Tenure & Promotion

T&P Criteria

All CAS academic departments have revised tenure and promotion criteria in accordance with the 2020 USF T&P Guidelines: "Criteria for tenure and promotion, specifying documented and measurable performance outcomes, must be developed by individual colleges and departments,…" (p. 1).

The criteria posted below have been approved by both the Dean and Provost's Office; respective approval and effective dates are listed on the individual criterion.

University T&P Guidelines and Information

USF Tenure and Promotion Guidelines – 2020 
Effective July 1, 2020

USF Tenure and Promotion Guidelines - 2026
Adopted May 21, 2026
Effective May 21, 2027

Provision regarding tenure from Article 15.4B of the CBA:

“...if an employee has at least three (3) years of tenure-earning credit as of the date on which the tenure criteria are adopted..., the employee shall be evaluated for tenure under the criteria as they existed prior to modification unless the employee notifies the University at least thirty (30) days prior to commencement of the tenure consideration that he/she chooses to be evaluated under the newly adopted criteria.â€

Accordingly, faculty members with at least three (3) years of tenure-earning credit as of May 21, 2026 – including those appointed at USF in August 2023 or earlier, and those granted equivalent tenure-earning credit from a prior institution—may elect to be evaluated for tenure under either the 2020 Guidelines or the 2026 Guidelines. Faculty who had fewer than three (3) years of tenure-earning credit as of May 21, 2026 (those whose tenure-earning appointment began in August 2024 or later) will be evaluated under the 2026 Guidelines.

College of Arts & Sciences T&P Procedures

CAS T&P Procedures (revised for consolidation). CAS Faculty recommended these Procedures, revised for consolidation, be approved by the Dean on May 6, 2020. The Dean approved and forwarded to the Provost's Office on May 7, 2020. They were approved by the Provost on May 19, 2020, and became effective May 19, 2021.

Seven Year Tenure Probationary Period

The 2015 USF T&P Guidelines gave Colleges the right to set their own tenure probationary periods. The faculty of the College of Arts & Sciences voted to extend the tenure probationary period to seven (7) years.

The CAS Dean's Office consulted with the Provost's Office and the Union: all are in agreement that the cohort hired on tenure-track with an effective start date of August 7, 2017, will fall under the new seven-year probationary period as will all subsequent tenure-track faculty hires.

Please note these related items:

  • This change in the length of the probationary period is not retroactive and does not apply to tenure-track faculty hired before August 7, 2017.

  • The mid-tenure review will still be conducted in the spring semester of the third year in the probationary period.

  • Departmental T&P Criteria with expectations for excellence in teaching and in research have not changed with the new probationary period.

  • Candidates who are hired with years of credit toward tenure will also calculate their tenure clocks on the 7-year probationary period.

Below are the relevant actions and dates reviewed by the CAS Dean's Office, the Provost's Office, and USF's United Faculty of Florida to determine the cohort for this change in the tenure probationary period.

Action Date Notes

Faculty votes to approve seven-year probationary period

 October 25, 2015 This vote was part of revising CAS T&P Procedures and the Provost's mandate to bring all departmental and college T&P documents into alignment with 2015 USF T&P Guidelines.
Vice-Provost Kofi Glover approves CAS Tenure Procedures June 1, 2016 Approval was made with the caveat that CBA negotiations and ratifications were necessary.
CBA ratified by BOT October 14, 2016 CBA specified that colleges may set their own tenure probationary periods.
Effective Date of CAS Tenure Procedures June 1, 2017 This was one year following Provost approval as required by CBA.

CALCULATING T&P PROBABTIONARY PERIOD CHART

This chart notes important scheduled activities through the tenure process.