Objective: Promote equitable practice in P&T that will support progress towards Penn State’s strategic initiatives.

Our premise: We are working under the premise that the P&T process at Penn State could be more equitable and transparent. While the P&T process is a foundational component of assessing and evaluating productivity of tenure line faculty,  its current structure and how it is operationalized at Penn State are not necessarily equitable or transparent to faculty, committees, or administrators engaged in the process. It is imperative that all university process and practice be examined in light of revealing and abrogating systemic and institutional racism. We also assert that changes in the responsibilities and expectations of the professorate over the last two decades necessitate an examination of P&T policy and practice to ensure alignment. Thus, for reasons of equity and racial justice we propose to examine P&T policy and practice.

Our procedure:

• Gather a team dedicated to investigating and considering best practices in promotion and tenure nationwide and illuminating practice and policy that may permit known or unknown biases to affect our policy and practice at PSU.
• Prepare a white paper with recommendations for consideration at the University level as well as unit level.
• Mobilize a network of advocates to influence decision-makers towards positive change.

Our next action items:

1. Setting up subcommittees as shown below:
   • • University-wide understanding of P&T – gather comprehensive information on unit policy, procedure and culture—goal: understanding differences and similarities in policy practices
     • External models – other universities in the US and abroad—goal: use as inspiration and also to reinforce need for positive change
     • NTL/professional track promotion-Focus on issues specific to promotion of teaching and research faculty
     • Strategy development – identify allies, advocates and accomplices, and develop a communication plan—goal: facilitate implementation of our findings
     • Background gathering-articulate the problem and gather the rationales and evidence for why this initiative is critical—goal: needed for white paper
2. Preparing long term actions and recommendations
   • • Develop faculty development for unit heads and P&T committee members – around P&T bias and policy
     • Form a committee to write policy based on above findings and proposals