Updated Policies: P&T, Post-Tenure Review, E&I Contributions, Employment Separation

With the end of the 2025-26 academic year comes the last of policy updates that have been studied and vetted over the past nine months and recently approved by the Chancellor’s Cabinet.

Promotion, Tenure, and Emeritus Policy
Minor updates were made to this policy based on issues that arose during the last PTE cycles, identified by a committee led by Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Fran Huckaby, working with the Faculty Senate’s Faculty Relations Committee.

  1. No Change in Content: The policy was rearranged in chronological flow, definitions were added, and repeated text was reduced.
  2. Updates to Content:
    1. Provides the date of 4th Friday in August for all P&T Committee membership to be established.
    2. Expands the University P&T Committee to nine members from eight to include the Burnett School of Medicine.
    3. Clarifies information about incoming faculty with prior rank and tenure for the probationary period.
    4. Updates the number of required external letters to “at least three” instead of five.
  3. Click here for the committee charge, membership, detailed changes, and timeline.

Faculty Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, and Post-Tenure Review Policy
Dean Sonja Watson and Dean Amy Tully led a faculty committee to carefully scrutinize and update the post-tenure review section.

  1. Changes the initial year for the review of a tenured faculty member to the spring of the fifth year, instead of the sixth.
  2. Clarifies the review process and the materials required.
  3. Title modified to include “and Post-Tenure Review” to better align policy title and content.
  4. Click here for the committee charge, membership, detailed changes, and timeline.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Performance Measures
At the suggestion of Vice Provost for Research Reuben Burch and the subsequent support of the Faculty Senate, a description for Innovation and Entrepreneurship was added to the Faculty Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Post-Tenure Review Policy (see link above), stating that all TCU units may include measures of a faculty member’s contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship in performance standards, but not penalize faculty who do not participate in these areas.

Faculty Employment Separation Policy
We removed the procedures for resignation, termination, and dismissal from the Promotion, Tenure, and Emeritus Policy to make this a stand-alone policy that is easier to access. No changes were made to the content.

Congratulations to Retiring Faculty
My best wishes for these faculty members who are retiring after laudable service and commitment to TCU: Mike Butler (ECON), John Lovett (ECON), Becky Bittle (Engineering), Bob Bittle (Engineering), and Richard Allen (Film, TV, and Digital Media). Thank you for all you have done to make TCU great.

Commencement
Chancellor Pullin and I hope to see you at our first All-University Commencement at Amon G. Carter Stadium this Friday, May 8, at 8:30 p.m. We will gather with the Class of 2026 for the official conferring of degrees, inspiring speakers, and spectacular fireworks, for a traditional TCU finale.