Professoriate: A Viewpoint of Promotions at an African University

Abstract

Promotion is a milestone in an academic career that is a rewarding but challenging process. There are promotion criteria and guidelines that universities follow as standards for the promotion and tenure of prospective professors. This research purposed to explore the nature of promotion criteria and guidelines for future professors at a South African university during the transformation era. This qualitative, phenomenological and interpretive study involved document analysis and participant observation. The findings revealed that the university had criteria and guidelines for promoting future professors; however, they were not clearly defined. The chair of the department and the professors from within the department mentor future professors. Some aspects of transformation were observed during the process of promotion. All the criteria for promotion should be transformed. This study endeavoured to contribute to the selection criteria for prospective university professors throughout the transformation period.