Mid Probationary Reviews

For Assistant Professors in the tenure track and for Associate Professors/Professors on a Q contract

Campus policy requires that a formal, internal review of  tenure-track faculty on a probationary contract take place no later than the mid-point of their probationary period, unless a decision not to retain is reached before the time a formal review would be scheduled. All tenure-track faculty should be informed of this policy at the time of their initial appointment.  For most probationary faculty this review will occur in their third year at UIC. The intent is to provide an assessment of the faculty member at a date late enough to permit reasonable review of their progress toward tenure since the initial appointment, and early enough to give useful guidance to them in preparing for any subsequent review. Faculty members may request such a review at any time and should request it if the department fails to undertake a mid-probationary review in a timely fashion.

During the mid-probationary review, the faculty mentoring plan, in accordance with UIC’s Faculty Mentoring policy, must also be reviewed with the faculty member to gauge the effectiveness of its support. The mentoring plan, its progress and the effectiveness of its support, or anything related, should not in any way be used as a part of the review evaluation.

The department head/chair will carry out the mid-probationary review (in consultation with the departmental advisory or executive committee).  Mid-probationary reviews must include assessment of teaching, scholarship and creative activity, and service (including patient care activities where applicable).  Areas of strength and/or concern should be identified, to serve as guidance in the faculty member’s progress toward tenure.  A written assessment including all of the areas listed above should be reviewed with the candidate, along with the departmental norms and the College criteria for promotion. The formal review will be included in the P&T dossier when the candidate goes up for tenure review.

As part of the mid-probationary review process, it is strongly recommended that the faculty member develop a preliminary draft of their promotion and tenure packet using the abbreviated form available below. [The draft packet is for departmental purposes, and should not be included in the submission to the college.]

The College deadline for submission of AY24-25 mid-probationary reviews is Friday, May 16, 2025.