The following is a brief summary of selected major portions of the University Procedure on Faculty Promotion. It is not intended as a substitute for that procedure. The procedure does not apply to ad interim or adjunct faculty. A&M-Commerce Procedure A33.02.

All tenure-track faculty members hold one of the following academic ranks: instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or full professor. Appointment to the rank of assistant professor generally requires an earned doctorate in the field of the appointment. Normally, appointment to the rank of associate professor requires at least the earned doctorate plus a minimum of five years of teaching experience in higher education. Appointment to the rank of full professor usually requires the earned doctorate, a minimum of ten years teaching experience in higher education, as well as outstanding scholarship in the field.

A faculty member desiring to be promoted shall prepare two copies of the Faculty Service Report (see form in A&M-Commerce Procedure A33.02), detailing relevant activities and achievements since the last promotion or appointment. One copy is submitted to the department head and one to the chair of the College Promotion Review Advisory Committee. When a Faculty Service Report is submitted to a department head by the specified date during the spring semester, a departmental promotion committee is appointed consisting of all faculty members within the applicant's department who hold equivalent or higher rank, with the exception of the applicant, the department head, certain non-reappointed faculty, and other faculty members who are applying for promotion to the same rank. Special provisions are made for supplementing this committee membership in the case of a small department to insure that at least three people serve on the committee.

The committee meets, selects its own chair, and examines the Faculty Service Report and votes by secret ballot. It attaches its recommendation for or against promotion with appropriate rationale to the front of the Faculty Service Report and submits the data to the department head. In addition, the committee prepares an anonymous summary of explicit comments and committee recommendations regarding the applicant and makes it available to the candidate at the same time it is sent to the department head.

The department head reviews the committee recommendation and summary of comments and the Faculty Service Report and prepares a recommendation for or against promotion with appropriate rationale. The Faculty Service Report with both the committee and department head's recommendations attached then go to the college dean. At the same time a copy of the department head's recommendation is given to the candidate.

The College Promotion Review Advisory Committee shall review all available data and prepare a recommendation for or against promotion with appropriate rationale. Voting shall be by secret ballot. Recommendations shall then be forwarded to the college dean. A copy of the committee recommendations will also be provided to the candidate for promotion.

The dean reviews all materials submitted, prepares a recommendation for or against promotion with appropriate rationale, attaches it and submits all the data to the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. A copy of the dean's recommendation is made available at the same time to both the department head and the candidate.

The Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, after reviewing all data submitted and with the advice of the Deans' Council, prepares a recommendation on promotion with rationale and forwards it to the President for action. A copy of the Provost and Vice President's recommendation is made available to the dean, department head and faculty member simultaneously.

The faculty member may choose to withdraw the application for promotion at any point in the process. All applications for promotion, together with recommendations and rationales from appropriate administrators go to the President for review unless previously withdrawn by the candidate.

The President shall prepare and submit positive recommendations to the Chancellor and the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents for final action.