The technical setup of Interfolio Review, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) cases may seem routine, but small missteps in the foundational template can create major slowdowns once reviews are underway. Administrators play a critical role in ensuring that cases move forward without delays—and that begins with precise template setup on the APF website.
One of the most common—and avoidable—pitfalls is mismanaging placeholder committees. Each foundational template includes placeholders that must be replaced (not just supplemented) with the appropriate school- and department-level committees. It’s essential to use the “Replace” option rather than adding a new committee. Otherwise, the new committee won’t inherit the necessary instructions and requirements—and since committees cannot view each other’s instructions, this creates gaps that can stall a case mid-review.
Resist the urge to tinker. The foundational template reflects all elements required by the Provost’s Office. Renaming steps, deleting instructions, or removing requirements—even with good intentions—can cause significant delays. Once the foundational template has been cloned, the only edits needed are to add any local-level requirements and properly replace placeholder committees.
Naming your templates correctly also matters. Follow this required naming convention:
SCC_Dept_DEP/UNDEP Template
Examples:
- Departmentalized units: CAS_ENG_DEP Template
- Undepartmentalized units: LAW_UNDEP Template
Let the system do the work. After the candidate is notified that their case is ready, and once they submit their materials, the system will automatically move the case to Step 1. Manually moving the case to Step 1 before this point will lock the candidate out of their section, requiring administrative intervention to unlock it.
External reviewer requests can be sent at any time, but the best practice is to wait until the candidate’s materials have been submitted—this allows you to include relevant documents in the request.
Also important: if a candidate updates their External Reviewer Nominees form or any required form, they must resubmit their Candidate Documents section. This step ensures administrators and committees are reviewing the most current version.
And finally, all communications and document sharing with the candidate should happen within the Interfolio system. Uploading documents directly to the case ensures everything is centralized, secure, and accessible to the right people.
Attention to detail in the early stages of case setup helps ensure a smooth, timely review process for everyone involved.