The criteria for the rankings, as well as procedures for advancement of rank, are included in the following procedure.

1. Procedures for Recommendation for Promotion in Rank and Tenure:
2. The faculty member submits a letter of intent to apply for advancement in rank to the DivisionChair by December 1 if eligibility criteria are met.
3. The Division Chair sends a recommendation for rank advancement to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA), who then forwards it to the Chair of the Academic Rank/Tenure Committee (AR/TC). The AR/TC then sends a notification to the faculty member. The AR/TC is a standing committee composed of advanced rank/tenured faculty with three members elected by the Faculty Assembly and two members appointed by the VPAA.  In the event that there are more than eight applicants for advanced rank/tenure, a second committee will be formed in the same manner.
4. The faculty member under consideration for promotion in rank must submit the following to the Office of Academic Affairs by January 25 of the application year:
5. A written cover letter,
6. A current vitae including listings of criteria to be considered for advancement,
7. A reference letter from his/her Division Chair (or the VPAA when a Division Chair is applying for rank) and a fellow MSC faculty member,
8. Documentation of the required minimum number of “Expected” (70%) or higher faculty evaluations,
9. A written narrative explaining the fulfillment of the criteria for rank advancement.
10. Submit four narratives regarding professional development experiences for each year of service being considered in the advancement.
11. Additional evidence supporting or proving advancement criteria may be requested by the AR/TC.
12. The faculty AR/TC reviews the written narrative and supporting evidence and presents its recommendation to the VPAA by March 25. The AR/TC may recommend a rank lower than the one for which the faculty member is applying, but may not recommend removal of any rank that the faculty applicant has already earned; i.e., if an applicant applies for the rank of associate professor, but the AR/TC feels that the applicant does not meet the qualifications for associate professor, but does meet the qualifications for assistant professor, the AR/TC may recommend the rank of assistant professor.
13. The VPAA forwards, with any additional comments and recommendations, the list of candidates to the President by April 15.
14. The President makes all final decisions regarding promotion in rank.
15. Tenure will be granted with the faculty member’s first successful advancement in rank. Tenure is defined as the status that may be granted to a faculty member to continue in a position in which he/she has been employed, based on the availability of funds and job performance.
16. Incoming Faculty: After one year of successful faculty performance, incoming faculty can apply for a specific rank commensurate with their past academic rank and/or experience.
17. Existing Faculty: Existing tenured faculty can apply directly for any specific higher rank for which he/she meets both combined time and other requirements even if he/she did not formally apply for those intervening ranks.