expected to remain at that rank for six (6) years prior to promotion to professor. This time in rank is required to give faculty the time needed to demonstrate continued excellence in teaching and service sustained over a period of time as recognized by their colleagues at Siena, and a consistent and significant level of scholarship as defined in their discipline outside the University. In exceptional cases, faculty may seek early promotion to professor in their fifth year if they can demonstrate they have exceeded department and university standards in all three areas of teaching, scholarship and service while serving as an associate professor at Siena University. Department guidelines must articulate what constitutes exceptional performance in the three major areas, teaching, scholarship and service. Examples of teaching, scholarship, and service accomplishments that might qualify an applicant for early promotion are provided below.

Teaching

As per the Handbook II.B.1.d., a faculty member seeking promotion to professor “should have established a record of excellence in teaching.” Expectations remain the same as for tenure, that is, assessments by students, department chairs, and dean, with evidence of ongoing accomplishment since the date of hire or last promotion at Siena. Faculty applying for promotion should include at least two peer classroom observations conducted within two years prior to application for promotion.

In addition, departmental guidelines should request evidence that the faculty member is remaining current in pedagogy and content in his or her field and has contributed to curricular development and innovative instructional assignments or technologies. Peer review of syllabi and other course materials can accomplish this. Evidence of participation in pedagogy workshops at national professional associations can also document currency. Faculty are encouraged to attend professional development programs offered at the University and share course materials and successful teaching strategies with their peers.

All departments must recognize that successful teaching in the First Year Seminar, Core courses, team or collaborative courses, community engaged and interdisciplinary courses should be considered positively toward developing a “record of excellence” in teaching.

Examples of teaching performance that might qualify a faculty member for early promotion to the rank of professor include: leadership in the design or re-design of curriculum, sustained use of high impact pedagogical practices, or recognition of teaching excellence at the School, University, or higher levels.

Scholarship

Faculty seeking promotion to professor will provide evidence of twice the level of intellectual contributions required by department standards for tenure and promotion to associate professor (e.g., four peer-reviewed journal articles or the equivalent since the time of application for promotion to associate professor).  All products of scholarship completed after the application for the rank of Associate Professor was submitted to the candidate’s department will be considered for promotion to Professor.

Examples of performance in intellectual contributions that might qualify a faculty member for early promotion to the rank of professor include: an additional journal article or the equivalent beyond the standard, or award-winning research or recognition of research excellence at the School, University, or higher levels, while at the rank of associate professor.

Service

As per the Handbook, applicants for promotion to professor “should be able to document consistent and significant contributions in service to the University” (II.B.1.d). Senior faculty should lead in service. Evidence of service to the department, School, University, field, and community, and leadership in that service, should be provided by written recommendations from the chairs or members of committees on which candidates served at Siena and by written recommendations of individuals outside the University with whom candidates worked.

Examples of performance in service contributions that might qualify a faculty member for early promotion to the rank of professor include: significant leadership roles in departmental and university-wide committees; appointments to significant leadership positions, leading program reviews, chairing search committees, chairing standing and ad hoc university committees, or introducing/leading new initiatives that substantially support the mission of the University.

Dean and Provost Roles in Department Standards Discussions

As stated in the Handbook III.A.4, the deans and the Provost must review and approve departmental standards for consistency. This document offers guidelines for development and review of departmental standards. The deans and the Provost are available for consultation to departments.

Effective Date

These standards and procedures were effective as of the fall 2013 semester.

* Exceptions

Full-time faculty members who are members of the Service Employees’ International Union Local 200 are covered by a separate Collective Bargaining Agreement.

* Resources

Faculty Handbook

Committee on Faculty Status

Adopted: April 4, 2012
Reviewed and Revised: December 17, 2020.
Reviewed: March 23, 2023; Posted May 1, 2023
Revised and Posted:  September 9, 2025
Revised and Posted: January 5, 2026