When a non-tenured tenure track faculty member joins the Medical School, two clocks begin to run. One is the University-wide tenure clock, the other is the Medical School tenure clock.
University-wide Tenure Clock: The maximum probationary period of non-tenured Tenure Track faculty consists of service with the University for a total of 10 years in the rank at the level of assistant professor or higher (SPG 201.13).
The University views the ten years as a deadline within which the University must either grant tenure to, or terminate, a tenure track faculty member. Except in extraordinary cases, the decision about tenure for a faculty member must be made no later than the end of the faculty member's ninth year on the University-wide tenure clock. More information on the University Tenure Clock can be found here: (UM Provost: Tenure Clock).
Medical School Tenure Clock: The Medical School generally reviews non-tenured faculty members for tenure in the sixth or seventh year of the tenure probationary period. This normative time to tenure review is well within the maximum 10-year period allowed by the university. Those who are not ready for a promotion review for tenure during the sixth or seventh year of the probationary period may ask for an extension that is within the University’s ten-year maximum tenure clock. The request will be reviewed for approval by the faculty member’s department chair and the medical school. Alternatively, a one-year terminal appointment for the year following the review may be offered.
Counting of Service Time Towards Tenure: Countable years of service begin to accrue on the University-wide tenure clock on the day when a faculty member is first appointed to a tenure track title with a total appointment of at least eighty percent (80%) effort. Previous periods of service in appointments such as clinical, adjunct, or visiting do not count toward the tenure probationary period.
Tenure Clock Exclusions: In recognition of the effects that pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions can have upon the time and energy a woman has to devote to her professional responsibilities and thus her ability to work at the pace or level expected to achieve tenure, a woman who bears one or more children during her tenure probationary period will upon written request to the Dean be granted an exclusion of one year for each event of childbirth from the countable years of service, up to a maximum of two years.
The demands of caring for dependents (such as children, including newly adopted children; ill or injured partners; or aging parents) may seriously affect the time and energy faculty have to devote to their professional responsibilities during the tenure probationary period. In recognition of the difficulty of combining an academic career with such dependent care demands, a faculty member in such circumstances may, upon written request to the Dean be granted an exclusion of one year for each dependent care request from the countable years of service that constitute that individual's tenure probationary period, up to a maximum of two years
No more than two years may be excluded from the countable years of service that constitute an individual’s tenure probationary period at the University of Michigan under this policy, regardless of the combination of circumstances. Requests must be made prior to the initiation of the tenure review. SPG 201.92.
COVID-19 Extension Request: The Medical School has developed a request and approval process for granting an extension of the tenure probationary period for COVID-related disruptions. Those who have already received a COVID extension and continue to be impacted by the pandemic can follow the steps below for consideration for one additional COVID extension year. Please note, an individual’s tenure probationary period cannot exceed the University tenure clock.
Criteria for a COVID-19 extensions include:
- Increased clinical duties due to the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the faculty member’s scholarly productivity.
- The faculty member’s research productivity was greatly reduced because of laboratory or research unit closure, or shelter-in-home requirements for the research team due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to Apply for a Tenure Clock Extension
- The faculty member submits a request to their chair via letter requesting the tenure extension. This letter should include details about their research, their current and projected progress, how an extension will aid them in obtaining tenure, and reason for the request.
- The Department Chair submits a letter to the Senior Associate Dean endorsing the faculty member’s request with a plan for review by the Department, expected outcome and impact on current professional responsibilities, as well as the faculty member’s letter and a current copy of their CV.
- Department submits letter, along with the faculty member’s current CV, to the Dean through the Office of Faculty Affairs utilizing the Customer Service Portal.
- After review and approval by the Senior Associate Dean (and provost office when applicable), a revised tenure chart and letter of concurrence is forwarded to the Chair. Upon receipt of the signed letter of concurrence from the Chair, records in OFA are updated to reflect the tenure extension.
Medical School Policy on the Tenure Clock and Worksite Exceptions
Medical school faculty members assigned to the Ann Arbor Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, or to the Life Sciences Institute may be included in the Tenure Track and have the same tenure probationary clock expectations as full-time Tenure Track faculty members at the U-M Medical School, Health System, and Hospitals.
This expectation for uniform application of the tenure probationary clock also applies to Tenure Track faculty members assigned to other worksites for clinical duties.
The Medical School recognizes that exceptions to this rule infrequently may be necessary and these will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the Office of the Dean.
Effective September 1, 2006, for faculty members hired on or after this date.