FAQ: Faculty COVID-19 Clock Extensions

• If a faculty member requests to have up to 2 years from the 2019-20, 2020-21, and/or 2021-22 academic years waived prior to the reappointment decision, the appointment clock would be adjusted accordingly.
  • A faculty member initially appointed in the 2019-20 academic year would currently be in the second year of appointment. With one approved clock waiver, 2021-22 would become the second year of appointment and would also become the academic year in which the second year review would be conducted. With a second approved clock waiver, 2022-2023 would become the second year of the appointment and would also become the year in which the second year review would be conducted.
• If, however, a faculty member requests to have up to 2 years from the 2019-2020, 2020-21, and/or 2021-22 academic years waived after a reappointment decision was made, the appointment clock would not require adjustment.
  • A faculty member initially appointed in 2019-20 academic year would currently be in the second year of appointment. If the reappointment decision was made before a clock waiver or waivers were submitted, only the promotion clock would be adjusted with the waiver. A second reappointment decision in 2021-22 or 2022-23 would not be required.

• All assistant professors with a mandatory promotion clock (tenure track, WOT by reason of funding, research, clinical dental-pathway) are eligible to request up to two waivers from the 2019-20, 2020-21, and/or 2021-22 academic years; however, the request(s) must be made prior to the mandatory promotion year.
  • In other words, a faculty member initially appointed in 2016-17 who requests a waiver of either the 2019-20 or 2020-21 academic year by June 30, 2021 would have their mandatory promotion review extended from 2021-22 to 2022-23. If both 2019-20 and 2020-21 are waived, their mandatory promotion and/or tenure review would be extended to 2023-24.
  • Similarly, a faculty member initially appointed in 2017-18 who requests a waiver prior to the 2022-23 mandatory promotion year would have their mandatory promotion review extended from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (with 1 approved waiver) or 2024-25 (with 2 approved waivers).

• Factors that may be taken into consideration when determining the academic year that will be requested to be waived include:
  • Whether the selected year(s) would provide benefit to the faculty member with regard to the timing of the second year reappointment decision.
  • A preference to select the year(s) during which disruptions due to COVID-19 had the greatest impact on their teaching and/or research.
  • Selecting the year in which they are not also eligible for an automatic clock waiver (e.g., birth or adoption of a child).

Faculty who request a first and/or second waiver associated with COVID-19, but who later decide that they do not need the additional year(s), may request a non-mandatory (early) review for promotion and/or tenure, following the procedures outlined in the UW Faculty Code Section 24-54.

If a dean/chancellor believes there are truly exceptional circumstances that would support a second COVID-19 clock waiver, they should contact the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel for guidance.