Results from the 2021-2022 COACHE Survey & Focus Groups
 

 scholar iconAreas of Strength 

  • 96% of Asian faculty report the tenure process is clear*
  • 79% of faculty report the promotion process is clear*
  • 89% of FOC report clear expectations for being a scholar*

Notably, more than 90% of Asian faculty report clarity with UNT's tenure process and criteria, demonstrating higher percentages than Asian faculty at peer institutions.* Eighty-nine percent of UNT's FOC report expectations for being a scholar are clear, a higher percentage than FOC at peer institutions.

In addition, UNT women faculty agree more than women faculty at peer institutions that tenure decisions are based on performance (70%).* UNT FOC perceive clear tenure criteria (81%). URM faculty perceive more clarity for the body of evidence for promotion (75%) and the promotion process (79%) compared to URM faculty at peer institutions.*

 Other Areas of Strength 

The majority of FOC perceive more clarity with the promotion process (74%) and promotion standards (65%) compared to FOC faculty at peer institutions.* URM faculty agree more than URM faculty at peer institutions that their departments had reasonable expectations for promotion (67%).*

communication icon Areas of Growth 

  • 57% of URM faculty agree department culture encourages promotion*
  • 53% of All faculty agree the messaging for tenure is consistent
  • 53% of All faculty report clear expectations for being a colleague

Just over half of URM faculty agree their departments' culture encourages promotion (57%), and just over half of UNT faculty agree the messaging for tenure is clear (53%) and there is clarity around the expectations for being a colleague (53%).

                    Recommendations and Resources                    

Many groups of faculty reported positive views on tenure and promotion policies and their clarity. In focus groups, URM faculty noted instances of microaggressions which had a negative effect on their morale and feelings of job security. Additionally, URM workshop iconfaculty were concerned about how URM-focused research was evaluated. professional faculty reported feelings of marginalization related to the promotion and evaluation process, as well as lack of clarity in moving between lecturer and clinical faculty status. Recommendations include:

  • Discussions on how to support researchers who work in research areas that are important to marginalized populations.
  • Involvement in Faculty Resource Groups to share ideas and seek support.
  • Increase discussions and information on guidelines for changing between lecturer and clinical faculty status. Discuss with your department chair and contact Academic Resources for details.
  • Attending Faculty Success Promotion and Tenure Workshops held each semester.

Resources on tenure and promotion at UNT are found on the UNT Provost's website.

*= UNT Outshines Peers

NOTE: FOC = Faculty of color (non-White faculty); Professional faculty = Faculty who are not on the tenure track; URM = Underrepresented minority (Black and LatinX)