The University Committee reviews requests for waivers of Faculty Policies and Procedures (FPP) regarding the following:
- Tenure Clock Extension
- Leave of Absence
- Dual Role Appointment
- Conversion to an Academic Staff Appointment & Track Transfer
Deadline: The University Committee generally meets every Monday afternoon during the fall and spring semesters and as needed throughout the summer and during breaks. The committee will accommodate all requests as soon as possible. Departments and deans should submit requests as soon as a need is known. Generally speaking, requests submitted to the secretary of the faculty by mid-week will be included on the next Monday’s agenda.
Questions: Any questions not addressed by the guidelines should be referred to the secretary of the faculty.
Tenure Clock Extension
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Tenure Clock Extension
Tenure clock extension requests are reviewed by the University Committee and forwarded to the provost based on:
- Disability or chronic illness (including infertility treatments or stillbirth)
- Elder or dependent care
- Circumstances beyond the control of the faculty member (FPP 7.04.H.2)
- Significant and substantial change in duties (FPP 7.04.H.3)
FPP 7.04.H.2 allows for more than one request for reasons of elder or dependent care obligations, disability or chronic illness, or circumstances beyond the control of the faculty member when those circumstances significantly impede the faculty member’s progress toward achieving tenure. However, the total, aggregate length of time for all requests granted to a probationary faculty member under FPP 7.04.H.2 ordinarily shall be no more than one year.
This provides flexibility for departments/schools/divisions and the University Committee to review multiple requests from an individual on a case by case basis.
Any faculty member who receives an extension and later wants to go through the tenure process “on time” (i.e., at their previously scheduled time) may do so without prejudice.
As stated in FPP 7.14.E, the department’s review and decision whether to recommend a probationary faculty member for promotion with tenure should not be based on the candidate’s record over calendar years, but on the probationary period only.
Confidentiality of medical information:
See the medical information panel below for information on maintaining confidentiality for tenure clock extension requests for reasons of disability or illness.
Process for Request:
View the form below to learn what materials are required and submit the request.
Tenure Clock Extension - COVID-19
Assistant professors needing tenure clock extensions due to the impact of COVID-19 on their professional life should use the regular tenure clock extension mechanism described in the panel above.
An assistant professor who receives a tenure track extension and later wants to go through the tenure process “on time” (i.e., at their previously scheduled time) may do so without prejudice.
If you have any questions, please contact the secretary of the faculty.
Tenure Clock Extension - Birth or Adoption
Faculty may request an extension of the tenure clock as a result of childbirth or adoption (FPP 7.04.H.1.). These requests should be directed to the provost and are not reviewed by the University Committee. Requests must be made within 12 months of the birth/adoption. These extensions are available to each parent faculty member regardless of gender or sexual orientation for each birth/adoption.
12 month extensions are automatically approved for birth/adoption that occurs:
- while an assistant professor OR
- in the 6-month period before employment begins
6 month extensions are automatically approved for birth/adoption occurring in the 7-12 months before employment begins
Any faculty member who receives an extension and later wants to go through the tenure process “on time” (i.e., at their previously scheduled time) may do so without prejudice.
Process for Request:
Assistant professors should email their request for an extension to provost@provost.wisc.edu and include the date of birth/adoption.
Leave of Absence
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Leave of Absence - with Tenure Clock Extension (Assistant Professors)
All requests for leaves of absence that substantially interrupt the ability of a probationary faculty member to establish, within the normal probationary period, a record that would warrant the granting of tenure require the approval of the University Committee (FPP 7.20.) and, by nature, are understood to include a tenure-clock extension (i.e., stop the tenure clock).
Confidentiality of medical information:
Please see the medical information panel below for information on maintaining confidentiality for leaves of absences for reasons of disability or illness.
Process for Request:
View the form below to learn what materials are required and submit the request.
Temporary Assignment - Leave of Absence without a Tenure Clock Extension (Assistant Professors)
A temporary assignment for probationary faculty is similar to a leave of absence, but it does not interrupt the tenure clock (FPP 7.20.). Temporary assignments include leaves where the probationary faculty member is participating in research or instructional activities (and is therefore continuing to establish a scholarly record), but is not on the university payroll. When a temporary assignment exceeds one year, the University Committee’s approval is required.
Process for Request:
View the form below to learn what materials are required and submit the request.
Leave of Absence (Tenured Faculty)
For tenured faculty members, leaves of absence that exceed one year or the equivalent of three semesters in three years require the approval of the University Committee FPP 7.20.
Confidentiality of medical information:
See the medical information panel below for information on maintaining confidentiality for leaves of absences for reasons of disability or illness.
Process for Request:
View the form below to learn what materials are required and submit the request.
Dual Role Appointment (Academic Staff)
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Dual Role - Regular
A dual role academic staff appointment is one in which an academic staff member holds a full-time appointment in one role and subsequently, is appointed to a second role. Approvals are required for academic staff who hold a high-level instructional or research role and wish to add the opposite role. Such appointments require University Committee approval (FPP 1.02.B., FPP 1.03.A., FPP 8.02.). The University Committee wishes to ensure that the distinction between faculty – whose responsibilities include instruction, research, outreach, and administration – and academic staff –whose responsibilities typically are limited to one of those areas – remains clear. The University Committee welcomes requests for waivers for up to three years for academic staff members to take on a second area of responsibility, particularly in the case of those who have the ability to serve a unit’s teaching mission. Units should show a demonstrated need, and can ensure that in waiving the rule they are able to maintain a clear distinction between faculty and academic staff responsibilities.
Blanket waivers (see panel below) may be requested for summer teaching or research, individualized instruction and short-term teaching. All other situations should follow the process below.
Process for Request:
View the form below to learn what materials are required and submit the request.
- Departments in the College of Letters & Science should direct their documents to hrstaff@ls.wisc.edu, for review/approval prior to submission to the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty
- Departments in the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences should direct these requests to Veronica Law, veronica.law@wisc.edu, for review/approval prior to submission to the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty.
Dual Role - Blanket
Certain limited dual role situations are covered by a blanket dual-role waiver. Requests for blanket dual-role waivers are presumed approved. The four situations covered by the blanket waiver are:
- Researchers teaching during summer term
- Instructors being paid to conduct research during summer term
- Individualized instruction assignments
- Short-term teaching assignments
- When the combination of a research and teaching appointment is less than 50%
- Researchers teaching in non-degree programs
Process for Request:
View the form below to learn what materials are required and submit the request.
Conversion & Track Transfer
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Conversion of probationary faculty appointments to academic staff and hiring of former probationary faculty into academic staff positions
In order to ensure that the hiring of former probationary faculty into other roles does not circumvent the tenure process (FPP 7.06.C.), all conversions of probationary faculty appointments into academic staff appointments and all hires of former probationary faculty into other positions must be approved by the University Committee. Conversions must also be approved by the provost.
The University Committee requests clear documentation that the appointment to the academic staff is temporary in nature (e.g., to cover teaching in critical courses until a new faculty member can be hired) or different in nature from a faculty position (e.g., appointment to a purely administrative position that is not normally filled by a faculty member). Former probationary faculty hired into academic staff positions are subject to all university open recruitment rules, and the academic staff position should not be substantially similar to or connected to the former assistant professor role. Such academic staff appointments might occur at the level of the department, the college, or within an institute or center and would be initiated, respectively, by a department chair, a dean, or a director.
Process for Request:
View the form below to learn what materials are required and submit the request.
Track Transfer
For individuals holding tenure-track appointments in schools and colleges with large clinical health sciences responsibilities, there may be a school/college process to transfer from a tenure-track position to a Clinical Health Sciences (CHS) track faculty position and vice versa. Such a transfer is typically done within the first three years on campus and may require approval of the University Committee.
For more information, departments and individuals should contact their relevant dean’s office.
Medical Information
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Confidentiality of Medical Information
If a waiver is requested for reasons of disability or illness, the chair/director/dean may contact the relevant Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) to request medical information to support the request. (Each school, college, and division has designated a DDR who is responsible for gathering any medical or confidential information required). The chair/director/dean will work directly with the DDR who will make any requests for medical information. A faculty member may be required to provide the DDR with verification of a disability or medical condition from a treating specialist. The DDR will work with the chair/director/dean and the faculty member to make an individualized assessment of the precise work-related limitations resulting from the disability or illness, the nature of the problem that is generating the request, and the condition’s impact on progress toward tenure. The DDR will communicate with—and make a recommendation to—the department chair/director/dean regarding the request. The chair/director/dean then will consult with the executive committee to decide on the waiver request. The DDR will share with the chair/director/dean and executive committee only what is essential for them to know to make a final determination on the waiver request. The executive committee will be reminded that all confidential information should not be discussed or commented on outside of closed session. No information or question regarding the disability, medical condition, or medical information, however slight, should be mentioned/posed to any other party or to the person requesting the leave except through the DDR. The DDR will file all medical and confidential information in the confidential medical files, separate and outside of the departmental or school/college personnel file.
NOTE: When chairs are preparing the dossiers of assistant professors for tenure and promotion, chairs should note any extensions of the probationary period in the chair’s letter; however, to maintain confidentiality, chairs should not cite the reasons for the extensions, regardless of the reason.
[For additional information on disability accommodation, see Faculty Reasonable Accommodation]