Evaluation, Promotion & Tenure
Faculty Affairs advances faculty success by providing resources, guidance, and leadership that support faculty throughout their careers at Texas A&M. We foster fair, transparent, and mission-aligned faculty processes - including annual evaluation, mid-term review, promotion and tenure, post-tenure review, and endowed appointments - to help faculty thrive in their teaching, research, service, and impact on students, society, and the world.
Faculty Annual Evaluation
The purpose of the annual review is to foster meaningful dialogue between faculty and administration. It provides an opportunity to recognize and assess a faculty member’s accomplishments in alignment with departmental, college, and university goals. Annual reviews should be conducted in a collegial and supportive environment that emphasizes transparency, constructive feedback, and the ongoing professional development of both the individual faculty member and the institution.
The annual review serves as the primary mechanism for documenting performance in the areas of assigned responsibility. All faculty members are expected to complete an annual review each year in accordance with University Rule 12.01.99.M1 and should consult their college’s guidelines for specific evaluation processes and criteria, which are developed collaboratively by faculty and administrators.
The annual review also serves as the foundation for evaluating job performance and informing merit-based salary decisions.
Mid-Term Review
The mid-term review provides a formative assessment of tenure-track faculty near the midpoint of their probationary period. It offers an opportunity for an independent evaluation of accomplishments to date, along with constructive feedback to support continued progress toward promotion and tenure. The process is intended to be aligned with the promotion and tenure review, including the submission of dossier materials, to help prepare faculty for a successful review.
Promotion & Tenure
Faculty are the foundation of the university and are essential to advancing Texas A&M University’s land-, sea-, and space-grant missions. The promotion and tenure review process is designed to support faculty throughout their careers and to recognize their continued growth, expertise, and contributions across their areas of responsibility. Active and thoughtful engagement in the process, along with careful attention to established procedures and criteria, helps ensure a fair and constructive review experience that benefits both individual faculty members and the broader academic community.
University Guidelines - The university guidelines outline the roles and responsibilities of candidates and academic units within the promotion and tenure evaluation process at Texas A&M University, helping to promote clarity, consistency, and a fair review experience.
College/School Guidelines - The college guidelines webpage includes each academic unit's evaluation guidelines, timeline, and lists of approved peer programs.
Tenure Review Upon Hire
Candidates initially appointed to Texas A&M University at the rank of associate professor or professor may be considered for Tenure Review Upon Hire (TRUH) as part of the hiring process. TRUH follows the regular promotion and tenure review process but occurs outside the regular review cycle. Tenure is granted only through affirmative action by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, upon recommendation of the University President.
Post-Tenure Review
Post-tenure review is required for all tenured faculty at Texas A&M University and is intended to support ongoing professional growth and sustained contributions. The process affirms continued development and provides a constructive, supportive pathway for faculty whose performance may fall below expectations to engage in a peer-informed professional development plan and progress toward expected levels of productivity. The review includes annual performance evaluations conducted by the department head (or designated reviewer) and a comprehensive review at least once every six years involving a peer review committee, department head, dean, and the provost and executive vice president or designee.
Endowed Appointments
Endowed appointments at Texas A&M University recognize distinguished faculty through donor-funded chairs, professorships, and related titles, and are awarded and renewed through a formal review process designed to honor the gift agreement and unit priorities.
Emeritus/Emerita Nomination
At the time of retirement, faculty members who hold a tenured or academic professional track appointment at Texas A&M University and have served the university for at least 10 years must be considered for emeritus or emerita status, unless they submit a written request not to be considered. Faculty members with fewer than 10 years of service may also be considered when appropriate.