Candidate & Department Prepare Packet (winter/spring/summer 2025)
In the first phase of the promotion and tenure process, you will work with your department leadership to prepare your packet. The exact start date of the process will vary by department. Larger departments tend to start their process early in the calendar year, whereas smaller departments might not start the process until the summer. Contact your department's administrative leadership to learn about the internal timeline for your unit.
While specific steps may vary by department, there are three main steps generally applicable to everyone in this phase of the process:
- Contact your department chair or division chief
Before preparing your application in full, we recommend that you contact your department chair or division chief to discuss your candidacy and learn about your department's internal process for evaluating and nominating candidates. They will advise on your readiness for promotion.
- Your annual performance review is an ideal time to discuss future promotion/tenure plans with your chair/chief.
- Make sure you and your department leadership know and agree on your career track and, for clinician-educators and team scientists, your domain(s). You are evaluated for promotion/tenure based on the criteria established by your career track.
- Prepare your packet
To apply for promotion/tenure, you will need to prepare a packet of materials that will be reviewed throughout subsequent phases of the promotion and tenure process.
- The documents required vary by rank and career track. Visit Prepare Your Packet for more information.
- Your complete packet should be submitted to your division chief or department chair's office according to departmental deadlines.
- Department reviews and prepares nomination
Your department leadership will review your packet according to their internal review procedures (which often include review by a departmental APT committee, in addition to the chief/chair). They will also add supplementary documentation to your packet in order to complete your nomination, which includes:
- Chair's nomination letter
- Department APT report, if applicable
- Reference letters, if applicable (depends on rank/tenure status of the proposed promotion)
Departmental Submission of Your Packet to the Faculty Affairs Office (late summer/early fall 2025)
Following internal departmental review, the department chair's office will submit your promotion/tenure packet to the Faculty Affairs Office.
For promotions effective Sept. 1, 2026, the deadlines for eepartment chairs to submit nominations are:
- Aug. 1, 2025, for candidates on the Investigator Track proposed for:
- Award of tenure only.
- Promotion and tenure.
- Promotions for those already tenured.
- Sept. 5, 2025, for promotions to the levels of associate professor (or clinical associate professor) and professor (or clinical professor) without the award of tenure. This includes all promotions to senior ranks on NTE career tracks (i.e., Clinician-Educator, Health System Clinician, Team Scientist, Research Track) and to tenure-eligible associate professor on the Investigator track.
- Oct. 31, 2025, for promotions to the level of assistant professor on any career track.
Review by Dean’s Office (September 2025 to May 2026)
The Faculty Affairs Office will coordinate the review of your packet by different parties within Feinberg, dependent on the rank and tenure status of your proposed promotion.
- Promotions to assistant professor are reviewed by the dean.
- Promotions to the levels of associate professor or professor without the award of tenure (including promotions on the Health System Clinician and Research Faculty Tracks) are reviewed by the APT Committee and dean.
- For the award of tenure and promotions to associate Professor or professor with tenure:
- FAO solicits reference letters.
- Then FAO coordinates review by an Ad Hoc Committee, APT Committee, and dean.
About the Feinberg Appointments, Promotion and Tenure (APT) Committee
The Appointments, Promotion and Tenure Committee is composed of 18 professors representing basic science and clinical departments. Committee members are appointed by the vice dean for Academic Affairs with the agreement of the appointee's department chair for a five-year term of service. The committee evaluates and recommends approval or disapproval of all department applications for initial appointments and promotion/tenure at the rank of associate professor and professor. View the committee roster.
Review and Decision by Northwestern University Provost (May-July 2026)
The recommendations of the department and school are forwarded to the provost, who reviews and makes the final decision on promotion or tenure. Candidates are typically notified of the provost's decision by early July.
- Feinberg communicates all decisions to department chairs at the same time so that chairs can communicate results to candidates.
- For candidates who are not approved, reasons are provided to the department chair for discussion with the candidate. An appeal process is available.
Approved Promotion/Tenure Effective Sept. 1, 2026
If approved, promotion or tenure will take effect on Sept. 1, 2026, and on that date, your new rank will display on your Feinberg Faculty Profile. Candidates will also receive a letter confirming their new rank and the dates of the new appointment.