Such procedures can give junior faculty members an indication of what progress they are making toward reappointment or tenure, though the actual reappointment or tenure process will involve levels of administration beyond the department and may involve factors not considered in annual reviews of individual performance, such as the resources and needs of the institution. If the institution has no procedure to evaluate teaching, individual faculty members would do well to design and conduct their own course evaluations in as professional and objective a manner as possible, documenting the results carefully. If there is no formal procedure for annual review, the above described annual report of one's professional activities is especially important, as it will be the sole means of documenting the candidate's efforts to fulfill the institution's requirements for reappointment, promotion, or permanent status. It may also prompt a busy department chair to provide some feedback, or even to institute an annual review process. Candidates may find it helpful to seek mentors who can offer experienced counsel about the values and procedures of the institution.
Some schools have formal systems of assigning mentors to new faculty members.
New faculty members must realize, however, that the oral counsel of a mentor, even one formally designated, may be inaccurate and is not part of the official record that will determine matters of reappointment, promotion, or tenure. These should include publications, papers, talks or workshops, reviews, efforts to get grants, responses to service or scholarly activities, appointments to professional organizations, attendance at professional meetings, measures of accomplishment in course and program development and in administering writing programs, and any other activities that exhibit the professional development of the faculty member or professional service the faculty member has performed. The timing, sequence, and manner in which procedures are followed may be of considerable importance in case of an appeal of an unfavorable decision. Every institution strives for a spirit of collegiality, and junior faculty members should respect and practice collegiality while advancing their own careers and protecting their own interests. All discussions and written communications on issues of evaluation and personal advancement should be professional, objective, and dispassionate.