A Candidate's Guide to Populating and Submitting a Packet Using Interfolio RPT
When up for review (e.g. reappointment, promotion, tenure, or a periodic evaluation) an institution may ask you to assemble and submit a packet of materials using Interfolio Review, Promotion & Tenure (RPT). This packet becomes the formal set of documents committees will review at each stage of your evaluation.
As a candidate, you can:
- Upload materials into each required section (while the section is unlocked)
- Organize, reorder, and replace your files
- Complete forms assigned to you
- Preview your packet exactly as reviewers will see it
- Submit your packet when you’re ready
Some actions, such as unlocking a submitted section, require help from a Case Manager or Unit Administrator at your institution. This guide walks you through what you can do in your packet, how your materials are organized, and what to expect as you prepare and submit your packet for review.
How RPT Relates to Your Dossier
Your RPT packet is separate from your personal Dossier, but you can use materials from your Dossier to complete your packet.
- Dossier is your personal workspace. You can store files, tag them, organize collections, and reuse them for future reviews.
- Your RPT packet is institution‑controlled. Requirements, instructions, and deadlines come from your administrators and cannot be changed by candidates.
You may add materials from Dossier into your packet, but edits you make in your packet do not change the copies in your Dossier. Likewise, removing a file from your packet does not delete it from your Dossier.
If you're new to using Interfolio for reviews, you may find it helpful to explore our eLearning course for RPT Candidates.
Populate/Submit Packet
Access and Permissions
Your ability to edit packet materials depends on whether the section is unlocked. If it is unlocked you can upload, reorder, replace, or delete your files. Candidates cannot make changes to locked sections until an administrator does so manually.
Candidates can continue to edit unlocked sections even if your case has moved forward to later steps of committee review.
1. Navigate to Your Packets
- Navigate to Your Packets from your Interfolio account or from the case initiation email sent when your case was created:
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Interfolio Account: Select ‘Your Packets’ from the navigation menu and then click the hyperlinked name of the active packet. Past packets can be viewed under the ‘Completed’ section.
If your case does not appear on Your Packets page, it may have not yet been initiated.
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Case Initiation Email: Click View Case in the email.
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Interfolio Account: Select ‘Your Packets’ from the navigation menu and then click the hyperlinked name of the active packet. Past packets can be viewed under the ‘Completed’ section.
- If you already have an Interfolio account, you’ll be taken directly to the Packet Overview, where you can see each section and your progress toward completing requirements. If you do not have an account, you will be prompted to create a password to complete your registration. After creating your password, you’ll be taken to your packet.
2. Understand Your Packet Requirements
Before uploading materials, take a moment to review the requirements and instructions your institution has provided. Each packet section contains specific expectations you must meet before you can submit that section.
- Click View Instructions in the upper right-hand corner to review the institution provided ‘Candidate Instructions’ for your case. These instructions include required materials, institutional policies, process details, and any custom expectations from your department. Close when finished and ready to start uploading materials to your packet.
- From the Packet tab, expand the desired section to view the number of required files, the number of files you have already added, and any forms or prompts you must complete.
If your institution has enabled Dossier Guidelines for your upcoming review, you may also see recommended categories or tags in your Dossier to help you organize collections of your materials before adding them to your packet here.
- Candidates can upload, delete, or replace materials as long as the packet section is unlocked. This flexibility allows candidates to continue updating materials even after the case progresses to later steps.
3. Organize and Preview Your Packet
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Edit Document Title: Click ‘Edit’ next to the desired packet item to edit its name. Reviewers see uploaded document titles as bookmarks in the document reader, so it is important to give these documents clear, meaningful titles.
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Rearrange Files: If you uploaded a file to the wrong section or need to reorder materials, you can move materials by dragging and dropping while the section is unlocked.
Responses to committee files cannot be deleted.
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Add Sections: If enabled by a Unit Administrator, users can add sections to the packet using the ‘Add Section’ button at the top of the Packet tab.
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Submit Candidate Forms: Some sections include a form you must fill out using the ‘Fill Out Form’ (or Edit Form if already started) within the desired section.
The form will appear as completed but not yet submitted until the submit button for the section is pressed. After submission, edits can no longer be made.
- Complete FAR Vita Section: Manage and Submit a FAR Vita as part of your packet.
- It is recommended to click Preview Packet in the upper right-hand corner before submitting sections. The preview shows exactly how your packet materials will appear to the committee in the document reader.
4. View and Respond to Shared Files
Unit Administrators or Case Managers may add materials to your packet. These will appear as “Suggested by [Name]” within the relevant packet section. You can choose to keep the file in the section or remove it if it is not appropriate for your packet.
For more information, including how to view, download, or respond to shared materials, check out this article on how to View and Respond to Files Shared in RPT.
5. Submit Your Packet
How Do I Submit My Packet for Review?
Submitting your packet on time is an important step in the review process. Be sure to submit all packet sections by the due date. Submit all sections by the due date to ensure your full packet is reviewed. A section can only be submitted once all required items in that section have been completed. As soon as you submit the first section of your packet, your case will move to the first workflow step, and the assigned review committee will receive an automatic email notifying them that materials are ready for review.
If your packet has a hard deadline, all materials will be automatically submitted and locked at the due date, even if some requirements remain incomplete. You’ll receive reminder emails 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Submit Packet for Review
Candidates can submit all sections at once by clicking the checkbox at the top of the screen to check all sections and then clicking the white Submit Sections button that appears. Each section can also be submitted individually by clicking the blue Submit button within its section.
What Happens After You Submit a Section
A submitted section locks immediately, and its materials become visible to the review committee at the first workflow step. You must reach out to an administrator at the institution to unlock that section. Neither candidates nor Interfolio can unlock a locked section.
Once one section has been submitted and the case has moved forward, the committee will begin its review, even if additional sections are still being completed.
Candidates do not receive a confirmation email after submitting all sections, but rather your packet’s status updates to “Submitted” in your Interfolio account. This status serves as confirmation that your materials were successfully submitted for review.
FAQs
How do I update a file after I submit a section?
Once a section is submitted, it becomes locked, and only an administrator can unlock it for changes. Contact your department administrator, Case Manager, or Unit Administrator to request that the section be unlocked.
Can I see who reviewed my case or view the committee’s evaluations?
Access to evaluation results depends on your institution’s policies. Candidates do not automatically receive committee feedback in RPT. Contact your department administrator if you have questions about review results or access rights.
How do I review a previous cycle's packet?
Navigate to Your Packets from the navigation menu and scroll down to the ‘Completed’ section. Select the desired previous packet to review.
Note that you can Reuse Materials from Previous Packets in current reviews.
What time zone do timestamps use?
Packet timestamps display in UTC, and are not adjusted to your local time zone.
Is there a size limit for RPT packets?
Yes, there is a 5GB limit.
Why does my PDF look different for Mac vs. PC users?
Files containing form fields, embedded signatures, or digital signature layers may not display correctly in the RPT document reader. To ensure compatibility open the original PDF, use ‘Print to PDF’ using your system dialog, then upload the flattened version. This removes unsupported elements.
Why won’t my file upload?
Confirm that your file meets Interfolio’s accepted file type requirements. If you continue to experience issues, try saving or exporting a fresh version of the file.
Can I download or print my packet?
No. Candidates cannot download or print their RPT packets.
What happens after I submit my packet?
Once your packet is fully submitted:
- You cannot access or download your materials
- Your access depends on your institution’s policies
- Committee access and movement follow the institution’s workflow rules
If you need to make changes after submission, ask an administrator to unlock the relevant section.
How do I submit PDFs with signatures?
Check out this article About Adding a Letterhead or Signature to a Letter (For Letter Writers) for further guidance.