How Faculty Can Organize Their Promotion or Tenure Portfolio Without Letting It Take Over Their Life

A step-by-step approach for busy faculty to organize a promotion or tenure portfolio, highlight accomplishments, and make steady progress without letting it take over your workday

By Chris McRae, PhD and Aubrey Huber, PhD, Co-Founders and Faculty Portfolio Coaches, Helping faculty organize promotion and tenure portfolios, showcase impact, and complete high-stakes academic projects efficiently.

You’ve earned advanced degrees, published your research in top-tier journals, mentored and taught students, led initiatives, and contributed to your institution’s mission through your service.

Now it’s time to present your years of work in a promotion or tenure portfolio.

But when you’re also teaching, supervising, writing, leading committees, and maybe even raising a family the question becomes:

How do you organize a strong faculty or promotion portfolio while working full-time?

You’re not alone. Many academics feel the same tension: “I know what I’ve done, I just don’t know how to organize it into a coherent, persuasive portfolio.”

This blog gives you the structure, strategy, and small achievable steps you need to move forward.

Why Promotion and Tenure Portfolios Feel Overwhelming

It isn’t the work itself that’s complicated, it’s the presentation.

Common challenges faculty members face:

• “I don’t know where to begin.”

• “I have all the materials… but no way to organize them.”

• “How do I show impact without bragging?”

• “What do I actually include in a promotion portfolio?”

• “What if I leave something out?”

A Tenure and Promotion Portfolio Tells a Story

Earning a tenure track position does not guarantee promotion, or tenure. After five or six years of learning the job, completing and publishing research, developing and teaching courses, and serving the institution your portfolio materials are due.

When I began preparing my tenure and promotion materials I was a new parent, had just finished my first book, and had graduated two PhD students. 

I was exhausted.

The department and university guidelines outlined all the required documents. 

I had hundreds of pages, but I needed to organize them into a cohesive story. And I didn’t have much time.

A Structured Approach Makes All the Difference

Gathering the required materials for a successful tenure and promotion portfolio may be time consuming or tedious.

The real challenge is in organizing, prioritizing, and presenting the evidence in a way that tells a clear story of your impact and why you should be promoted.

Following a structured approach helps you:

• Identify which materials best demonstrate your teaching, research, and service accomplishments. 

• Organize your documents so reviewers can easily identify your impact. 

• Create a realistic plan that can help you make progress without taking up all of your time.

Step One: Identify Your Key Contributions for your Faculty Promotion Portfolio

Your portfolio is your opportunity to present your years of effort in a unified story.

Decide which materials best demonstrate your impact in teaching, research, and service. 

Evidence might include everything from publications, course materials, presentations, formal evaluations, and letters of recognition and appreciation.

Step Two: Organize Your Faculty Promotion Portfolio Materials Efficiently

After gathering all of your documentation, you’ll need to organize everything so that your reviewers (who likely will not be familiar with your work) can easily trace your accomplishments.

Consider creating a table of contents for your to help point your reviewers to the strongest evidence of your impact.

Step Three: Create a Realistic Workflow for Portfolio Completion

Compiling your faculty promotion portfolio takes time, but it shouldn’t result in sleepless nights and long weekends.

Create a schedule for working on your portfolio by blocking off a little bit of time each day, and setting small goals, so you can stay focused, and avoid a stressful situation.

Step Four: Seek Expert Guidance with Faculty Portfolio Coaching

Even experienced faculty can benefit from an external perspective. Working with a coach to help finish your portfolio can help you:

• Review your materials strategically

• Ensure clarity and coherence

• Navigate challenges 

• Build a plan that fits your schedule.

This support can help save you time, stay focused, and present the story of your accomplishments in a way that is compelling, clear, and persuasive.

Tell the Best Story with Your Faculty Promotion Portfolio

You don’t have to navigate the promotion process alone. Strategic guidance and support can help save you time, stay organized, and present your work in a way that clearly demonstrates your excellence and impact.

If you are just getting started or you are putting on the finishing touches, faculty promotion portfolio coaching provides: 

• Personalized support

• Feedback on your portfolio materials

• A realistic plan that fits your teaching, research, and service schedule

If you’re ready to move forward confidently and efficiently, schedule a consultation today. Together we’ll make your portfolio tell the most compelling story of your impact.

Chris McRae, PhD — Faculty Portfolio Coach helping faculty plan, structure, and complete promotion and tenure portfolios, navigate high-stakes academic projects, and highlight their accomplishments effectively.

Aubrey Huber, PhD — Co-Founder & Faculty Portfolio Coach supporting faculty with CV and dossier development, portfolio strategy, and completion of high-impact academic projects while balancing full-time responsibilities.

Ready to start your academic project with guidance? Contact us today.