Changing professorial tracks

There are a variety of reasons why faculty members in professorial tracks may wish to change tracks. Professorial tracks include*:

Tenure (eligible for or has tenure)
Without Tenure By Reason of Funding (WOT)
Research
Teaching
Clinical Practice

Rank Equivalents

It is expected that a faculty member approved to change tracks will enter the new track at the equivalent rank. For example, an Associate Professor WOT changing to the Research track would come in as a Research Associate Professor.

Effect on the Mandatory Clock

If a faculty member in a clock-managed rank changes tracks, the timeline for mandatory promotion and/or tenure review does not change as a result of changing tracks. In other words, the new track typically inherits the previously-established clock. For example, a Research Assistant Professor with a 6-year mandatory promotion clock who changes to Assistant Professor WOT after 4 years will have 2 years remaining on their mandatory promotion clock. Please note that a track change does not preclude the faculty member from requesting a clock extension as allowed for by policy (e.g., change in FTE, Promotion and Tenure Extension).

If the faculty member moves from a clock-managed track into the teaching track, which is not clock-managed, the faculty member will no longer have a mandatory promotion clock. Conversely, if a faculty member moves from the teaching track into a clock-managed track, they will start at the beginning of the standard probationary period for the new track.

A faculty member who has been appointed as a clock-managed assistant professor and has exhausted the full probationary period (i.e., the equivalent of two 3-year appointments) is not eligible to hold the assistant professor rank in the same or a different clock-managed professorial track at the University. In limited circumstances and prior to a pending promotion or tenure decision, a faculty member in the final year of a clock-managed professorial appointment may be allowed to move into the teaching track or clinical practice track, as appropriate.

Track Change Options and Associated Requirements

Currently in…	Changing to…	Required Documentation and Approvals
Tenure track WOT track	Research track Teaching track Clinical Practice track	Required approvals: Chair/director/campus dean, dean/chancellor, Academic HR Letter from faculty member requesting track change and resigning current appointment contingent upon new appointment New appointment letter Chair/director/campus dean letter Faculty vote Evidence of appropriate credentialing as determined by hiring unit (for Clinical Practice only)
Tenure track	WOT track	Required approvals: Chair/director/campus dean, dean/chancellor, Academic HR Letter from faculty member requesting track change and resigning current appointment contingent upon new appointment New appointment letter Chair/director/campus dean letter Faculty vote
WOT track	Tenure track	Required approvals: Chair/director/campus dean, dean/chancellor, Academic HR, vice provost Approval on hiring plan If track change does not involve the award of tenure: Letter from faculty member requesting track change and resigning current appointment contingent upon new appointment New appointment letter Chair/director/campus dean letter Faculty vote If track change involves the award of tenure, follow procedures as outlined on the Faculty Promotion and Tenure page
Research track	Tenure track WOT track Teaching track Clinical Practice track	Required approvals: Chair/director/campus dean, dean/chancellor, Academic HR, vice provost Approval on hiring plan Competitive recruitment required Offer letter acknowledges that the new appointment supersedes the current appointment Evidence of appropriate credentialing as determined by hiring unit (for Clinical Practice only)
Teaching track Clinical Practice track	Tenure track WOT track Research track	Required approvals: Chair/director/campus dean, dean/chancellor, Academic HR, vice provost Approval on hiring plan Competitive recruitment required Offer letter acknowledges that the new appointment supersedes the current appointment
Clinical Practice track	Teaching track	Required approvals: Chair/director/campus dean, dean/chancellor, Academic HR Letter from faculty member requesting track change and resigning current appointment contingent upon new appointment New appointment letter Chair/director/campus dean letter Faculty vote
Teaching track Clinical-dental pathway	Clinical Practice track	Required approvals: Chair/director/campus dean, dean/chancellor, Academic HR Letter from faculty member requesting track change and resigning current appointment contingent upon new appointment New appointment letter Chair/director/campus dean letter Faculty vote Evidence of appropriate credentialing as determined by hiring unit

Questions

Faculty considering a track change should discuss the associated obligations and risks with their chair/director/campus dean.

For any questions related to the track change process, please contact your assigned AHR Specialist.

* For track change information related to Clinical Dental Pathway appointments, please contact the Academic HR team.