University of Virginia Library

Review Of Process

A group of interested faculty
members and students are
reportedly prepared to undertake a
detailed review of the entire
promotion process as outlined by
Mr. Bowers. A spokesman for the
group said he questions the
ultimate sagacity of such a "fluid"
promotional process.

According to the report, promotions
from Assistant Professorship
to Associate or from Associate to
Full Professorship are both handled
in an identical manner simultaneously
by a single committee. There
are four steps in the process.

Recommendations to the Dean
of Arts and Sciences for promotion
may originate with the concerned
faculty member's department
as a whole, with its chairman
acting as official spokesman,
through the chairman's personal
recommendation or from any member
of the faculty, in fact. The
variety of means of recommendation
is designed as a "safety-valve"
Mr. Shannon explained, to prevent
unfair "blocking" by a department
or its chairman.