August 10, 2009

Tenure Applications Go Digital

Andrew Dolph for The Chronicle

Sue N. Averill, associate provost for faculty affairs, and David W. Dalton, an associate professor of instructional technology, want to minimize the use of paper via an electronic tenure-review process at Kent State U. "You can really tell your story in new ways," says Mr. Dalton, who developed the software.

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Andrew Dolph for The Chronicle

Sue N. Averill, associate provost for faculty affairs, and David W. Dalton, an associate professor of instructional technology, want to minimize the use of paper via an electronic tenure-review process at Kent State U. "You can really tell your story in new ways," says Mr. Dalton, who developed the software.

By Audrey Williams June

Sue N. Averill, associate provost for faculty affairs at Kent State University, has one overwhelming memory of her first few weeks on the job last year: a mountain of white-plastic bins looming over her head.

In early December, containers typically used to transport mail began piling up in the provost's office. Each was filled with paper-stuffed binders from faculty members building their cases for promotion and tenure. The bins took up two whole walls in a conference room, where they