Process and steps of the tenure track

With the assignment of a tenure-track professorship, well-defined criteria for assessing suitability, aptitude and academic performance for the tenure evaluation are established and communicated to the applicants already during the job interview. A sample catalog is the basis to create these criteria. Considering the specifics of the respective discipline, the performance to be rendered during the temporary civil relationship or within the framework of the fixed-term employment relationship is defined.

In the case of an assistant professorship (with or without tenure track), the appointment is initially for three years as a temporary civil servant. In the course of the third year, this status will be reviewed and may be extended for a further three years depending on performance. In the case of a W2 professorship with tenure track, the appointment is generally for a period of five years as a temporary civil servant.

At the end of the tenure phase at the latest, a permanent position in form of a W2/W3 professorship is possible, provided that the necessary aptitude, competence and academic performance have been demonstrated and that the legal requirements pertaining to Section 38 HG NRW are met.

During the interim evaluation, an elected evaluation committee assesses the suitability, aptitude and professional performance of the assistant professor. The assessment is made in particular on the basis of research achievements, teaching achievements, social and leadership skills and commitment to academic self-administration. In the case of an assistant professorship with tenure track, the assessment is always made with reference to the tenure track criteria. The evaluation committee records the successes to date with regard to the criteria and provides a reasoned assessment of the achievement of the tenure-track criteria within the next three years.

The interim evaluation is regulated in Section 21 of the Appointment Regulations of TU Dortmund University. The most important steps are summarized below:

• The evaluation committee is formed no later than 9 months before the end of the three-year tenure track period.
• The assistant professor submits a self-report no later than 6 months before the end of the three-year employment relationship. A sample template for preparing the self-report is available in theServicePortal.
• The committee obtains at least two external reviews.
• Two courses of the assistant professor are visited by the committee and the according student course evaluations (teaching evaluations) are then evaluated by the committee.
• The committee conducts an evaluation interview with the assistant professor.
• On the basis of the documents and activities, the committee votes in a secret ballot on the recommendation of continued employment.
• The chairperson of the committee writes an evaluation report based on these activities and the aforementioned documents. A sample template for the preparation of the evaluation report is available in the ServicePortal.

After the (five- or six-year) tenure phase, the decision on the transfer to a permanent professorship is made in an appointment procedure in which only the tenure-track professor is reviewed. The procedure starts at the request of the tenure-track candidate. The decision is based on the tenure-track criteria which were already defined when the tenure-track professorship was advertised.

The shortened appointment procedure is regulated by Section 19 of the Appointment Regulations of TU Dortmund University. The most important steps are summarized below:

• The tenure-track candidate initiates the procedure by submitting an informal application.
• The appointment committee is formed at least 9 months before the end of the five- or six-year period.
• The tenure-track candidate submits his or her application.
• The tenure-track candidate gives an application presentation and has an interview with the committee.
• The committee decides in a secret ballot whether the candidate should be reviewed (based on the application documents, the application presentation and the interview).
• The committee obtains at least two external reviews.
• The committee decides on the appointment proposal in a secret ballot.
• The chairperson of the committee writes a report (based on the activities and documents) explaining the appointment proposal; a template for the report can be found online in the ServicePortal.