APPENDIX 3
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
PROCEDURES FOR EXTERNAL REVIEW

[Rev. April 2003]
 

As part of consideration for a faculty member's tenure, promotion to associate, or promotion to full professor, the department will obtain external reviews of the candidate's research, publications, and professional contributions.  This requirement does not apply to tenure considerations for senior instructors.

1.       Three to five reviewers will be chosen by the chair from a longer list of possible reviewers identified by the candidate and other interested members of the department.  If the total number of reviewers is three, at least one shall be chosen from the candidate's list, with one other reviewer mutually agreed upon between the candidate and the chair; if the total number of reviewers is four, at least two shall come from the candidate's list; if the total number of reviewers is five, then at least two shall come from the candidate's list, with another reviewer mutually agreed upon between the candidate and the chair.  Before selecting reviewers, the chair will discuss all possible reviewers with the candidate and will inform the candidate which people were selected for the final list.

2.       Reviewers will consist of specialists in the candidate's field.  If the candidate has more than one area of expertise, the department will obtain at least two reviews for each area.  Because outside evaluations are to be independent, objective, and disinterested, reviewers should not have a special relationship with the candidate or conflict of interest (e.g., not be a research collaborator, major professor, supervisor, former departmental colleague).

3.       The materials sent to the outside reviewers will consist of the candidate's vita and a selection of the candidate's published and unpublished materials.  The selection will be made by the candidate in consultation with the chair; the candidate may include or exclude any materials that he or she wishes.

Reviewers will be asked to comment on the contributions of the candidate's research, publications, and other professional activity to his or her field.

Reviews will be provided to departmental, college and university review committees and appropriate administrators; they will be held in confidence from the faculty member being reviewed during the review process.  When all deliberations by the University have been completed, the essential content of peer review letters may be shared with the tenure/ promotion candidate after every effort has been made to ensure the anonymity of the authors.