Faculty Evaluation
Promotion & Tenure
The goal of the promotion and tenure process is to promote excellence with a thorough and objective review of the substance and merits of each faculty member’s case. The Provost’s Office maintains the General Guidelines and a number of other resources that faculty candidates and department administrators will use to prepare for and navigate the tenure and promotion process.
Mid-Probationary Review of Tenure-Track Assistant Professors
All tenure-track assistant professors must undergo a mid-probationary review between their fifth and seventh long semesters, in accordance with the Guidelines for Mid-Probationary Review of Tenure-Track Assistant Professors. This peer-driven review evaluates performance and promotion trajectory across four areas — research, teaching, service and mentoring — and provides formal feedback to support continued development.
Comprehensive Periodic Review (CPR) of Tenured Faculty
All tenured faculty must complete a Comprehensive Periodic Review (CPR) at least once every six years, as outlined in the Guidelines for Comprehensive Periodic Review of Tenured Faculty. CPR is a peer-driven evaluation that supports faculty development, identifies areas needing improvement, and informs decisions about merit raises, honors, awards, endowment appointments and promotion trajectory, where relevant.
Annual Review of Faculty
All faculty — tenured, tenure-track, and professional-track — must undergo annual evaluation in accordance with the Guidelines for Faculty Annual Review. The annual review report must include one of the required four ratings for the faculty member’s overall performance and for each of the relevant areas of review. Annual review results must be used to provide feedback about promotion progress and to inform decisions about merit raises, awards and other forms of recognition.
Publications Database
All tenured and tenure-track faculty are required to certify their publications, creative works, and other scholarly works by October 1 in the centrally maintained Publications Database. The database will allow faculty members to assign proxy users who can add, edit and delete publication information prior to the faculty member certifying the publication list. Publications can be added one at a time or through a batch upload process.
Peer Review of Teaching
Good teachers continually learn and develop. Peer Review, which combines the examination of course materials with in-class observations and collegial discussion, helps prompt this learning among faculty.
Faculty Administrator Evaluation Policies
Strong leadership is integral to maintaining excellence in academics. As chief academic officer of the University, the provost also oversees the evaluation and selection of department chairs, academic chair center directors and deans.
Request for Review by the Procedural Concerns in Faculty Review Cohort
A faculty review candidate may request a review of a case for tenure, promotion, annual, post-tenure and mid-probationary review by the Procedural Concerns in Faculty Review (PCFR) cohort based on concerns of material policy and/or procedural violations that impacted the determination.
World Class Faculty
UT Austin is recognized for the outstanding quality of its faculty. Continuous evaluation is intended to enhance and protect the important guarantees of tenure and positive, thorough, fair and transparent processes.