Retention, Tenure and Promotion (RTP)

Professional African American man

At SF State, our goal is to recruit, retain and promote a diverse faculty community that reflects our student body. Promotion and tenure policies and procedures are geared toward safeguarding academic freedom, which is vital for ongoing research, teaching and creative activities in higher education. The following information and resources are to help departments/schools and faculty navigate the RTP process. 

Advancement in rank is based on merit as demonstrated by teaching performance, professional achievement and growth, and contributions to the campus and the community as provided in Academic Senate policy and department criteria. Reviews and recommendations for promotion decisions are based solely on material contained in the electronic working personnel action file (eWPAF), which contains the faculty member’s materials and index, student evaluations of teaching effectiveness, and other information provided by the faculty, students, academic administrators, and others.  

Under the CSU Collective Bargaining Agreement and Academic Senate policies below, the university establishes an RTP calendar providing timelines for the three review cycles.