University at Buffalo (UB)
The review process for promotion is initiated at the department or unit level. The role of the director or the department chair in helping the candidate prepare for this process has been described previously (see Section II.A.). The candidate's dossier is assembled at this level. Faculty members must evaluate the candidate and vote whether to support the recommended action according to the approved departmental procedures. The case made by the chair and department is forwarded to the next academic level appropriate to the school or faculty.
While the structures of academic units within which various faculty members are appointed may differ, reviews and recommending votes by faculty are necessary at each level of the applicable organizational structure, as are the statement and recommendation from the administrative head at each of those levels. Since the guidelines are general, some modifications may be necessary in applying them across academic units.
Academic officers above the department level, such as deans of schools or faculties, must act as critical reviewers and recommenders on the basis of the case made by the chair and the department.
The provost is responsible for review of the personnel actions of academic units.
In all cases involving continuing appointment, or appointment at or promotion to the rank of tenured full Professor/ Librarian or Research Professor, the provost must review the dossier and the recommendations and send an analysis and personal recommendation to the president.
The provost has been designated the final authority to reject a candidate's bid for promotion or tenure in those cases in which the cognizant faculty and officers at all prior levels of review have recommended against such promotion or tenure.
For all new appointments, the provost is also responsible for promoting the university’s mission as it relates to equity and inclusion and ensuring that affirmative action/equal opportunity policies and procedures have been followed.
All appointments and promotions, and the granting of continuing appointment, require positive action by the president except in those instances in which final authority has been expressly delegated to the provost. The president's act ion is based on a review of the prior recommendations at each level, given the standards set for this university. Actions at all levels of the university are advisory to the president.
Under extraordinary circumstances, the president may act in cases of appointment, reappointment, promotion, or the granting of continuing appointment without resorting to the full process of review and consultation herein described.
University procedure requires review of all departmental recommendations regarding appointment, reappointment, promotion, or the granting of continuing appointment at each of the levels of academic organization as described previously. If the recommendations are negative at the department and faculty/school level, the dossier is forwarded to the PRB only when the candidate or the provost so requests.
If the recommendation at any level of review is positive, the dossier is forwarded to the president by the provost. If all prior levels of review recommend against promotion, the provost may decide not to grant promotion or tenure, and the dossier is not considered by the president.