--- title: Progress Update on APT Policy Feedback date: 2026-10-29T15:15:00-04:00 author: Bradley Bower canonical_url: "https://provost.umd.edu/news/progress-update-on-apt-policy-feedback" section: News --- # Progress Update on APT Policy Feedback *October 29, 2026* — by Bradley Bower > Sent to all University of Maryland faculty on October 29, 2026 Colleagues, Several years ago we began the important process of revising our Appointment, Promotion and Tenure (APT) policy to “align evaluations, rewards and incentives with our goals and values,” as articulated in our [*Fearlessly Forward strategic plan’s*](https://click.email.umd.edu/?qs=ABp7ImQiOjUwNDQsInQiOjEzNjIsInMiOjExfQALAAAAAAZL5zxDojgoGZZDxS4tFZjFJIjhurY1AhFCzQpJLpn3Hy2DtJe39Az6RXi2cHb8_SVjqvJMJvHUts0CxEuVj4oKmq5Ngs-WhcWEOuo "Fearlessly Forward strategic plan’s") commitment to [invest in people and communities](https://click.email.umd.edu/?qs=ABp7ImQiOjUwNDQsInQiOjEzNjIsInMiOjExfQALAAAAAAZL5zxDoyPAeAxeiN8Lu0pPmERrz6W-CbwDR3GCIqo7CZjKxy04ghBkkpQvvfsnWd39fze8e9BZeayO_zFcBb2SUUiakix6OYqrfU4 "invest in people and communities"). Within that broader goal, one of our objectives is to “reenvision faculty promotion systems to promote and reward inclusive excellence; impactful research, service, and civic engagement; and innovative activities that advance the common good.” As a UMD faculty member of more than 30 years, I feel strongly that faculty voices and feedback must be central to this work. To achieve that, we have taken a thoughtful, inclusive, multi-year approach, offering numerous opportunities for faculty engagement along the way. As this work continues, I wanted to provide you with an update. **Our process to date** We began this work in 2022 in connection with the launch of *Fearlessly Forward*, inviting all faculty to attend a series of seven Provost Dialogues to provide input on key areas of consideration within APT processes. Examples of dialogue topics include excellence and impact; community-engaged and interdisciplinary work; innovation and entrepreneurship; and teaching and mentoring. Feedback from the sessions was documented, shared and discussed among academic leadership, leading to the formation of an APT Working Group with faculty representatives from each college and school to develop proposed revisions. I’m grateful for the group’s thoughtful and careful work. The Working Group’s draft was shared with academic leaders earlier this year, and all faculty during the Spring 2026 semester, with opportunities to provide input through two additional in-person dialogues and written comments. This input informed revised drafts, which were subsequently reviewed by the APT Working Group, the deans, and the Associate Deans for Faculty Affairs. You can read more about the process on the [Faculty Affairs website](https://click.email.umd.edu/?qs=ABp7ImQiOjUwNDQsInQiOjEzNjIsInMiOjExfQALAAAAAAZL5zxDpBsUrAwa15GsUFy51NC-QJoN-DzHS2twGKiRYvzMFU6bgb4K7WXQkwJmbIChjEAqDiXWMGyq2LtKQqVPu8cueTJEMd02bEE "Faculty Affairs website"). **Where we stand today** Although the draft was initially expected to be sent to the University Senate at the beginning of the fall semester, discussions with academic leadership and faculty are ongoing and continue to inform revisions. As we prepare the document for transmission to the Senate, we are integrating feedback collected, reviewing the policies for consistency, and working to make the policy language accessible and clear. Reflecting our ongoing commitment to transparency and faculty engagement in this process, the Office of Faculty Affairs will share information about additional opportunities for our community to provide input as the draft develops. After this inclusive work is complete, the draft will be transmitted to the University Senate for consideration through the shared governance process, which will provide a dedicated space for debate and deliberation, and additional opportunity for engagement. Once a revised university APT policy is passed by the University Senate and approved by the President, colleges, schools and units will engage in their own processes to revise their unit-level policies in ways that reflect their disciplines and plans of organization. As has always been the case, discretion is given to the units to determine their own standards and criteria for appointment, promotion and tenure. **Our commitment to our faculty** The goals in revising this policy are to better recognize the breadth of exceptional work of our faculty and to clarify our policy to ensure a fair, consistent and thorough process that advances excellence at UMD. We must also ensure compliance with University System of Maryland policy. I want to assure you that faculty voices are central to this process and that academic freedom remains fundamental to who we are as a university, and how we carry out our mission. At its core, this work is about broadening the bar for how we recognize excellence and impact. This means making sure our policies reflect the full range of contributions that faculty make to our university and our mission — across teaching and mentorship; research, scholarship and creative activities; and service and community engagement. UMD faculty achieve excellence and impact across these dimensions of the professorship in a variety of ways, and one goal of this policy revision is to ensure that a wider range of contributions can be recognized. I’m grateful for the hundreds of faculty members who have engaged in this work over the past four years. Our faculty’s commitment to excellence, to providing our students with an unparalleled academic experience, and to translating ideas into public impact is why I’m proud to lead this university’s academic enterprise. Sincerely, **Signature of Jennifer King Rice** **Jennifer King Rice** *Senior Vice President and Provost*