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Office of the Provost

File Review Process

On This Page

There are potentially eight levels in the tenure and promotion review process. After the candidate creates the initial document, it is submitted to the unit tenure and promotion committee chair. At each step in the review process, additional documents are added and the vote summary is updated. Digital letters and signatures are acceptable, and completed files should be submitted electronically as PDFs.

Important Resources

File Compilation and Review

Use the guide below to determine how to complete a file in the correct order.


Unit Tenure and Promotion Chair Review 

The unit T&P chair is responsible for the following items listed below. Unit T&P chairs should use Adobe Acrobat to append all items received at the unit level (teaching summaries, external reviewer letters and ballots) to primary files.

  • Updated Vote Summary & Front Page

    Sign the front page of the file and update the vote summary table included by the candidate with decisions made at the unit level. The file must be voted on at the unit level by at least five eligible faculty members. If the unit has fewer than five, recruit eligible faculty from other units to make a total of five. Absences should be explained.

  • Teaching Summary and Table

    The teaching summary must be prepared by the unit and and signed by a senior faculty member. A teaching summary must be prepared by the unit and included in the faculty member's promotion and/or tenure file. This summary should cover the faculty member's tenure-track or tenured appointment with particular emphasis placed on the teaching that occurred during the review period. Each unit will determine the format of these evaluative summaries. Regardless of the format, the teaching summaries should include comparative data from other sections of multi-section courses and from the same - or when applicable comparable - courses taught by other faculty members in the recent past. If such comparisons are neither possible nor applicable, a short explanation should be provided.

  • Peer Reviews of Teaching

    As a mandatory component of each candidate's primary file, peer evaluations should be conducted periodically during a candidate's review period. In the case of joint appointments, peer evaluations from the secondary units must be included as well. Please note that it is the responsibility of the unit rather than the candidates to arrange these peer evaluations as well as to ensure that they are compiled and ultimately placed in each candidate's file.

  • Letters sent to external reviewers

    Files must include at least 5 external letters. Unit chairs may email materials to outside reviewers, including the candidate's CV, personal statement, research materials and samples of work. The correct unit T&P criteria are sent to the outside reviewer asking him/her to apply USC unit criteria as they evaluate the file. Download a sample letter to send to external reviewers [doc].

  • External reviewers list of names and affiliations

    Unit procedures for the evaluation of the research component of the file must require that at least five evaluations of the candidate's research and scholarship be obtained from impartial scholars at peer or aspirant institutions within the field, outside the University of South Carolina. Download the External Reviewers Summary Template [doc].

  • External review letters and brief CVs

    An emailed letter from an outside reviewer is acceptable; digital signatures are not required. External reviewer letters are treated as confidential unless explicitly collected with a different understanding.

  • Ballots with Justifications

    Ballots should be checked and/or signed. A blank ballot counts as an abstention. Justifications should be made using the unit criteria.

  • Other letters and updates to the file

    Any additional letters or updates to the file may be included at this stage.

  • Upload file to Blackboard

    Blackboard support and training is provided by UTS. View the training calendar or call 803-777-1800 for Blackboard support.


Department Chair Review

Department Chairs are responsible for adding the items listed below.

Updated Vote Summary

Update the vote summary table included by the candidate with decisions made at the department level.

Department Chair Letter

Append the department chair letter to the primary file. Department chair statement template [doc].

Letters of Support and Additional Updates

Additional letters of support are optional.  Include them here if applicable, along with any other updates to the primary file.

Upload File to Blackboard

Blackboard support and training is provided by UTS. Click to view the training calendar, or call 803-777-1800 for Blackboard support.


Dean Review

Deans are responsible for adding the items listed below.

Updated Vote Summary

Update the vote summary table included by the candidate with decisions made at the department level.

Dean's Letter

Append the dean's letter to the primary file. Download the dean's letter template [doc].

Letters of Support and Additional Updates

Additional letters of support are optional.  Include them here if applicable, along with any other updates to the primary file.

Upload File to Blackboard

Blackboard support and training is provided by UTS. Click to view the training calendar, or call 803-777-1800 for Blackboard support.


Provost Office

The Office of the Provost is responsible for the items listed below.

Provost's Letter

Appends the provost's letter to the primary file.

Approved Additional Materials

Adds approved materials to the primary file if necessary.

Transmits File to UCTP

The completed file is transmitted to the Unit Criteria for Tenure and Promotion committee.


UCTP Committee

The UCTP committee is responsible for the items listed below.

Updated Vote Summary

The committee will update the vote summary to reflect decisions made at the UCTP level.

Adds Ballots with Justifications

Adds ballots with justifications to the primary file.

Transmits File to President's Office

The completed file is transmitted to the Office of the President.


President's Office, Board of Trustees

The Office of the President and Board of Trustees make the final decisions for tenure and promotion files.

President's Letter of Recommendation/Denial

The President writes a letter of recommendation or denial to the candidate, with copies to the deans, chairs and Division of Human Resources. The President sends his letter of recommendation at the end of the fall (mid-year cycle) and spring (regular cycle) semesters.

Final Approval

The Board of Trustees gives final approval of the President's recommendation.

Office of the Provost

Osborne Administration Building
Suite 102
Columbia, SC 29208

803-777-2808
provost@sc.edu