A reconsideration of the faculty peer-review process for promotion and tenure

Abstract

Academic pharmacy has embraced the concept of peer evaluation as an important means by which its members are rewarded and given guidance regarding career development. However, faculty members are focusing much of their energies and time trying to meet the requirements of the institutions' promotion and tenure guidelines versus attending to those more productive activities that would foster their development and career. Evaluation committees are faced with making subjective judgments using performance indicators that are not validated, subject to interpretation and potentially applied unequally to those under review. More onus should be placed upon the department chair to create the culture where mentorship and career planning are ongoing and his/her role supersedes that of a departmental peer-evaluation committee. The departmental evaluation committee could function in an advisory role to junior faculty throughout the year and would only meet in its traditional role when faculty members are considered for promotion and/or tenure.