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Tenure

The award of tenure is an acknowledgement that a faculty member has achieved academic excellence. The award of tenure guarantees (APP, Section 4.3):

continuous employment as a faculty member subject to termination only for “Cause”;
academic freedom within the defined missions of UMass Chan Medical School; and
an “Academic Salary” (APP, Section 4.3c).

Criteria for Tenure

The award of tenure can be made only by the University President with the concurrence of the Board of Trustees. Tenure is awarded to eligible individuals (APP, Section 4.1) who are judged to meet each of the following criteria (APP, Section 4.2):

Convincing evidence of, and potential for continuing “Excellence” in scholarly activity in one or more Areas of Distinction and “Excellence” in either Education or Academic Service with a minimum of “Strength” in the other, such as to demonstrate the possession of qualities appropriate to a member of the faculty occupying a permanent position; and
Compelling assurance of continuing development and achievement leading to considerable further contributions to UMass Chan, the University of Massachusetts, and the medical/scientific profession.

The Tenure Track

Individuals are appointed in the Tenure Track with a probationary period (typically eight years) before being considered for the award of tenure. Individuals appointed in the tenure track must have an academic record that indicates a high likelihood that they will meet the criteria for tenure by the end of their probationary period. For further information about the tenure track, see the APP (APP, Section 4.5) or the links below:

Probationary Period (“Tenure Clock”), including the procedures for extending the probationary period.
Transfer between the tenure and non-tenure tracks.
Mini-Tenure Review, a formation evaluation of progress conducted during the fourth year of the probationary period.

Procedure for the Award of Tenure

For a description of the review and approval procedure for the award of tenure, see here.

Appointment with Tenure or Term Tenure

Eligible individuals may be appointed immediately with tenure (APP, Section 4.10) or with Term Tenure (APP, Section 4.11), an appointment for a defined period, usually seven years.

Evaluation of Tenured Faculty

The performance of tenured faculty members is evaluated annually through the Annual Performance Review (APR) (APP, Section 4.12). Ratings of unsatisfactory performance in the APR may result in reduction of salary (APP, Section 4.13). The performance and goals of tenured faculty members are also evaluated every seven years through the Periodic Multi-Year Review ("PMYR", APP, Section 4.14).

Termination of Tenured Faculty

The employment and appointment of a tenured faculty member can only be terminated by UMass Chan for “Cause” by the procedure described in the APP (APP, Section 4.15).