SPEC Kit 293: External Review for Promotion and Tenure (August 2006)

This SPEC Kit explores the policies and procedures that ARL member libraries use in the external review process for candidates who are eligible for promotion, tenure, or continuing appointment. It examines how external reviewers are identified and asked to participate in the review process, what instructions are given to reviewers, what materials are included in candidates’ portfolios, and the criteria for evaluating candidates’ portfolios, among other questions.

The survey was distributed to the 123 ARL member libraries in February 2006. Seventy-seven libraries (63%) responded to the survey. Librarians at 35 of the responding institutions have faculty status. Forty-four institutions offer tenure or other permanent appointments (32 with faculty status and 12 without). Slightly more than half of the respondents (39 or 51%) do not require external reviews for librarians who are candidates for promotion, tenure, or continuing appointment. While the majority of these have neither faculty status nor permanent appointments (27 or 69%), they also include six whose librarians have faculty status and 11 that offer tenure or other permanent appointments (five with faculty status and six without).

This SPEC Kit includes documentation from respondents for external review procedures and innstructions to external reviewers.

Bicknell-Holmes, Tracy, and Kay Logan-Peters. External Review for Promotion and Tenure. SPEC Kit 293. Washington, DC: Association of Research Libraries, August 2006.

https://doi.org/10.29242/spec.293