For Professional-Track Faculty

The faculty of each academic unit shall formulate specific written criteria and procedures for appointment and promotion of professional-track faculty that are consistent with the University of South Carolina's commitment to achievement in research (including scholarship, creative activity in visual and performing arts), teaching, and service.

The criteria and procedures shall clearly communicate to faculty members the unit's expectations concerning performance in each of these areas for promotion or appointment. These criteria and procedures must be consistent with the Faculty Manual and policy ACAF 1.16 Professional-track Faculty [pdf]. The University Committee on Professional-Track Faculty is in the process now of developing guidelines for units and faculty, which will be posted once available. 

Proposed Unit Criteria

The University Committee on Professional-track Faculty has issued preliminary guidance on developing unit criteria. The 2024 edition of the Faculty Manual supersedes some of this guidance, so please review both. As additional resources are under development, however, the UCPTF Criteria and Procedures Recommendations [pdf] document still provides useful information. To request a criteria development consultation with representatives from the provost’s office, please email [email protected].

Academic units submitting proposed unit criteria may upload those documents for review on the Submit Unit Criteria submission portal.

Current Unit Criteria

Current unit criteria and procedures can be viewed below by each college and department, when applicable. The university is in the process of a comprehensive review of professional-track faculty criteria, and these documents will be updated as they are approved. Please note that some policies may use an older term, “non-tenure track faculty.” “Professional-track faculty” is the language currently used by the university for those faculty appointed on an annual or multi-year basis who are not on the tenure-track. The current terminology will be reflected as policies and procedures are revised and updated. Finally, those units without criteria listed below may contact the Office of the Provost at 803-777-2808 or [email protected] to request the addition of extant criteria or for assistance in the process of seeking approval for proposed criteria. 

Academic Units Criteria and Procedures for Professional-Track Faculty

If you need assistance with matters related to unit criteria review or other professional-track faculty matters, please contact the Office of the Provost at 803-777-2808 or [email protected].