JSSOM Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure

The Process   Guidelines   How to get Promoted   The Dossier

What is Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure?

Appointment, promotion, and tenure for the John Sealy School of Medicine (JSSOM) at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston are overseen by the JSSOM Dean. The JSSOM Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee (JSSOM APTC) serves as an advisory panel to the JSSOM Dean regarding each proposed faculty appointment, promotion, and tenure action. Policies and procedures governing these activities are described in the JSSOM APT Guidelines.

Appointment, promotion, and tenure considerations are initiated by the JSSOM department Chair. Promotions to academic ranks take effect once all required approvals have been obtained, whereas award of Tenure is granted in the next academic year following approval by the University of Texas Board of Regents.

Department Workflows and Resources

To Initiate the Process

JSSOM department Chair identifies faculty for promotion by conducting a thorough evaluation of the candidate's achievements and qualifications for academic appointment, promotion, and/or tenure and submits candidate’s curriculum vitae (CV) and personal statement (PS) to the Dean’s Office.

  • Requests for appointment or promotion to junior academic ranks (Instructor; Assistant Professor) are reviewed by the JSSOM Dean for final determination.
  • Requests for appointment or promotion to senior academic ranks (Associate Professor; Professor) follow the JSSOM promotion process as depicted in the flowchart. Considerations for promotion to senior academic ranks and tracks adhere to the readiness checklist.
  • Requests for movements to the tenure track or award of tenure at the senior academic ranks (Associate Professor; Professor) require the JSSOM promotion process.

Process Resources

The Department Assembles the Dossier

All materials included within the dossier should be carefully reviewed before submission to the APT Coordinator. The finalized dossier is assembled and submitted to the coordinator via email or SharePoint link for for each candidate.

The dossier is a comprehensive file comprised of the following:

As well as: 

The Department APTC Letter*
Personal Statement
Any supporting documents (i.e. teaching evaluations, unsolicited letters from patients, etc.)

JSSOM APT Coordinator Processes Submissions through Appropriate Channels 

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  • JSSOM APT Committee

    The JSSOM APTC reviews the dossier; the committee may approve, deny, or table the request.

    • If approved, the dossier will be submitted to the Dean for the review of the materials.
    • If the committee denials or tables the request, the Department Chair receives a summary of the decision and may appeal to the committee by providing additional information.

  • Dean's Recommendation

    The Dean reviews all dossiers that have been approved by the JSSOM APTC.

    • If the Dean agrees with the committee's recommendation, the dossier is submitted to the Office of the Provost for review.
    • If denied, the Dean will go back to the Chair of the department to conduct further review.

  • *Provost Recommendation
    If approved by the Dean, the Provost reviews the Dean's recommendation, signs the letter, and forwards the decision to the President.

  • *President's Decision

    If approved by the Provost, the President conducts a review of the dossier; if approved, the President signs and returns the fully executed Presidential Letter to the JSSOM APT coordinator for disbursement.

    *If the dossier is denied or tabled by either the Provost or President, the materials are returned to the Dean. It is the responsibility of the Dean to communicate to the Department Chair and the faculty member the reasons for the denial or tabling. Once the concerns have been addressed, the file is resubmitted to the JSSOM APTC for review.

    If tenure is recommended and approved by the President, the final review and approval is done by the Board of Regents (BOR). The BOR meets quarterly.

Have Questions? We're Here to Help!
For assistance with JSSOM APT items, please contact:
Jacqueline Garcia – jacqugar@utmb.edu