Contents:
Initiating the Process
Immediate Tenure
When there is a desire to hire a faculty member or academic administrator with a faculty appointment who has tenure at their current institution, the immediate tenure process may be used. Eligible candidates may not already be under contract. This process is reserved for new faculty appointments, and the process must be initiated before the candidate’s start date.
Before beginning the process, hiring managers must consult with the candidate's Department Head and the Dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications regarding the candidate’s appropriateness for the immediate tenure review process. The final decision about candidate appropriateness resides with the Dean. If there is support, the Dean contacts the Senior Vice Provost requesting an immediate tenure review process. A copy of the candidate’s vita should be shared with the request. Discussion between the Dean and the Senior Vice Provost will occur.
After approval is received from the Senior Vice Provost, the hiring manager will be responsible for communicating with the candidate about their eligibility for the immediate tenure review process.
Immediate tenure cases are reviewed by the University’s Immediate Tenure Review Committee. While tenure status is determined by this process, rank is determined solely by the Dean.
Hybrid Tenure
When there is a desire to hire a faculty member or academic administrator with a faculty appointment who does not have tenure at their current institution, but whose record is deemed worthy of being hired with tenure, the hybrid tenure process should be used instead. Eligible candidates may not already be under contract. This process is reserved for new faculty appointments, and the process must be initiated before the candidate’s start date.
Before beginning the process, hiring managers must consult with the candidate's Department Head and the Dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications regarding the candidate’s appropriateness. The final decision about candidate appropriateness resides with the Dean. If there is support, the Dean contacts the Senior Vice Provost requesting a hybrid tenure review process. A copy of the candidate’s vita should be shared with the request. Discussion between the Dean and the Senior Vice Provost will occur.
After approval is received from the Senior Vice Provost, the hiring manager will be responsible for communicating with the candidate about their eligibility for the hybrid tenure review process.
Hybrid tenure cases are typically reviewed by the University’s Promotion and Tenure Committee, although they may on occasion be reviewed by the University's Immediate Tenure Review Committee. While tenure status is determined by this process, rank is determined solely by the Dean.
The Process (for both Immediate Tenure and Hybrid TenureReview)
A candidate moving forward for immediate tenure/hybrid tenure review must provide a comprehensive vita. This vita should include a record of previous positions and major accomplishments in those positions, a record of scholarship/creative accomplishments, and an up-to-date record of service to the profession. The candidate will also be asked to supply a brief narrative statement that describes their accomplishments in librarianship, research, and service and their impact on the profession. The appropriate Promotion and Tenure Department Head is responsible for helping the candidate craft the vita and narrative statement. The candidate will be sent some sample narrative statements as a guide. External review letters (rather than recommendation letters written for the search process) will be solicited from appropriate peer reviewers. The candidate will be asked to submit 6 to 8 names of individuals who can provide an independent, unbiased, and fair evaluation of their contributions. These individuals should be external to Penn State and should not have a close academic or personal connection to the candidate. The Dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications will solicit all external review letters. A minimum of four external letters are required.
The Immediate/Hybrid Tenure process does not need to be completed prior to the faculty member’s start date at Penn State. In the rare cases where a candidate is denied immediate/hybrid tenure, the candidate is moved to probationary status in the tenure line.
The Office of the Dean is responsible for organizing review materials. Per guidelines, “To the extent possible, it is expected that the same college and department review committees that were appointed at the beginning of the review process will be reconvened to make recommendations in cases of immediate tenure” (“Appendix I: Guidelines for Immediate Tenure Reviews”).
Tenured faculty members of any rank may serve on these committees. The immediate tenure review process closely parallels policies and procedures outlined in AC23 Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations.
Cross References:
Guideline UL-ACG07 Promotion and Tenure Criteria
Appendix I: Guidelines for Immediate Tenure Reviews
Policy AC23 Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations
December 2025: Revised to reflect a change in terminology from out-of-sequence to hybrid tenure review, to clarify that rank assignment is determined by the Dean, and to strengthen the description of materials needed from the candidate.
June 2025: Revised to reflect updated language regarding Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Undergraduate Education.
August 2024: Revised in accordance with University-level policy and to reflect the role of the Department Head in the Promotion and Tenure process.
Effective Date: February 24, 2022
Date Approved: February 24, 2022 (Dean)