4.1 Faculty Promotion and Tenure Committees
Purpose and Responsibilities. LSUHSC-S operates two promotion and tenure committees: one for the School of Medicine and the School of Graduate Studies, and another for the School of Allied Health Professions. These committees are responsible for overseeing and evaluating faculty credentials for appointments, reappointments, promotions, and tenure eligibility. They ensure that all decisions align with institutional policies, academic standards, and procedural guidelines. Additionally, they advise and educate faculty by offering guidance and constructive feedback on their progress toward promotion and tenure. Key responsibilities include reviewing faculty credentials for senior academic ranks, assessing tenure eligibility, and making recommendations to institutional leadership. Both committees maintain and communicate promotion and tenure policies, ensuring alignment with institutional and system-wide guidelines.
Composition. Each committee is composed of senior faculty members, predominantly tenured, holding academic ranks of Associate Professor or higher. The School of Medicine and School of Graduate Studies committee includes subcommittees for basic and clinical sciences to address specific academic areas, while the School of Allied Health Professions committee focuses on the unique requirements of its school.
For the complete charters of these committees, please refer to the LSUHSC-S Faculty Bylaws.
[LSUHSC-S. (3/13/2023). Article IV: Standing Committees. LSUHSC-S Faculty Bylaws.]
4.2 Appointment and Promotion of Academic Staff
Each appointment or promotion of a member of the academic staff shall be made upon the basis of merit and the special fitness of the individual for the work demanded by the position. The terms of the appointment of each member of the academic staff shall be reduced to writing and a copy thereof furnished to each of the contracting parties.
[LSU Board of Supervisors. (10/10/2024). Article X, Section 3: Appointment and Promotion of Academic Staff. LSU Board of Supervisors Bylaws.]
4.3 Procedures for Appointment and Promotion
The following procedures are implemented in accordance with LSU Permanent Memorandum 23: Ranks, Provisions, and Policies Governing Appointments and Promotions of the Academic Staff:
- No position shall be created, and no person shall be appointed to any position on the academic staff except with the full knowledge of the President, the Chancellor, the chief academic officer of the campus, the dean or director of the college or school concerned, and the chairman/head of the department or unit concerned. The President, at their discretion and subject to revocation at any time, may authorize the Chancellor to make certain appointments.
- Recommendations for the creation of academic positions and for appointments to those positions shall normally originate with the department concerned, but this shall not limit the right of appropriate and proper officers of the University System to suggest to the chairman/head of the department/unit, through the appropriate campus officers, a need for changing the composition of the staff.
- Recommendations from department/unit chairmen or heads for the creation of, and appointment to, any academic position shall be forwarded to the appropriate dean or director, who shall transmit them, with recommendations, to the chief academic officer of the campus. All recommendations and comments shall be reviewed and acted upon by the Chancellor. The President, at their discretion and subject to revocation at any time, may delegate their review and action authority to an appropriate member of the academic staff of the LSU System Office or to the Chancellor. All favorable recommendations shall be transmitted to the Board of Supervisors for their review and ratification.
- Recommendation for promotion and/or tenure of faculty with multiple-campus appointments: a split recommendation for tenure will result in the approving campus acquiring full financial responsibility for the individual; a split recommendation for promotion of a tenured individual will result in the approving campus assuming the responsibility for the additional percentage.
- Promotions in rank, increase in salary, and granting of tenure to members of the academic staff shall conform to the procedures outlined above for appointments.
Additionally, a letter from an appropriate LSUHSC-S official offering a position with salary and duties specified, a letter of acceptance from a faculty member, the completion of a faculty appointment personnel form, and the appearance of a faculty member’s name in the operating budget are the minimum requirements for an appointment. Duties specified in the original letter offering the position are subject to change, based on LSUHSC-S needs.
A decision not to renew a term appointment is not subject to the LSUHSC-S appeals procedure. Failure to follow established procedures in non-renewal of a term appointment may be appealed.
[LSU. (6/22/2017). Permanent Memorandum 23: Ranks, Provisions, and Policies Governing Appointments and Promotions of the Academic Staff.]
4.4 Tenured and Term Appointment, Academic Staff
Faculty members and other members of the academic staff of comparable rank, including librarians, may be appointed for a specific term (“term appointment”) or indefinitely (“tenured appointment”) depending on rank and experience. Appointment or tenure on one campus of the University carries no implication of appointment or tenure on another campus. Academic employees are tenured only with respect to their academic ranks and not with respect to administrative titles or assignments.
Tenure is not a guarantee of lifetime employment, particularly in the face of institutional change or financial exigency. It does assure that the employee will not be dismissed without adequate justification and without due process.
Term employees are appointed for specified periods of time as indicated on the appointment form.
Professors and Associate Professors are tenured and are appointed for an indefinite period of time, except that the initial appointment and subsequent reappointments through not more than five years of total service to the University campus involved may be made for a stipulated term. Persons promoted to the rank of Professor or Associate Professor after less than five years of service on the campus may be continued to term appointment through no more than the fifth year. Persons holding a professorial rank (Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor) while being paid by a grant or contract do not acquire tenure through the passage of time but may become tenured only by specific individual recommendation through appropriate channels and approval by the President.
Assistant Professors are appointed for terms no longer than three years. Upon reappointment after seven years of service in rank on a particular campus, Assistant Professors receive tenure. A thorough review will be made during the sixth year of service so that notice of termination may be given if necessary no later than the end of the sixth year of service. Individual campuses have the option of conducting the thorough review prior to the sixth year, provided that appropriate written notification is given to the faculty member. The University may, at its discretion, count prior service on the same campus toward the seven-year evaluation period for an Assistant Professor to achieve indeterminate tenure. The ultimate decision shall be left with the President, to be applied in each individual case for which the respective campus recommends granting indeterminate tenure counting prior service favorably.
Those who rank as Associate or Instructor shall be appointed for a specified term and shall not be considered for indeterminate tenure; provided, however, Associates and Instructors hired for an initial term greater than two years may be terminated at the end of the first year if given notice during the first nine months of that year. Otherwise, the provisions of Section 2-7(1)-(4) shall apply.
The rules pertaining to tenure and term appointments are subject to the following exception that may apply to LSUHSC-S:
- At those campuses employing full-time faculty members in the professions (e.g. Education) whose primary responsibility is in teaching or service programs associated with coordinating fieldwork and supervising students in the field, the ranks of Assistant Professor-Professional Practice, Associate Professor-Professional Practice or Professor Professional Practice may be designated. Individuals with these academic ranks shall not be eligible for tenure and may be enfranchised to the degree deemed appropriate by the faculty unit (system, campus, college, division or department).
Upon expiration of a term appointment, the employee is a free agent to whom the University has no obligation. The University may reappoint the employee to the same or a different position. Non-reappointment carries no implication whatsoever as to the quality of the employee’s work, conduct, or professional competence.
When an employee, other than an Associate, is not to be reappointed, written notice to the employee will ordinarily be provided in accordance with the following schedule:
- Not later than March 1 of the first academic year of service, if the appointment expires at the end of the year; or, if an initial one-year appointment terminates during an academic year, at least three months in advance of its termination.
- Not later than December 15 of the second academic year of service, if the appointment expires at the end of that year; or if an initial two-year appointment terminates during the academic year, at least six months in advance of its termination.
- At least 12 months before the expiration of an appointment after two or more years’ service on that campus.
- When an Associate is not reappointed, the Associate shall be given written notice of termination no less than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the employment contract.
Any appointment, whether tenured or term, may be terminated for cause.
For academic employees, the period of absence without pay may, upon appropriate administrative recommendation, be credited toward tenure.
[LSU Board of Supervisors. (2/23/2024). Regulations, Article II, Section 7: Tenured and Term Appointment, Academic Staff. LSU Board of Supervisors Rules and Regulations.]
[LSU Board of Supervisors. (10/10/2024). Article X, Section 4: Tenure of Academic Staff. LSU Board of Supervisors Bylaws.]
[LSU Board of Supervisors. (2/23/2024). Regulations, Article III, Section 6: Leave of Absence without Pay. LSU Board of Supervisors Rules and Regulations.]
4.5 Part-Time Academic Staff
Members of the part-time academic staff on the various campuses shall be given term appointments only, not exceeding one academic or fiscal year.
[LSU Board of Supervisors. (2/23/2024). Regulations, Article II, Section 8: Terms of Employment - Part-time Academic Staff. LSU Board of Supervisors Rules and Regulations.]
4.6 Basis of Pay
University employees may be employees for the academic year, fiscal year, summer term, or other stipulated terms. Employees shall be paid in accordance with procedures established for their employment.
[LSU Board of Supervisors. (2/23/2024). Regulations, Article II, Section 10: Basis of Pay. LSU Board of Supervisors Rules and Regulations.]
4.7 Promotion
Promotion in academic rank serves as a means for the University to encourage, recognize, and reward faculty members for their excellence in fulfilling their professional responsibilities. It is not granted as a routine acknowledgment of satisfactory service but rather as an affirmation of high professional competence and notable accomplishments. Promotion decisions may occur independently of tenure decisions.
As previously outlined, the LSU Board of Supervisors Bylaws emphasize that promotions within the academic staff are based on merit and the individual’s suitability for the position’s specific demands, with all appointment terms documented in writing and copies provided to all parties. Similarly, Permanent Memorandum 23 provides a framework for promotion criteria and procedures, alongside the LSUHSC-S Promotion and Tenure Policy. Each school within the institution may establish additional specific standards and procedures for promotion, provided they align \with the guidelines set forth in Permanent Memorandum 23.
[LSU Board of Supervisors. (10/10/2024). Article X, Section 3: Appointment and Promotion of Academic Staff. LSU Board of Supervisors Bylaws.]
[LSU. (6/22/2017). Permanent Memorandum 23: Ranks, Provisions, and Policies Governing Appointments and Promotions of the Academic Staff.]
[LSUHSC-S. Promotion and Tenure Policies]
4.8 Service Requirements for Promotion
Advancement in academic rank is dependent upon meeting the criteria for eligibility for promotion and normally the following lengths of full-time service in rank:
- Instructor to Assistant Professor: Normally a minimum of three years* in the rank of Instructor.
- Assistant Professor to Associate Professor: Normally a minimum of three years* up to six years in the rank of Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor to Professor: Normally a minimum of five to six years* in the rank of Associate Professor
*Regular academic appointment period of the institution where time has accrued
While a department head, dean of the school, or the faculty promotions committee may recommend early advancement in rank in recognition of superior service, and the University may approve such recommendations, individual faculty members typically will not be considered for advancement before completing the minimum required time in their current rank.
4.9 Tenure
Tenure is a continued academic appointment that affirms a faculty member’s sustained contributions and commitment to the institution’s mission, subject to ongoing fulfillment of professional expectations and conditions for separation, including cause, retirement, financial exigency, or changes to institutional programs. It is a recognition of outstanding academic competence and the potential for future contributions, encouraging faculty to pursue innovative ideas and challenge conventional wisdom. Tenure applies solely to academic ranks and not to administrative titles or assignments, and while it does not guarantee lifetime employment, it ensures protection from dismissal without adequate justification and due process.
In addition to the qualifications of the candidate for tenure, other considerations that enter into individual decisions to confer tenure include particular need within a Department, School, or LSUHSC-S.
A faculty member on the tenure track may switch to a non-tenure track or vice versa. This process requires the approval of the department head, dean of the respective school, and the Chancellor.
Early in their term of appointment, the faculty member should become familiar with the substantive and procedural standards for tenure decisions. Specific standards adopted by the department or school should be documented and communicated to the faculty member at an appropriate time.
4.10 Initiation of Promotion and Tenure Processes
The formal request for the promotion and/or tenure of a faculty member is normally initiated by the department head, though the faculty member or the departmental promotions committee may also begin the process. Requests for promotion and tenure may be submitted together in certain cases (e.g., promotion of Assistant Professor on tenure track to Associate Professor with tenure).
Each department must have a clearly defined process for evaluating faculty members proposed for advancement and tenure, which must involve the appropriate senior faculty of the department. If a faculty member holds an appointment in more than one department or school, the request for promotion and/or tenure is initiated by the department head of the department in which the primary appointment is held. For department heads, the promotion and/or tenure request is initiated by the dean of the respective school. Requests for promotion and/or tenure can be withdrawn at any point in the process with the mutual consent of the candidate and respective department head or dean.
4.11 Promotion and Tenure Review File
Faculty members are required to complete and maintain a profile in Faculty Success, a faculty activity reporting and workflow management system designed to document and organize academic, research, service, and professional activities. This profile serves as the primary source of information for promotion and tenure reviews, utilizing the integrated Promotion/Tenure Workflow to streamline the process by compiling faculty activity records, enabling document uploads, and routing applications for review. The documentation captured within this workflow forms the basis for recommendations made by school-specific promotion and tenure committees.
As part of the Promotion/Tenure Workflow, Faculty Success populates the Louisiana State University Health Shreveport Promotion/Tenure Application and allows the candidate to electronically sign a Promotion and Tenure Verification, confirming the submission’s accuracy and completeness. Additionally, letters of recommendation and other materials demonstrating that the candidate meets the promotion and/or tenure criteria required by their respective schools must be uploaded to the Promotion/Tenure Workflow in the appropriate step. Furthermore, the department head must provide recommendations for tenure of a faculty member as part of the Promotion/Tenure Workflow that is advanced to the school-wide Promotion and Tenure Committee.
Access to the Promotion/Tenure Workflow is limited to the faculty member, relevant committees and councils, and administrators whose approval or participation is necessary to implement the committee’s recommendation.
The departmental and school-specific promotion and tenure committees may consult experts, either from within or outside the University, to obtain additional information for evaluating the candidate for promotion and/or tenure. For promotions to Associate Professor or Professor, letters of recommendation from outside the LSU System are required. Candidates for advancement and/or tenure may provide names of potential external sources for these recommendations.
4.12 Endorsements for Promotion and Tenure
Applications for advancement in rank and/or tenure should include recommendations from the departmental promotions committee and department head(s). These recommendations should address the degree to which the candidate meets the relevant criteria. The vote of the departmental promotions committee must be indicated in the Promotion/Tenure Workflow. Candidates who do not receive favorable recommendations from the departmental promotions committee or the department head may still request review by the school-specific promotion and tenure committee.
4.13 Action on Promotion and Tenure
Criteria. Decisions regarding promotions and/or tenure represent a succession of judgments as to whether the candidate meets relevant criteria set forth in Permanent Memorandum 23, the LSUHSC-S Promotion and Tenure Policies, and any school-specific standards.
Initial Review. The Faculty Success administrator conducts a review to ensure all required documents, forms, and information are complete. Incomplete requests are returned for correction. Complete requests advance to the next stage in the Promotion/Tenure Workflow.
School-Specific Committee Review. The school-specific promotion and tenure committee reviews the candidate’s request against relevant criteria. The committee evaluates academic, research, service, and professional accomplishments as documented in the Faculty Success profile. A positive formal recommendation is submitted to the dean for further review. A negative formal recommendation is returned to the department head, who may appeal the decision in accordance with school-specific policies.
Dean’s Review. The dean reviews the recommendation - positive and negative - from the school’s committee.
- If the dean concurs with a positive recommendation, the request is forwarded to the Chancellor for approval.
- If the dean concurs with a negative recommendation that was appealed, the request is returned to the department head, who may appeal the decision in accordance with school-specific policies.
All decisions are recorded in the Promotion/Tenure Workflow, with appropriate signatures affixed.
Chancellor and LSU President Review. Positive recommendations, with concurrence by the Chancellor, are sent to the LSU President’s office for approval. Negative recommendations are also considered by the Chancellor and, if deemed appropriate, may still be forwarded to the LSU President’s office for further consideration.
Final Approval by the LSU Board of Supervisors. Positive recommendations approved by the LSU President’s office are submitted to the LSU Board of Supervisors for final action. Upon Board approval, promotions take effect at the beginning of the next fiscal year, unless extraordinary circumstances apply.
Multiple Appointments. For faculty with appointments in more than one department or school, each department or school involved must review and participate in the promotion and tenure process. Final recommendations must reflect input from all applicable entities.
4.14 Multiple-Campus Appointments: Promotion and Tenure
Recommendation for promotion and/or tenure of faculty with multiple-campus appointments: a split recommendation for tenure will result in the approving campus acquiring full financial responsibility for the individual; a split recommendation for promotion of a tenured individual will result in the approving campus assuming the responsibility for the additional percentage.
[LSU. (6/22/2017). Permanent Memorandum 23: Ranks, Provisions, and Policies Governing Appointments and Promotions of the Academic Staff.]
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