University Promotion and Tenure Committee

Purpose/Function:

The University Promotion and Tenure Committee shall receive the material related to tenure or promotion (curriculum vitae and recommendations from the department chair/supervisor, dean, and promotion/tenure committees) via the university’s electronic faculty review system and shall review the material.  This committee shall evaluate each candidate’s materials according to the appropriate academic unit’s most recent promotion or tenure guidelines and the university’s promotion and tenure criteria detailed in the university rules and procedures.  The committee shall avoid consideration of irrelevant and extraneous information.  The committee may ask for additional information from candidates.

The chair, a non-voting member, may participate in the discussion of each candidate’s material.  After review of each candidate’s material, the committee shall prepare a written assessment of the candidate’s qualifications and a recommendation for each candidate. The votes for and against the candidate's promotion/tenure will be recorded by the chair (without the names of those casting the votes) and sent to the Provost along with the recommendation and assessment.

This committee is advisory to the Provost and President.  Even if the committee’s assessment of a candidate is negative, that negative assessment will not halt the consideration of the candidate’s file by the Provost and President.  According to system regulations, the President of the university must submit recommendations for promotion and tenure to The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents for official approval of promotion and tenure bids.

In addition to the evaluating candidates’ promotion and tenure submissions, the committee will advise the Provost on matters related to the university’s promotion and tenure process including identifying best practices and reviewing processes.

The above description is subject to change based on revisions in the university promotion and tenure rules and procedures.

Membership Details: Each academic unit elects one (1) tenured full professor to the committee.  The Provost, in consultation with Faculty Senate, will appoint two (2) fixed-term faculty members from across the university to the committee. Justified exceptions may be granted if approved by the Provost.  Each committee member may serve a three-year term. University Promotion and Tenure Committee members may not serve on both the Academic Unit Promotion and Tenure Committee and the University Committee.  

Chair: Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation

Responsible University Official: Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs

University Promotion and Tenure Committee Members
Name Unit Represented Term End

Ahmed Mahdy

Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation (Chair, non-voting) 

 N/A

Veysel Avsar

College of Business

May 31, 2026

Bethanie Pletcher

College of Education and Human Development

May 31, 2027

Shannon Fitzsimmons-Doolan

College of Liberal Arts

May 31, 2027

Felix Omoruyi

College of Nursing & Health Sciences

May 31, 2027

Ed Proffitt

College of Science

May 31, 2027

LD Chen

College of Engineering and Computer Science

May 31, 2025

Brian Shelton

School of Arts, Media, & Communication

May 31, 2026

D. Scott Elliff

Fixed-Term Faculty

May 31, 2025

Frances Johnson

Fixed-Term Faculty

May 31, 2025

Last Updated: 06/13/2024