The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) supports faculty through the promotion and tenure and continuation review process. Faculty dossiers are prepared and reviewed in accordance with applicable University of Minnesota (UMN) and School of Public Health (SPH) policies and procedures. OFA works with faculty candidates to prepare dossiers for review and recommendation by the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure (APT) Committee and subsequent review by SPH faculty, the dean, the University of Minnesota Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, and the Board of Regents, as applicable.
Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committee
The Appointment, Promotion and Tenure (APT) Committee reviews faculty dossiers and makes recommendations regarding faculty appointments, continuation, promotion, and tenure in accordance with applicable SPH and University policies and procedures.
See Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committee (APT) committee and membership information.
Administrative Contact: Office of Faculty Affairs, sph-ofa@umn.edu
Tenure Track
The continuation of probationary tenure track faculty appointments is the annual review of faculty progression towards promotion and tenure. OFA works with faculty candidates to create a dossier for review and recommendation vote, and decision by the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure (APT) Committee, SPH faculty, dean, University of Minnesota Provost and Board of Regents in accordance with the appropriate UMN and SPH policies and procedures.
2026-2027 Continuation Schedule
- February 12, 2027: Draft dossier due (SPH/UMN compliance review)
- February 26, 2027: Dossier submission deadline (with signed Statement of Assurance)
Continuation of Tenure Track Information Session
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 | 1:00-2:00 pm | A301 Mayo Bldg. or via Zoom
A one-hour information session with the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs who will discuss the process of the continuation of tenure track faculty appointments.
Virtual Office Hours with Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Thursday, January 28, 2027 | 1:00 – 2:00 pm (Zoom)
Drop in virtually with questions about the continuation process, specific individual questions, or your dossier documentation.
1:1 Working Session
Meet with the OFA Senior Administrator for a 30-minute session to discuss individual questions, review dossier documentation, and more. Faculty are encouraged to bring their dossier to actively work on their materials. Sessions are available between January 27– February 11, 2026.
Tenure
The promotion and tenure process evaluates a faculty member’s accomplishments and readiness for promotion and/or tenure. OFA works with faculty candidates to prepare dossiers for review and recommendation by the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure (APT) Committee and subsequent review by SPH faculty, the dean, the University of Minnesota Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, and the Board of Regents, as applicable.
Dates for the 2027-2028 cycle will be available early spring.
Information Session for Promotion and/or Tenure Candidates
Faculty candidates considering promotion are required to attend the SPH Information Session for Promotion and/or Tenure Candidates. Hosted by Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, this session informs about the process and requirements for promotion and/or tenure.
Virtual Office Hours
Join virtual office hours with the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs to get your questions answered about the promotion process. This is an open Q&A session—drop in as needed.
1:1 Working Session
Meet with OFA Senior Administrator during a 30-minute working session to discuss individualized questions and review dossier documentation. Select an appointment time. Sessions are available from June through July.
Dossier Templates & Resources
Templates and resources to help faculty prepare and assemble continuation or promotion and/or tenure dossiers. Download the appropriate template before adding content, then open it in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat, as appropriate.
The Faculty Dossier Guide includes instructions and templates for preparing required documentation and constructing the dossier.
The SPH Dossier Library is a repository of tenure track and promotion dossiers that can be used as a reference during the continuation and promotion/tenure processes. Access requires completion of the Dossier Library Request Form.
FAQs: Continuation Dossiers
Q: Where can I find Student Rating of Teaching (SRTs) prior to 2019?
A: If faculty are unable to locate SRTs prior to 2019, contact SPH OFA at sph-ofa@umn.edu
FAQs: Promotion Dossiers
Q: What are key things candidates should work on when preparing for requesting promotion?
A: Seek input about your readiness for promotion from mentors (formal and informal), representatives on the Appointment Promotion & Tenure Committee, and your division head. Ask what aspects of your work across all three missions stand out and should be highlighted in your narratives. E.g. “What do you feel is compelling about my work, in all 3 missions, that I should emphasize in my narratives?”
Q: Will my dossier be compared with my peers who are requesting promotion at the same time as I do? Will this affect the review process?
A: No, your dossier will not be compared with others going up for promotion at the same time. This is strongly discouraged at the UMN. Each dossier is reviewed and discussed independently at all levels of review.
Q: Can I ask my external reviewers to write a letter of support for my promotion?
A: No. The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs initiates the request by reaching out to the external reviewers identified as suitable by the APT Committee.
Q: Should my promotion dossier narratives be different from my tenure track continuation narratives?
A: When requesting promotion to Associate Professor (whether tenure-track or contract), your narratives should convey to the reader a sense of your trajectory: the accumulation of accomplishments, how they are interwoven (e.g., how your research impacts your teaching and vice versa, how your service roles reflect recognition of your expertise), and how you are directing that momentum forwards.
Q: Should I write my narrative, role and details in the dossier in third person or first-person tense?
A: All information should be written in the first person.
Q: May I include external reviewers who are emeritus faculty?
A: Yes, if the emeritus status began relatively recently (e.g., within 2-3 years). We suggest that you have no more than one such individual listed in your top 10 potential external reviewers and no more than two to three total on the list. If one emeritus faculty member agrees to write a letter, we are unlikely to request a letter from another emeritus faculty member.
Q: May I include external reviewers from government agencies (e.g. NIH, EPA, CDC, etc)?
A: Yes, external reviewers may have positions at government agencies. Their current position must be of a status or position considered to be at least equal to the rank being considered. If the potential reviewer recently held a tenured appointment at an academic institution, then moved to a government agency, and the agency allows their writing of reviews (NIH historically has not). We suggest that you have no more than 1 non-academic individual in your top 10 external reviewers and no more than 2 to 3 total on the list. If one non-academic agrees to write a letter, we are not likely to request a letter from another non-academic. This non-academic letter is acceptable and will be counted as an additional letter beyond the four minimum letters required.
Policies and Procedures
Faculty dossiers are governed by the following UMN and SPH policies and procedures.
