Some universities, especially those in different countries, may not have student evaluations (such as the CUE guide). When this happens, the departments must do some extra legwork to complete the dossier satisfactorily.
"We sometimes try to get the department to provide solid information on the teaching record [by] making inquiries among their contacts," Buell says. "It does vary--the results that we get if no formal procedure for evaluation exists."
However, even the rating systems for universities in the U.S. vary "in terms of how much comparison information you get," Buell says, adding that he prefers the CUE to many systems used by other schools.
Once the dossier is complete, Knowles appoints an ad hoc committee consisting of two Harvard professors and three outside specialists. Rudenstine chairs all ad hoc tenure committees.
The committee advises Rudenstine, who makes the ultimate decision about appointments. Each tenure can easily take seven hours of Rudenstine's time, Knowles says.
Harvard's tenure process is unique in that the University president devotes so much time to each appointment, Knowles says.
Another unusual characteristic of Harvard's tenure system is that the great majority of faculty members are recruited from other schools.
More than 80 percent of faculty members are recruited from other schools, although approximately a third of all those who receive tenure have taught at Harvard at some time, according to McCarthy.
Administrators emphasize that Harvard is not a "tenure-track institution."
Students' Concerns
Although there is no formal role for students in the current tenure process, administrators say student input is considered in the teaching section of the dossier.
"The students need to do their part by engaging in the [CUE] process," Thompson says. "They should be filling out their CUE guide forms at the end of every course. We get that information as part of the dossier."
"I think there are roles students can play and do play [in the tenure process]," Garber says, explaining that for junior faculty dossiers, "the CUE guide is vitally important."
Garber, who has been a member of several ad hoc committees, says she would also encourage students to attend the lectures given by candidates and be "emboldened to say 'that didn't work for me' [or] 'that was a terrific lecture.'"
Buell says student attendance at guest lectures could benefit both the candidate and the students, making the visit to campus a "happier event--more welcoming, diverse."
"It would encourage [a] broad base of mutual exposure and a more informal decision making process," he says. "Our students can be our very best recruiters."
Lastly, Thompson suggests that students write letters to the department of any junior faculty member they have found particularly inspiring.
"Students can write letters...to say, 'I've had a wonderful experience with this particular teacher,'" she says. "You can be sure that when that department is putting that candidate forward, they're going to say 'we've received letters from students.'"
Although all administrators mention the opportunity for student input, none of Harvard's administrators advocated giving students a formalized role or vote.