Faculty Policies Handbook:

3. Faculty

3.1.1 Eligiblity for Review

3.1.11 Tenure To be eligible for tenure, one must hold a full-time appointment as a member of the faculty of instruction. The total period of full-time service prior to acquiring continuous tenure may not exceed seven years, including an allowance of up to three years of credit for previous full-time service with the rank of instructor or higher in university-level appointments in other institutions. The amount of credit for previous service must be established at the time of initial appointment. Four years of service at Drake is required prior to granting tenure, except with the special approval of the Board of Governors. University policies on conditions of tenure as stated in the Bylaws of the University, the Academic Charter, and the Faculty Manual are applicable in the College.

3.1.12 Promotion A faculty member appointed at the rank of instructor, pending completion of an advanced degree, may be promoted to the rank of assistant professor when the dean receives official notice that all requirements of the degree have been satisfied. The time required in rank for assistant and associate professors before eligibility for promotion is typically six years, including service in rank in another institution for which credit is granted at the time of appointment at Drake. In unusual circumstances, exceptions to the six-year requirement may be permitted.