Midterm Review

The midterm review is designed to approximate the major elements and standards of the tenure and promotion process but does not include solicitation of evaluations from reviewers external to the University of Oregon.

The midterm review replaces the annual review for that year.

During fall term of the academic year in which the review will take place, the Dean’s Office will contact the faculty member with the midterm review notice to request their review material and winter term class schedule.

To get started, please read through the information below, look at the templates provided by SOMD and the Office of the Provost (OtP), and review the instructions for assembling your portfolios and submitting the material. If you have questions along the way or would like to see examples of past faculty submissions, please reach out to Tiffany in the Dean’s Office.

Step 1: Compile your Review Material

The faculty member is responsible for preparing the following material:

1. Curriculum Vitae (signed and dated)

A comprehensive and current curriculum vitae that includes the faculty member’s current research, scholarly and creative activities, and accomplishments, including publications, appointments, presentations, and similar activities. The CV must distinguish between peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed work. Use text highlighting to help identify the accomplishments since arriving at UO.

The OtP CV template is not required to be used, but the principles and formatting suggestions are important to follow

2. Candidate’s Statement (signed and dated)

A 3-6 page statement developed by the faculty member describing and evaluating their performance against the applicable criteria for tenure and promotion. The statement should expressly address the subjects of teaching; scholarship, research, and creative activity; and service contributions to the academic department, center or institute, school or college, university, profession, and the community. The statement must also include a discussion of contributions to institutional equity and inclusion.

3. Waiver Statement (signed and dated)

A signed and dated document establishing the candidate’s chosen waiver status for the dossier. More information about the waiver statement including waiver letter templates.

Since midterm reviews do not include external letters of evaluation, please select either the full waiver or non-waiver letter.

4. Scholarship Portfolio

A comprehensive portfolio of scholarship, research, and creative activity, and any appropriate evidence of national or international recognition or impact.

5. Teaching Portfolio

Representative examples of course syllabi or equivalent descriptions of course content and instructional expectations for courses taught by the faculty member, examples of student work and exams, and similar material.

6. Service Portfolio

Evidence of the faculty member’s service contributions to their academic department, center or institute, school or college, university, profession, and the community. Such evidence could include white papers authored or co-authored by the faculty member, commendations, awards, op-ed pieces, and/or letters of appreciation. The portfolio may also include a short narrative elaborating on the faculty member’s unique service experiences or obligations.

The Dean’s Office will add the following material to the file:

  • Original offer letter
  • SOMD TTF Review Criteria (faculty may select which version to use if there has been a change in criteria since the time of hire)
  • Teaching Evaluation Material including peer reviews, student experience surveys, and optional instructor reflection report (if you do not want your instructor reflection report included, please indicate that when you submit your material).

Step 2: Submitting the Review Material

Utilize the guides and templates (linked above). Review the Portfolio content and assembling instructions to help guide you through putting together the teaching, service, and scholarship portfolio PDF’s. As noted in the instructions, the portfolio templates are a starting place and the items listed are not all required; edit the contents pages (add and remove categories) as needed to suit your needs.

Submit your material as PDF files. You should have 6 individual PDF’s once you are complete.

Email your material to Tiffany in the Dean’s Office or share via OneDrive or DropBox is file size is too large to email.

Please note that individual PDF files submitted by the faculty member, along with material from the dean’s office (such as your original offer letter and the teaching evaluation material) will then be combined into a dossier template provided by the Office of the Provost.

The Dean’s Office will help with the final dossier organization to make sure the most up-to-date template is being used but to help understand what the final product will look like, please look at the OtP dossier template: Midterm Review Dossier

If any of the OtP template links above are broken, visit: https://provost.uoregon.edu/reviews/guides-forms-templates

Step 3: Teaching Observations and SOMD Review Process

Send a list of your winter classes and teaching schedule (class names, times, locations) to the Dean’s Office with your review material. As part of the SOMD review and balloting process, tenured faculty will have the opportunity to observe your teaching.

The midterm dossier is reviewed internally by tenured faculty, the department head, the SOMD personnel committee, and the dean. Faculty will receive a final report from the dean and will have the opportunity to meet with the dean (and submit an optional response) before the material is forwarded to the Office of the Provost for review.

Step 4: Review Outcomes and Notificaiton

Possible outcomes of the midterm review are:

  • Issuance of a new contract extending to the date by which a tenure decision is required.
  • Issuance of a new contract of insufficient duration to reach the tenure decision, necessitating an additional midterm review prior to a tenure review.
  • Issuance of a non-renewable contract.

The Office of the Provost will notify the faculty member of the review decision and contract renewal no later than June 1. The summary report is to be placed in the faculty member’s departmental or college personnel file.

Additional Resources

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Updated 2/13/2024