Tenure track career path

Our tenure track model consists of three levels: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor. When a tenure track position is opened for application, it can be opened on one or several levels. 

The entry-level posts are filled for a term of five years. When a person is promoted from the first to the second level, the appointment is made on a permanent basis. When a person is recruited directly to the second level, the term of office is five years. Appointments to the third level are made on a permanent basis.

Recruiting to the tenure track

As a rule, employees are recruited to tenure track posts through open international calls. A tenure track vacancy can be opened for application at multiple levels simultaneously. The open levels are announced for each post. When submitting their application, the applicants mention the tenure track level for which they are applying. An applicant can only apply for a post at one level.

The President nominates an appointment committee for each tenure rack recruitment. The duties of the appointment committee include drafting the call for applications, deciding on the profile of the post and the selection criteria, choosing the recruitment channels, canvassing for potential candidates, and actively promoting and advertising the vacancy via its own networks. A recruitment process is prepared in accordance with the principles governing the responsible assessment of researchers.

When recruiting employees to tenure track positions, external reviewers are always consulted to assess the best candidates’ scientific or artistic expertise. At least two internationally distinguished Professors or persons with a corresponding track record are asked to review the top candidates’ scientific or artistic competence. The appointment committee interviews the most potential candidates. The interview may also include a presentation of the applicants’ research work. Video interviews and aptitude tests may also be used in the recruitment process. The teaching skills of the strongest candidates are assessed. Read more on the principles and phases of our recruitment processes.

When considering candidates for a tenure track position, the candidate who has demonstrated the best potential to attain full Professor status on a high international level or who is an internationallyrecognised researcher in his or her field, is appointed to the tenure track position.

Advancement on tenure track career 

We are committed to the individuals recruited to tenure track posts and provide them the opportunity to advance to the permanent position of a Professor. We support career advancement by providing training, coaching and other support for the development of teaching, instructional and supervisory skills and other competencies. 

Advancement in the tenure track is based on personal objectives agreed with the employee. When defining the goals, the person’s entire career path is considered and the goals that should be met during each term of office are anticipated well in advance, with a view to the person’s eventual advancement to the position of Professor.

When defining the goals, the person’s background, and previous merits as well as the University’s and faculty’s strategies are considered.

The goals are defined based on performance in three areas:

• research merits
• teaching and supervision merits
• societal interaction and interaction in the university community

The Dean, together with the supervisor, annually monitors the meeting of goals during the tenure track.

Career advancement is based on an overall assessment of the employee’s progress and achieved outcomes, which are compared to the goals that have been set. Promotion reviews are carried out by external experts. A promotion review is initiated no later than one year before the end of an employee’s tenure track period.

For the majority of our researchers selected for the tenure track career path at Tampere University, the promotion assessment leads to the next level of the career path. In cases where promotion to the next level of the career path is not justified or not yet justified on the basis of the assessment, it may be agreed to continue at the same tenure track level and set new goals. The last option is to exit the tenure track path, in which case the fixed-term employment contract ends at the time agreed in it. However, our goal for every person recruited for our tenure track career path is to advance to the position of Professor in due course.

Tampere University as an employer

Tampere Univeristy's general principles of recruitment

The most common titles and eligibility criteria for our teaching and research staff

Open positions at Tampere University