The Provost’s Office conducts a pre-review for all potential tenure-track and tenured faculty hires once a finalist has been identified. The review committee examines the candidate’s materials, provides feedback on areas needing clarification or additional information for the forthcoming Prior Approval Request (PAR), and communicates any questions or issues to the dean’s office via the ServiceNow (SN) portal. Negotiations with the candidate may continue while the pre-review is in process.

Submitting a Pre-Review Request

The dean’s office should submit a Pre-Review Request to the EVPP Faculty Affairs Team in ServiceNow. The form must be completed in its entirety with the following documents attached:

1. Current CV
2. Interfolio EEO Report (or a comparable demographic report from another application management system)
3. External Letter Waiver Request (for tenured hires only, if applicable; see below)

Request to Waive External Letters for Tenured Hires

For exceptional tenured candidates only, the dean’s office may request a waiver of the PAR requirement for arm’s-length external assessment letters. The request must include a written justification citing factors such as the candidate’s current institution and rank, the rigor of the promotion and tenure process at that institution, and the candidate’s record of professional distinction. The pre-review committee will consider the waiver request and the pre-review independently; approval of the pre-review does not guarantee approval of the waiver request.

Once the candidate pre-review has been approved, the following steps and documentation are required for tenured hires.

Tenure Review vs. PAR Submission

For tenured hires, departments may submit either a Tenure Review Packet or the complete Prior Approval Request (PAR). A Tenure Review Packet allows evaluation of the tenure case to proceed while DEFINE routing is in progress and other documentation required for the PAR is being finalized.

Tenure Review Packets and completed PARs should be submitted to the Provost’s Office using the Prior Approval Request (PAR) ticket type in ServiceNow. Units that begin with a tenure review may use the same ServiceNow ticket to submit the additional elements required for full PAR submission.

See the Tenure Review vs. PAR Packet Matrix for a side-by-side comparison of the document requirements in each dossier option.

Required Documentation for Tenured Hires (Full PAR Packet)

The following documents must be submitted in the order listed for final PAR approval. For units that choose to submit a Tenure Review Packet first, see the Tenure Review vs. PAR Packet Matrix for the documentation required for the tenure review.

1. PAR Cover Sheet
2. Dean’s Statement (a higher-level evaluation that adds context beyond the department chair’s statement)
   • Assessment of the candidate’s teaching and research/scholarly/creative activity, noting strengths and areas for growth
   • College-level vote, with explanation of negative votes or abstentions
   • Disciplinary/strategic fit and alignment with the college’s long-term hiring strategy
   • How the hire enhances the academic quality and reputation of the college/school/department
   • Whether the hire is a lateral move or a promotion; if a promotion, address years in current rank at the candidate’s institution
   • Reflections on external review letters, noting any that are not arm’s-length or not at full professor rank
   • Endowment holder recommendation (if applicable)
3. Department Chair’s Statement (for non-departmentalized colleges/schools, include this information in the dean’s statement)
   • Assessment of the candidate’s teaching and research/scholarly/creative activity, noting strengths and areas for growth
   • Department-level vote, with explanation of negative votes or abstentions
   • Recruitment strategy, including meaningful efforts to recruit a broad and competitive pool of candidates (if only one candidate was interviewed, provide a thorough justification)
   • The candidate’s contributions within the context of the discipline and department
   • Anticipated trajectory in research/scholarship/creative activity and expected contributions to the field and department
4. Current CV (must be current at the time of submission)
5. Candidate Research and Teaching Statement (if submitted)
6. Teaching Assessment (may be included in the dean’s or chair’s statement, or submitted separately)
   • Courses the candidate is likely to teach over the next three years and how they enhance program priorities
   • Evidence of teaching effectiveness
   • If the candidate has not previously taught, the department’s proactive strategy to ensure success
7. Sample External Reviewer Solicitation Letter
8. External Reviewer Letters
   • A minimum of three arm’s-length assessment letters
   • Letters that are not sufficiently arm’s-length do not count toward the minimum
   • Follow the guiding principles for selecting reviewers used in promotion and tenure cases
9. Primary Language Determination Form (Attachment A); if English is not the primary language, include Attachments C & D
10. Approved Funding Commitments from the Provost’s Office (if applicable)
11. Appointment Process Summary, Interfolio EEO Report, and one copy of the job posting (in lieu of these, submit evidence of an Approved Posting Waiver)
12. Provisional Offer Letter or Term Sheet (if applicable)
13. Draft Offer Letter

PAR Documentation Requirements for Tenured Joint Hires

For joint hires, each unit must submit a separate SN PAR ticket. Each packet should include the dean and chair statements specific to that unit, as well as separate PAR coversheets signed by the appropriate unit leadership. All other documentation may be shared across both packets. At least three external review letters are required, and the same set of letters should be included in each packet.

Review the Prior Approval Request (PAR) Process page for the steps that must be taken once a candidate pre-review for a tenure-track hire is approved (this page also outlines the PAR requirements for professional-track hires).