Some Senior Administrators have reassured faculty that there will be a COVID “asterisk” on their promotion/tenure files because of negative consequences of the pandemic. There is no information about how case files will be assessed with the implications of the pandemic in mind. 

What you need to do in the annual review process is ask how your case file will be interpreted. Make sure progress toward tenure and promotion forms reflect any impact of the pandemic on your productivity and on evaluations of your teaching performance, and that the impact is attributed to the pandemic. In addition, ask how you can explain the effects of the pandemic on your work toward meeting standards in the self assessment that accompanies your case file. 

Whether you go for renewal of probation, tenure or promotion this fall or in years to come, be sure to include in your self assessment information about the effects of the pandemic on your work toward meeting standards.