Faculty Success supports several key faculty review and advancement processes, including Pre-Tenure Review, Tenure, Promotion, Tenure with Promotion, Sabbatical/Faculty Improvement Leave, Research Professorship, Chairperson Evaluation of Faculty, Peer Review of Faculty, Distinguished Professorship Award applications, and other processes related to the review of faculty in accordance with the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act. Faculty record their teaching, research, service activities, and accomplishments in one centralized system, allowing this information to be used across multiple review, reporting, and evaluation processes.
ITL & ITS have developed several support resources:
Visual "Walk-Through" Faculty Success Guides: For those that would like to see a screenshot walk-through of the Faculty Success system, ITL has developed these short guides:
ITS Knowledge Base Articles: IT training services have created information and instructional articles on using Faculty Success via the Faculty Success Knowledge Base
Faculty Success One-on-One Consultations: If you need more assistance and would like to schedule a one-on-one session, please click here to book a consult. Select "Watermark Assistance" and a date/time that works for you.
See below for detailed information regarding processes that will be completed through Faculty Success. Last updated August 7, 2026.
Best Practices Pre-Tenure Review Tenure & Promotion Sabbatical / FIL Research Professorship Chairperson Evaluation
It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with Article 10 of the YSU/YSU-OEA collective bargaining agreement and University Policies 10 – Academic Affairs, which outlines the various processes. It is also important to familiarize yourself with your department governance document, college guidelines, provost criteria, and any further discussion of these processes.
There is flexibility in how you organize and submit your materials. Each uploaded file should be titled in a clear, concise manner (for example, “Promotion Application” or “Pages of Evidence” or “Teaching Support Materials”). Keep your reviewers in mind when organizing and naming your files. Will your file names make sense to a reviewer?
Limit the number of files you upload in your application. If you have a large number of files, consider grouping them together into combined files (for example: Teaching Evidence, Scholarship Evidence, Service Evidence). Requiring reviewers to sort through and manage a large number of individual files risks a file being overlooked.
Allowed file types include (not a comprehensive list):
Where Do I Apply?
If you are required to apply for pre-tenure review during the upcoming academic year, you will receive a Watermark notification in your email when the application is available to you in early August.
Read the email language carefully and click the link contained in the notification to be taken to the application in Faculty Success by Watermark. You will enter your professional activities in the appropriate activity category and upload your support materials to the application. The application and all materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on September 1.*
*Note: If September 1 falls on a weekend or holiday, then 11:59 p.m. the first working day following September 1 shall be the deadline.
What is Needed to Apply?
Where Do I Apply?
If you are eligible to apply for tenure, promotion, or tenure with promotion during the upcoming academic year, you will receive a Watermark notification in your email when the application is available to you in early August.
Read the email language carefully and click the link contained in the notification to be taken to the application in Faculty Success by Watermark. You will be able to upload your support materials to the application. The application and all materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on September 1.*
*Note: If September 1 falls on a weekend or holiday, then 11:59 p.m. the first working day following September 1 shall be the deadline.
What is Needed to Apply?
Where Do I Apply?
By August 27th, navigate to the Activities page in Faculty Success by Watermark and click on the Intent to Apply for Annual Processes link to indicate your intention to apply for a Sabbatical or Faculty Improvement Leave in the upcoming academic year. You must submit your Intent to Apply each academic year, as it is reset annually on March 15. (Read Knowledge Base Article)
Using the dropdown menu, indicate your intent to apply for a Sabbatical/Faculty Improvement Leave for the next academic year.
If you indicate that you intend to apply, you will receive a Watermark notification email on August 29 informing you that the application is available. Read the email language carefully and click the link to be taken to the application. The application and all materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on September 15.*
*Note: If September 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, then 11:59 p.m. the first working day following September 15 shall be the deadline.
What is Needed to Apply?
Read the below information and prepare the necessary materials prior to the application deadline. Each application should stand on its own merit and be written so an individual non-expert can understand it. Explain all jargon and demonstrate how the activity benefits the department, college, and University.
Required Components:
Note: After submission, your Chairperson and Dean will provide statements of support and workload coverage. Notify them in advance so they can prepare.
Where Do I Apply?
By September 8, navigate to the Activities page in Faculty Success by Watermark and click on the Intent to Apply for Annual Processes to indicate your intention to apply for a Research Professorship in the upcoming academic year. You must submit your Intent to Apply each academic year, as it is reset annually on March 15. (Read Knowledge Base Article)
Using the dropdown menu, indicate your intent to apply. If selected, you will receive a notification email on September 9. The application and all materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on October 15.*
*Note: If October 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, then 11:59 p.m. the first working day following October 15 shall be the deadline.
What is Needed to Apply?
Where Do I Apply?
Each full-time faculty member shall undergo an annual performance evaluation encompassing the entire academic year. You will receive an email notification from notifications@watermarkinsights.com when the workflow launches around mid-April.
Follow the link in the notification to access the workflow. Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. on May 20.*
*Note: If May 20 falls on a weekend or holiday, then 11:59 p.m. the first working day following May 20 shall be the deadline.
What is Needed to Apply?
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