Review of current tenure policies and their relation to junior dental faculty

The nature of tenure eligibility requirements for faculty has changed in recent years. The purpose of this study was to review the current tenure policies among U.S. dental schools. A five-page, sixteen-item survey was mailed to fifty-three U.S. dental schools. The survey produced thirty-seven completed questionnaires for a response rate of 70 percent. Among the results of the survey were: a) the most prevalent probationary period was seven years; b) faculty were expected to have a minimum of six to 15 publications to obtain tenure; c) only 39 percent of schools were perceived to offer a financial guarantee along with the award of tenure; and d) 69 percent of the schools offered an alternative track for selected full-time faculty.