Tenure Clock Extensions Policy

Policy Document

A non-tenured member of the faculty in a tenure track position shall be eligible, upon request, for a one-year extension of the tenure probationary period due to the occurrence of a life event (as defined below) that can be reasonably be expected to markedly delay progress toward tenure.  Any such request must be made within a year of beginning of the life event.  Such an extension of the tenure probationary period shall be available whether or not the faculty member applies for or receives a leave of absence due to such a life event.

A faculty member ordinarily will not be eligible for more than one, one-year extension.  In exceptional and unusual circumstances, a second, one-year extension for a second life event of for the same life event may be considered at the discretion of the Dean of the faculty member’s college, but will only be granted with the approval of the Provost.

A faculty member who receives such an extension has the right to choose later to waive the tenure extension and come up for tenure at the normal six-year point, not including the tenure clock stoppage.

A tenure-track faculty member who has been granted such an extension shall be reviewed for tenure under the same academic standards as candidates for tenure who have not received such extensions.

Definitions

Life events automatically qualifying a faculty member for an extension are:

1. the birth of a child into the faculty member’s household,
2. the adoption or fostering of a child under the age of five into the faculty member’s household, and
3. active duty military service or obligations expected to extend for a substantial portion of a semester

A faculty member also will qualify for an extension upon finding by the Dean of the faculty member’s college that a life event not specified in the above can reasonably be expected to markedly delay progress toward tenure.  Such other life events include, but are not limited to:

1. the adoption or fostering of a child, requiring special care, who is over the age of five.
2. the faculty member who has suffered a serious health condition that is expected to persist for a substantial portion of a semester,
3. the faculty member who is required to act as the primary caregiver for a substantial portion of a semester for a parent, child, spouse, or domestic partner suffering serious health conditions,
4. the faculty member has suffered catastrophic residential property loss.

Application Process

Application for such extensions shall be made to the Dean of the college in which the faculty member is appointed.  To supply supporting information, the faculty member may refer the Dean to the Office of Human Resources to access information already on file in that office or the faculty member may choose to supply such information directly to the Dean.  The Dean may request additional information for life events as outlined above and a statement of the anticipated effect on progress toward tenure.  Decisions about whether a life event, as outlined above, qualifies a faculty member for an extension shall be made by the Provost, upon recommendation of the Dean.

Applicable Resources:

• Drake University Academic Charter