Michigan State University was awarded a $250,000 grant through the inaugural Modernizing Academic Appointment and Advancement (MA3) Challenge to strengthen university-wide efforts to modernize how faculty and academic staff are recognized, evaluated, and supported throughout their careers. The project seeks to reform promotion and advancement systems to better recognize the full range of faculty contributions, particularly in innovation, entrepreneurship, and community-engaged scholarship. The initiative aims to ensure that these forms of scholarly work are evaluated fairly, consistently, and transparently alongside more traditional academic activities. 

Key Activities

• Build on previous work initiated in 2024 by a provost-appointed working group examining promotion, tenure, and reappointment policies.
• Conduct landscape analyses and develop institutional definitions and guidance documents.
• Create university-wide recommendations and exemplar materials for recognizing innovation, entrepreneurship, and engagement in advancement processes.
• Support pilot colleges in adapting guidance to disciplinary contexts and revising policies and procedures.
• Develop scalable tools and models that can be expanded across colleges while respecting disciplinary differences. 

Partners:

• Faculty and Academic Affairs
• Office of Research and Innovation
• University Outreach and Engagement (UOE)