Faculty

Faculty in clock-managed ranks are reviewed for consideration of promotion and/or tenure in a mandatory and specified timeframe or probationary period. This timeframe is otherwise known as a faculty member’s “promotion and/or tenure clock”. A clock-waiver extends the length of the second appointment of a faculty member. Regardless of when the clock-waiver is activated, the initial 3-year appointment and 2nd year review is not changed; rather, each clock waiver extends the length of the 2nd (normally 3-year) appointment by one year.

Clock Waiver Limitations

At this time, there is a maximum total limit of 4 clock waivers for any allowable reason, including, but not limited to, COVID-19.

Automatic Clock Waivers

Generally, when a faculty member works 50% or more for 6 months or more, that academic year will count toward the promotion and/or tenure review clock. If the faculty member works less, the year will be waived and will not count toward the promotion and/or tenure clock. For example, this situation might occur if a full-time faculty member in a clock-managed rank takes an approved leave of absence at more than 50% for 6 months or more during the academic year. Faculty members do not need to do anything to request a waiver in this circumstance.

Automatic Clock Waiver Eligibility Examples

(by quarter)	Autumn	Winter	Spring	Summer	Automatic Adjustment
Amount worked	50%	50%	50%	0%	No
Amount worked	0%	0%	100%	0%	Yes
Amount worked	50%	50%	0%	0%	No
Amount worked	100%	0%	50%	0%	No
Amount worked	100%	0%	49%	0%	Yes

View Automatic Clock Waiver Year Flow Chart

 

Requested Clock Waivers

Birth or Adoption of a Child

Faculty members may request to waive a year in the case of the birth or adoption of a child that occurs during the probationary period. Clock waivers for birth or adoption of a child are eligible for automatic approval by the provost if they are within the maximum total allowable limit and the request is made within the probationary period. In this situation, the following steps should occur:

• Faculty members
  • submit a memo requesting a clock waiver (including the date of birth or adoption of their child) to their department chair/director/campus dean and dean/chancellor’s office
• Administrators
  • upload the faculty member’s memo to Maintain Worker Documents
  • submit the waiver year request through Workday using the appropriate reason codes

Extraordinary Circumstances Associated with Covid-19

See the COVID-19 Clock Waiver Requests page for the criteria and process for requesting clock waivers associated with COVID-19.

Other Exceptional Requests

When there have been significant and unanticipated interruptions to research/scholarship, other circumstances might also form the basis for provost consideration of a clock waiver. In these cases, faculty members must have otherwise been making satisfactory progress and their requests must also have the support of their department chair/director/campus dean and dean/chancellor. Examples might include:

• A serious documented personal health condition
• Providing care for a family member with a significant documented health condition
• Caring for a newly-placed foster child
• Other extenuating circumstances outside the control of the faculty member that have substantially limited the faculty member from having the full benefit of the probationary period (e.g., a faculty member who performs field research but is unable to go to the field)

Required Documents

Unit administrators should upload to Maintain Worker Documents the following items as a single PDF:

• Clock waiver request from the faculty member
• Department chair/director/campus dean written recommendation and rationale
• Dean/chancellor concurrence

Note: The duration of the second term for certain faculty in clock-managed ranks is impacted by their appointment percent, which may also affect the length of their mandatory promotion and/or tenure clock (see the Clock-Managed Ranks page for more details).

Workday Resources

In all cases listed above–automatic and requested clock waivers– academic units must update promotion clocks and enter the clock waiver in Workday. Administrators should refer to the Update Academic Appointment Track and/or the Maintain Promotion Clock user guides for guidance.