Faculty Review at Lehigh

Overview

Faculty members go through many reviews during their careers at Lehigh. Tenure-track Assistant Professors have a reappointment review during year 3, a tenure review in year 6, and annual reviews in most other years. Tenure-track/tenured Associate Professors have triennial reviews, and are reviewed for promotion to Full Professor when they are ready. Term faculty (Teaching Professors, Research Professors, and Professors of Practice) have reappointment and promotion reviews. All faculty have an annual merit review for salary increases.

Once a faculty member submits their portfolio, it is typically reviewed by their Department Chair, some or all of the members of their department, and their Dean. Faculty with joint appointments are also reviewed by a special committee consisting of, e.g., members of the faculty member’s second department or program. The Provost reviews and makes a decision on reappointment cases. Tenure and promotion cases are also reviewed by P&T committees within the college, and by the Provost; the Board of Trustees makes the final decision about tenure and promotion. 

This page provides an overview of how faculty reviews are conducted at Lehigh. For more information about specific reviews, see the pages for those reviews in the navigation menu. See also the pages about reviews of specific faculty types (Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty Review and Term Faculty Review).

Philosophy of Faculty Review at Lehigh

Faculty quality is the principal factor determining the quality of a university. In accordance with the mission of Lehigh University—

To advance learning through the integration of teaching, research, and service to others.

—Lehigh intends to maintain standards for reappointment, tenure, and promotion that are comparable to those employed by leading universities of similar size and mission in the country.

Lehigh faculty should be outstanding educators, fine scholars, and dedicated members of the university community. Therefore, the university’s reappointment, tenure, and promotion standards are intended to identify candidates whose excellence is well documented and who show clear promise of continuing superior performance and productivity. As stated in the Rules and Procedures of the Faculty of Lehigh University (R&P) section 2.2.1.5:

Excellence in teaching, research and scholarship, and service to the university are the criteria for reappointment, promotion, and tenure.

Achievement in each of these areas is considered separately. Each of the five colleges has more specific guidelines on standards of quality and productivity that candidates should consult. In addition, the specific means of judging a candidate’s quality and commitment to the life of scholarship and instruction may differ from one discipline to another. 

Moreover, different types of faculty are evaluated using different combinations of these areas. Tenure-track faculty are required to demonstrate excellence in all three areas, while Teaching or Research Professors may only be evaluated using one or two. 

Faculty members are expected to demonstrate excellence in all relevant areas. It is not acceptable for a faculty member to be a world-renowned researcher but to teach poorly or to not engage in important service. 

Importantly, faculty members are evaluated based on standards of excellence; they are not evaluated based on other faculty members. If the previous faculty member to come up for tenure was a superstar, that does not “raise the bar” for subsequent faculty members.

It is the responsibility of the academic units to maintain a system of evaluation and review and to make information available to the faculty regarding the procedures and standards by which they will be judged. This system should be equitable and transparent; there should not be “hidden rules,” and faculty members should not have to rely on rumors or conventional wisdom to navigate the process. At the same time, it is also the responsibility of individual faculty members to consult with their Chairs and Deans and to ensure that they understand fully the reappointment, tenure, and promotion procedures and standards of the department, college, and university.

Dossiers

Candidates and academic units are responsible for assembling, reviewing, and submitting dossiers (portfolios). Tenure-track faculty members should begin to create their portfolios in their first year, as they provide materials to faculty evaluators for annual review. These portfolios can then be revised and supplemented for subsequent reappointment, tenure, and promotion reviews. Similarly, term faculty can revise and supplement their review materials over time.

Because review portfolios are the foundation on which candidates are evaluated according to the university-wide criteria, their content is standardized across the entire university. Each college may require additional materials; Department Chairs should consult with the Dean’s office regarding any additional requirements. 

For a list of materials that are typically required for faculty reviews, and guidance on preparing them, see the Dossier Materials page.

Recusals

When a faculty member is up for any type of review, all eligible members of the department must participate in the process (i.e., participate in the meetings to discuss the case, record a vote, write a letter, etc.), unless there is cause for recusal. The only allowable reasons for recusal, per R&P 2.2.2.2.4, are:

1. The department member is serving in an administrative role at the college or university level with responsibilities directly related to faculty personnel matters (e.g., Associate Dean for Faculty).
2. The department member is serving on the college promotion and tenure committee and chooses to participate in the committee process rather than the department process. (A faculty member cannot participate in both.) 
3. The department member has or had a significant personal, non-professional relationship with the faculty member under review.
4. The department member has a significant professional financial relationship with the faculty member under review (e.g., they are co-owners of a business).

If one of these situations applies, the department member must recuse themselves. They do this by notifying the Department Chair, Dean, and Provost in writing. The Provost must approve the recusal, in writing. The department member should then vote “abstain” for review types that require a vote (reappointment, tenure, promotion).

If none of these situations applies, then a department member cannot recuse themselves. Faculty who are on academic leave (e.g., sabbatical) must still participate in reviews. Faculty who are on Family Medical Leave (FML) need not participate and should vote “absent” for review types that require a vote.

Which Review Cycle Am I On?

Your review cycle is different for different types of reviews. In particular:

The information above may change if, for example, you take a tenure-clock extension. 

If your start date was not during the summer or January, or if you have any other questions about which cycle you fall under, consult your Department Chair or Associate Dean for Faculty.

Relevant Sections of R&P

• 2.2 Faculty Appointments, Reappointments, Promotion, Tenure, Retirement
• 2.12 Professor of Practice
• 2.13 Teaching Faculty
• 2.14 Research Faculty

Additional Resources

• Interfolio login page
• Interfolio at Lehigh

Notes

• This overview is intended to supplement the information contained in Lehigh’s Rules and Procedures of the Faculty (R&P). If there is a discrepancy between the guidance on this page and R&P, the provisions of R&P govern.
• Feel free to contact your Department Chair, Associate Dean for Faculty, the Deputy Provost for Faculty Affairs, or the Director of Faculty Affairs with any questions or concerns.