A2RU research, aligned with previous scholarship, notes the need to render explicit the unspoken expectations, assumptions, and definitions involved in the reappointment, tenure, and promotion process. The Implicit/Explicit card deck is a hands-on tool to assist teams who are charged with tenure and promotion policy to accomplish this very task. Developed for and tested in our Tenure and Promotion Workshops, the deck also helps reveal latent biases that may affect equity and inclusion efforts.

Play reveals which elements of an institution’s reappointment, tenure, and promotion practices are explicitly addressed in policy and which remain tacit, and helps players recognize the cultural biases present in institutional norms, processes, and policies when they are not made explicit. Additionally, the color-coded cards helps participants identify the roles and processes that are most relevant to them.