About the Tenure Clock Pause
During the first six years of the probationary period, a full time faculty member appointed on a tenure-eligible pathway may request, for reasons set forth below, that the probationary period be suspended for as much as one year at a time per request. Any such request should be made within a reasonable period of time related to the circumstances that triggered the request, typically within twelve months.
Each request requires the approval of the individual’s Department Chair, the College Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Dean, the UAMS Chancellor or his/her designee, and the UA President.
It would be unusual that approval would be granted for more than a maximum of two years (total) suspension of an individual’s probationary period.
The reasons for such a request are those required under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993:
- the birth of a child by the faculty member or placement in the faculty member’s home of a foster child;
- the adoption of a child by the faculty member or placement in the faculty member’s home of a foster child;
- the care of the faculty member’s spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition; and
- the serious health condition of the faculty member.
There are two additional criteria for which a suspension of the probationary period may be requested:
- The time period during which a faculty member pursues an advanced degree or certificate (other than during an Off-Campus Duty Assignment/Sabbatical), and
- The time period during which a faculty member, at the request of the Department Chair and the Dean, assumes a significant administrative workload on an interim basis in service to the Department.
In both of these latter circumstances, the individual and Department Chair must demonstrate to the Dean and the College Promotion and Tenure Committee why either of these new pursuits effectively precludes the achievement of the candidate’s previously expected scholarly activities.
| Academic Request | JFR Required Documents |
|---|---|
| Tenure Clock Suspension | · Department Chair letter · Faculty Request Letter · Current CV |
If the tenure clock suspension request is for a faculty member outside of the College of Medicine, they will need to send the following documents to the Faculty Affairs division of the Center for Faculty Excellence:
1. Candidate CV
2. Letter of support from Department Chair
3. Letter from faculty member requesting tenure clock pause
4. Letter from College Promotion & Tenure committee approving of the request
5. Letter from College Dean approving of the request
These documents will then be sent to the Provost for review and approval. After review, the Chancellor will need to approve the request and then the packet is sent to the Board of Trustees for approval.
Contact Katie Poe khpoe@uams.edu for questions.