Faculty Promotion and Tenure Procedures

Faculty promotion decisions at Purdue are based upon peer review.  Each year, department heads provide written feedback to all assistant professors (tenure-track as well as clinical faculty) summarizing the primary committee’s evaluation of their progress toward tenure and / or promotion.  Heads should also meet with assistant professors annually to discuss the promotion process and the preparation of promotion documents. Departments should have formal mentoring assignments for, at minimum, their early career faculty; mentors also

Candidates are nominated and voted upon by departmental (Primary) Committees composed of tenured full and associate professors.  Tenured associate professors vote only on promotions up to and including the associate professor level.  Candidates who receive a majority vote or the endorsement of their department head are forwarded to a college-wide (Area) Committee consisting of all department heads and an elected senior faculty member from each department. Candidates receiving a majority vote from the Area Committee or the endorsement of the dean are forwarded to the University Promotion Committee, composed of equal members of faculty and administrators.  Their recommendations are forwarded to the President and the Board of Trustees for final approval.

Note that for clinical faculty promotion cases, at least one senior clinical faculty member should be present at any Primary and Area Committee discussion involving clinical faculty. If there is not a senior clinical professor in that department, then one from another unit (including from another college) may be invited by the CLA ADFA or the CLA Dean to attend the relevant part(s) of the Primary or Area Committee meeting.

Below is the current list of the CLA Area Committee members (2026-27):

There are three university level documents with which a department head should be familiar in order to understand the promotion process at Purdue and in the College of Liberal Arts.

• The first is "Academic Tenure and Promotion"which describes conditions associated with tenure and faculty eligibility.
• The second is "Criteria for Tenure and Promotion for the West Lafayette Campus."In this policy, the documentation of excellence in discovery; teaching and learning; and engagement is discussed.
• The final university level document is "Procedures for Granting Academic Tenure and Promotion,"which outlines the procedures to be followed by primary, area, and the Campus Promotions Committee. 
• Click here for instructions for completing the promotion nomination form (form 36) and here for the form itself. Faculty members may request an extension of their tenure clock. 
• Each year the Provost distributes a memo to all tenured and tenure track faculty and another to all research and clinical faculty describing, in short form, the procedure and policies for promotion. Copies of the memos are here. 

If you have questions about university or college promotion and tenure procedures, contact Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Jen William.