Tenure & Promotion

Watermark Faculty Success at ETSU

Questions? Email watermark@etsu.edu to ask a question or schedule a meeting.

 

  • Faculty: Submitting Application(s)

    On August 15, candidates for tenure and/or promotion will receive an email with a link to submit their materials in Watermark Faculty Success. If candidates are applying for tenure and promotion, they will receive one email/form for tenure and one email/form for promotion. In the application, candidates can save their progress by clicking Save Draft. Once clicking Submit to Review, they cannot make changes to the application (with limited exceptions allowed in university policies). 
      
    Candidates should be prepared to submit the following documents by the September 15 deadline. Each field should have one PDF document uploaded (with the exception of Faculty Activity Plans, Reports, and Evaluations in Watermark). Name files as [First and Last Name of Candidate] [Name of Form]. File size is limited to one gigabyte per file.  

    • Curriculum Vita

    • Narrative Statement [Please carefully review your department's promotion or tenure criteria and clearly and completely outline how you meet them in your narrative statement.]
    • Supporting Document [Please provide additional documentation as evidence for your accomplishments related to the promotion criteria you've described meeting in your narrative statement. Examples may include: letters of support, publications, abstracts, award notifications or certificates, etc.]
    • Faculty Activity Plans, Reports, and Evaluations in Watermark
    • Faculty Activity Plans, Reports, and Evaluations - Prior to Watermark
    • Course Load
    • Student Assessment of Instruction Reports 
    • Peer Reviews of Teaching Evaluation Forms 
    • Addendum [optional upload field]
    • Comments [optional text field]

    Please contact your departmental administrative assistant, business manager, or chair to find out how to obtain any items on this list and your department's requirements for letters of support and supporting documents.

    For further information, stream the following presentations:

    Submitting Your Promotion and Tenure Dossier to Watermark Faculty Success:  This presentation demonstrates the process of submitting your promotion/tenure dossier in the Watermark system. Slides are also available to view. 

    Telling Your Academic Story: This presentation summarizes how to create an effective promotion/tenure dossier. 

     

  • Faculty: Withdrawing Application(s) 

    Faculty candidates can withdraw their applications during the following specific times within Watermark Faculty Success by choosing “Withdraw” under Actions. 

    • Faculty Submission Form  
    • Faculty Response (when deciding to appeal a dean’s decision) 
    • Faculty Response (when deciding to appeal the Provost’s decision) 
    • Faculty Response (when deciding to appeal the President’s decision) 

    At any other point in the process, faculty can email watermark@etsu.eduto request to withdraw their application. 

  • External Review(s)

    External reviews are not required at the university-level but may be required or encouraged at the department-level. If a candidate has external review(s), they will be uploaded in one of two locations:

    • In some departments, candidates are responsible to upload their external reviews. These external reviews will be located in the Faculty Submission step.
    • In some departments, chairs are responsible to upload their external reviews. These external reviews will be located in the Review step (directly after the Faculty Submission step). In these cases, the chair emailed the external reviews to Watermark Administrators (watermark@etsu.edu). Watermark Administrators uploaded the external reviews in the Review step on behalf of the chair. These external reviews are available to reviewers (committees, chairs, deans, provost, president) but not candidates.




  • Department and College Committees: Submitting Review(s)

    By September 19: Department Committee receive invitation email and can view promotion and tenure materials.

    By November 3: College Committee receives invitation email and can view promotion and tenure materials.  

    While committee members have access to all candidate's materials through Watermark Faculty Success, they do not complete any form in the system. Only the committee chair submits a form in Watermark Faculty Success. The form asks for the number of votes (votes for, votes against, abstaining, not present, and not eligible), a PDF version of the committee review, and an optional text field to write any additional comments. In the committee review, chairs should include the names of the committee members. 



    Committees can view these Video Instructions 

    Note: The video instructions show the perspective of a department committee, but the instructions are almost identical for department/college committees.

     

  • Department Chair: Submitting Review(s)

    The form for department chairs has a required choice of Recommend or Not Recommend, a required field to upload a PDF version of their review, and an optional textbox to write any additional comments.  
     
    Department chairs can select Save Draft under Actions to save their progress without submitting their reviews. Once they choose Submit to Next Step, they cannot make changes to the review (with limited exceptions allowed in university policies). 
     
    At any time, chairs can view the submissions of their department and their progress by clicking on Workflow then Submissions.   
     
    There are a few changes to the process with the move to Watermark Faculty Success:  


    • Faculty are now responsible for adding Course Load and Peer Reviews of Teaching.
    • For external reviews that should be hidden to the candidate, the chair should email the external reviews to watermark@etsu.edu by September 15. Watermark Administrators will upload the external reviews in the Review step.
  • Deans, Provost, and President: Submitting Review(s) 

    The form for administrators has a required choice of Recommend or Not Recommend, a required field to upload their review, and an optional textbox to write any additional comments.  

    Administrators can select Save Draft under Actions to save their progress without submitting their reviews. Once they choose a Submit option, they cannot make changes to the review (with limited exceptions allowed in university policies).  

    • If an administrator selects Recommend, they should select Submit to Next Step (Provost, President, or Board of Trustees) under Actions. 
    • If an administrator selects Not Recommend, they should select Submit to Next Step (Appeals) under Actions. 

    At any time, administrators can view the submissions under their purview by clicking on Workflow then Submissions. 

  • Faculty, Committees, & Administrators: Sending Back Submissions or Reviews 

    Under limited circumstances, the ETSU policies for tenure and promotion allow for revisions to submissions and reviews.  

    • No additional documentation may be added after September 15 except at the request of the reviewers and with the permission of the candidate, or vice versa. In these cases, committees and administrators can Send Back to Previous Step, which will allow faculty to upload additional files or type additional information. It is important for committees and administrators to write a message regarding the request and set a due date. Candidates will submit additional materials in forms labeled as Faculty Notice in Watermark Faculty Success.  
    • Each reviewing official or committee has the responsibility to remand an application to any preceding level if that level's review is found to be incomplete or otherwise unacceptable. In these cases, contact watermark@etsu.edu to assist in sending back the process to a previous step. 
  • Faculty: Viewing Reviews

    The Promotion and Tenure Timeline and Deadlines document details when faculty can view their reviews. Reviews can be accessed by clicking on Workflow then Tasks. Faculty do not receive a notification when these reviews are available unless they received a negative recommendation at the dean, provost, or president level.

  • Faculty: Appealing Decisions 

    In Watermark, opportunities for appeal of negative recommendations on applications exist at the dean's or Provost’s level and again at the President's level prior to a review of the latter's decision by the Board of Trustees.  

    IMPORTANT: The forms received for appeals are not required to be submitted by the deadline listed in the system. Follow the timeline outlined below and within the promotion and tenure policies. 

    Appeal Opportunity #1: Dean’s Recommendation 

    • If a dean selects to Not Recommend a candidate for tenure and/or promotion, the candidate will receive an email and Faculty Response Form from Watermark Faculty Success. Once receiving this email and form, the candidate has seven days to email the Provost (provost@etsu.edu) requesting a pre-appeal conference. If candidates choose to appeal the dean's recommendation, then they will be ineligible to appeal the Provost’s recommendation. 
    • For candidates who choose to meet with the Provost for the pre-appeal conference: Seven days after the pre-appeal conference, candidate’s must select an Action in Watermark Faculty Success to indicate how they want to proceed with their application.  
      • Withdraw: Removes the application from consideration for tenure or promotion. 
      • Submit to Next Step (Provost): Continues the application process for tenure or promotion by sending the application to the Provost for review. 
      • *Appeal: Files an appeal to the Promotion and Tenure Appeals Committee.

    *Candidates choosing Submit to Next Step (Provost) and Appeal must select Yes to the question Did you choose to meet with the Provost? and provide the following information: Date of Meeting with Provost, Attendees of Meeting with Provost, Summary of Meeting with Provost.

    • For candidates who choose NOT to meet with the Provost for the pre-appeal conference: Within seven days of receiving the email and form, you must choose from the following Actions. 
      • Withdraw: Removes the application from consideration for tenure or promotion. 
      • Submit to Next Step (Provost): Continues the application process for tenure or promotion. The candidate will still have the option to appeal the Provost’s decision. Candidates will need to select No on the form to the question Did you choose to meet with the Provost? 

    Appeal Opportunity #2: Provost's Recommendation 

    • If the Provost selects to Not Recommend a candidate for tenure and/or promotion, the candidate will receive an email and Faculty Response Form from Watermark Faculty Success. Once receiving this email and form, the candidate has seven days to email the President (president@etsu.edu) requesting a pre-appeal conference. If the candidate chose to appeal the dean's recommendation, then they will be ineligible to appeal the Provost’s recommendation. 
    • For candidates who choose to meet with the President for the pre-appeal conference: Seven days after the pre-appeal conference, candidates must select an Action in Watermark Faculty Success to indicate how they want to proceed with their application.  
      • Withdraw: Removes the application from consideration for tenure or promotion. 
      • *Submit to Next Step (President): Continues the application process for tenure or promotion by sending the application to the President for review. 
      • *Appeal: Files an appeal to the Promotion and Tenure Appeals Committee. 

    *Choosing Submit to Next Step (President) and Appeal must select Yes to the question Did you choose to meet with the President? and provide the following information: Date of Meeting with President, Attendees of Meeting with President, Summary of Meeting with President. 

    • For candidates who choose NOT to meet with the President for the pre-appeal conference: Within seven days of receiving the email and form, candidates must choose from the following Actions. 
      • Withdraw: Removes the application from consideration for tenure or promotion. 
      • Submit to Next Step (Board of Trustees): Continues the application process for tenure or promotion. Candidates will need to select No on the form to the question Did you choose to meet with the President? 

    Appeal Opportunity #3: President’s Recommendation 

    • If the President selects to Not Recommend a candidate for tenure and/or promotion, the candidate will receive an email and Faculty Response form from Watermark Faculty Success.  
    • Candidates must choose from the following Actions: 
      • Withdraw: Removes the application from consideration for tenure or promotion. 
      • Submit to Next Step (Board of Trustees): Continues the application process for tenure or promotion by sending the application to the Board of Trustees for review. 
      • Appeal: Files an appeal to the Ad Hoc Appeals Committee. 
  • Appeal Committees: Submitting Report(s) 

    Once a candidate has chosen to appeal a recommendation, the appropriate appeals committee will receive the candidate's application and all available recommendations and reviews by committees and administrators.  

    While committee members have access to all candidate's materials through Watermark Faculty Success, they do not complete any form in the system. Only the committee chair submits a form in Watermark Faculty Success. The form asks for the committee report and an optional text field to write any additional comments. In the committee report, chairs should include the names of the committee members. 

    IMPORTANT: The forms received for appeals are not required to be submitted by the deadline listed in the system. 

  • Promotion of Lecturers: Differences in Procedures 

    Although the timeline is different with the promotion of lecturers (as outlined below), the relevant forms within Watermark Faculty Success remain the same. 



    September 15: Faculty Submission Form Due  
    October 7: Department Promotion Committee’s Review Due 
    October 30: Department chair’s Review Due 
    February 1: Dean’s Review Due 

  • Forms 

    Forms are not required. 

    Faculty Candidates 

    Department Committees  

    Department Chairs  

    College Committees  

    Deans  

    Appeals Committee 

    Course Load

  • University Policies and Departmental Criteria 

    The procedures in Watermark Faculty Success are guided by the following policies and criteria.

  • Tenure and Promotion Timeline and Deadlines