3.3. PROBATIONARY PERIOD
A tenure-track faculty member must serve a probationary period at UTC prior to being considered for tenure.
3.3.1. Length of Probationary Period
Except as otherwise provided in UT Policy BT0006, the probationary period of a tenure-track faculty member shall be six years. The faculty member will apply for tenure during the sixth year, and if tenure is not granted, the faculty member will be permitted to serve a seventh year as a terminal year. If a faculty member begins employment after July 1 and before January 1, the remaining term of the faculty member’s initial appointment will count as the first year of the probationary period, so that what is treated as the first year of a faculty member’s probationary period will not be shorter than six months.
For tenure-track full-time academic year appointments that begin in January, the faculty member’s probationary period begins on August 1 of the year in which the original appointment is made. For example, the tenure probationary period for an original appointment made in January 2020 would begin in August 2020 and the faculty member’s first reappointment review would be performed in the 2020-2021 academic year.
The provision of a probationary period and any statement in an appointment letter or otherwise regarding the probationary period and the year of mandatory tenure consideration does not guarantee retention of the faculty member for the full probationary period.
3.3.2. Applying for Early Tenure
A tenure-track faculty member may request an early consideration for tenure before the sixth year of his or her probationary period (“early tenure”) subject to the following limitations:
- A faculty member may apply for early tenure during years 2, 3, and 4 of the probationary period; however, if tenure is not granted, the faculty member must wait for one complete annual tenure cycle before reapplying; and
- A faculty member may apply for early tenure in year 5 of the probationary period. If tenure is not granted, he or she may reapply in the final year of the probationary period.
A faculty member should seek early tenure only after consultation with his or her departmental RTP Committee, department head and/or dean, which should include a thorough conversation about the faculty member’s record.
3.3.3. Extension of Probationary Period [1]
For good cause that is either related to procedural error or results from a significant disruption of University operations that has impeded the faculty member’s opportunity to conduct required research or other scholarly activity, teaching, and/or service, UTC and a tenure-track faculty member may agree in writing to extend a six-year probationary period for a maximum of two additional years (not including any extension granted due to the coronavirus crisis as authorized by the UT Board of Trustees’ March 27, 2020 action). The proposed extension must be approved in advance by the Provost, the Chancellor, and the UT System Vice President for Academic Affairs.[2]
3.3.4. Suspension of Probationary Period [3]
The Provost shall decide whether the probationary period will be suspended when the following circumstances occur:
- the faculty member accepts a part-time faculty position;
- the faculty member accepts an administrative position; or
- the faculty member is granted a leave of absence or modified duties assignment, including parental leave.
The Provost shall give the faculty member written notice of the decision concerning suspension of the probationary period.[4]
- When a faculty member is granted an "extension" to their probationary period, the overall time period of their probationary period is extended beyond six years such that the faculty member receives additional time in which to meet the tenure criteria and expectations established by the University and the faculty member's department and college. For example, if a faculty member is granted a one-year extension to their probationary period, their probationary period is extended from six to seven years. In turn, the year in which the faculty member must apply for tenure (i.e., the last year of their probationary period) would be pushed back one year. Any teaching, research, or service the faculty member performs during the extension period should be considered when the faculty member's application for tenure is evaluated. ↵
- See Section III.E.2. of UT Policy BT0006. ↵
- When a faculty member's probationary period is "suspended," the probationary period is paused during the suspension period and resumes at the conclusion of the suspension period. For example, if a faculty member has completed the first three years of their probationary period and is granted a suspension of their probationary period for the following academic year, the following academic year will not count as the fourth year of the faculty member's probationary period. The fourth year of the faculty member's probationary period will commence after the suspension period ends. When a faculty member is granted a suspension of their probationary period, their overall probationary period remains six years, but the year in which the faculty member must apply for tenure (i.e. the last year of their probationary period) is pushed back one academic year. Generally, any teaching, research, or service that the faculty member performs during the period in which their probationary period is suspended should not be considered when the faculty member's application for tenure is evaluated. Otherwise, the suspension period would improperly serve as an "extension" to the faculty member's probationary period (i.e., provide the faculty member more than six years to meet the tenure criteria and expectations established by the University and the faculty member's department and college). "Extensions" to probationary periods are authorized only in accordance with Section 2.3.3. ↵
- See Section III.E.3. of UT Policy BT0006. ↵