The process rests firmly on peer evaluations, for the faculty itself is best able to establish and apply promotion criteria. Furthermore, the promotion system recognizes the uniqueness of the disciplines that comprise the University community. Indeed, departments have the major responsibility of establishing and administering guidelines (subject to wider approval) and making initial promotion and tenure recommendations.
One should recognize, however, that such decisions affect the University as a whole, and consequently, college and University committees together with appropriate administrators also play an important role. They insure that policies and decisions serve the interests of the University and are roughly comparable across its many divisions.
