COVID-19 Tenure Rollback Policy

Dear Colleagues,

Last week Vice Chancellor Barish and I wrote to inform you that tenure-track faculty at the University of Illinois may apply to add an additional year to their tenure clock. You can view this email here. We write now to share UIC’s official policy, application procedures, and deadlines.

Policy Summary and Application Procedures
Tenure-track faculty, as well as faculty on “Q” probationary appointments, employed during the 2020 Spring semester may apply for a one-year extension of the probationary period under policy #302-1 (this will be known as the COVID-19 Rollback). The criterion for granting the COVID-19 Rollback is that prior to March 1, 2020, the faculty member was making appropriate, demonstrable progress toward attaining indefinite tenure.

Assistant professors who wish to request a tenure rollback or “Q” probationary faculty who wish to request an extension should make the request through the submission of a Special Agreement Regarding Tenure Request. The request should be endorsed by the unit executive officer (department head, chair, director), school director (as applicable), dean, and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs (as applicable), and submitted for approval by the Provost.

Deadlines
COVID-19 requests must be made by the following deadlines to be considered:

• Faculty members currently in the fifth year (T5) of tenure probation or faculty on a “Q” appointment who will be in their final year during academic year 2020-2021 (year of P&T review) MUST complete the request for a COVID-19 rollback by May 15, 2020.
• Faculty members currently in year one through four (T1 to T4) of tenure probation or “Q” probationary faculty not in the final year of their appointment MUST complete the request for COVID-19 rollback or extension by December 15, 2020.

Please review the complete policy at the following link: https://uofi.app.box.com/v/tenurerollbackc19

Sincerely,

Susan Poser
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Robert Barish
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs

For more information, please contact:
Kelcie O’Shea
kgauen3@uic.edu