Chapter IV Contents: [ IV.1 Orientation of New Staff ] [ IV.2 Employee Benefits: Overview ] [ IV.3 When a Staff Member Retires ] [ IV.4 Joint Governance Appointments ] [ IV.5 Awards and Honors for Faculty and Staff ] [ IV.6 Faculty and Staff Liability ] [ IV.7 Review of Tenured Faculty ] [ IV.8 Reporting Outside Interests & Activities ] [ IV.9 Overloads and Summer Appointments ] [ IV.10 Sexual Harassment Policies & Procedures ] [ IV.11 Nepotism, Conflict of Interest ] [ IV.12 Vacation Policy ] [ IV.13 Sick Leave Policy ] [ IV.14 Leave of Absence, Temporary Assignment ] [ IV.15 Extensions of the Tenure Clock ] [ IV.16 Absences from Madison ] [ IV.17 Disability Accommodation ] [ IV.18 Personnel Records: Content & Preservation ] [ IV.19 Tuition Reimbursement ] [ IV.20 Faculty Personnel Committee ] [ IV.21 UW-Madison Domestic Partnership Policy ] [ IV.22 Inclement Weather Guidelines ] [ IV.23 Telecommuting Policy ]

Memorandum

October 15, 2003

Via email only

To: Deans, Department Chairs, and Faculty

From: Peter D. Spear, Provost

Re: Faculty Policies and Procedures: Extension of the Probationary Period for Childbirth or Adoption and Mandatory Guidance and Oversight for Assistant Professors

This is a memo regarding two policies that directly affect assistant professors: the policy regarding extension of the probationary period for childbirth or adoption, and the policy regarding mandatory guidance and oversight for assistant professors. These policies have important consequences for our faculty and their ability to succeed here at UW-Madison. Therefore, I thought it might be useful to remind you of the policies and how they are applied. The full policies are attached.

Here are the important points:

I. EXTENSION OF THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD FOR CHILDBIRTH OR ADOPTION - Faculty Policies and Procedures 7.04 (See Attachment A)

• This policy provides for extensions of the probationary period when an assistant professor becomes a parent through childbirth or adoption. The granting of such a request is automatic after an exchange of routine paper work between the department chair and Associate Vice Chancellor Linda Greene.
• If a birth/adoption occurred in the six month period immediately prior to the employment date, an extension of up to twelve months may be requested and is approved automatically. If a birth/adoption occurred in the seven to twelve month period immediately prior to the employment date, an extension of six months may be requested and is approved
  automatically.
• The extension is available to both males and females.
• The extension is available without regard to the sexual orientation of the faculty member parent(s).
• In the event that there are two faculty parents, each probationary faculty parent may request a separate extension of the probationary period for the same child.
• A faculty member may request an extension more than once during the probationary period.
• If a birth or adoption occurs during the sixth year of the probationary period, an extension may be granted for that year.
• When the department conducts a review of the person who has been granted an extension, the standard of review is based on the number of years counted in the probationary period, not the number of calendar years since the start of the probationary period.
• Deans, department chairs, and tenured faculty should inform assistant professors of the right to an extension for childbirth or adoption.
• Deans, department chairs, and faculty members should never discourage assistant professors from requesting an extension.

II. MANDATORY GUIDANCE AND OVERSIGHT FOR ASSISTANT PROFESSORS -- Faculty Policies and Procedures 7.05 (See Attachment B)

• This policy requires departmental executive committees to provide guidance (mentoring) and a yearly written evaluation (oversight) to assistant professors.
• The departmental executive committee is required to establish procedures for guidance, annual evaluation, and tenure evaluation. A copy of the procedures must be given to each probationary period faculty member.
• One or more members of the executive committee must be assigned responsibility for the guidance (mentoring) of each probationary faculty member.
• One or more members of the executive committee (an oversight committee) must be assigned responsibility for annual evaluations of each probationary period faculty member.
• The probationary faculty member must be informed of the membership of the oversight committee.
• The departmental executive committee must approve a written annual evaluation of each probationary faculty member and provide that written evaluation to the probationary faculty member.
• The department chair must provide the probationary faculty member an opportunity to respond in writing to the annual evaluation.

Last year I requested a copy of your department's procedures for the review and evaluation of probationary faculty members. Many departments provided a copy of their procedures. If your department has not yet done so, I ask that the department chair forward to deans and to me a copy of the department's procedures. Please provide this information by November 3, 2003. If you are unsure about whether your department submitted a copy of your procedures, please contact my office.

I also ask that deans ensure that each department has appointed guidance and oversight committees (or one committee with both responsibilities) for each probationary faculty member.

Finally, I would like deans to ensure that all departmental executive committees within their school or college approve annual written evaluations for each probationary faculty member. Please remind department chairs to provide copies of these annual evaluations to the probationary faculty member.

III. MORE INFORMATION

If you have further questions about these policies, you may contact:

Linda Greene
Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty and Staff Programs

Please note: the current Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty and Staff Programs is Laurie Beth Clark - available at lbclark@wisc.edu, 262-5246

David Musolf
Secretary of the Faculty
musolf@bascom.wisc.edu
Ext. 2-3956

Of course, you may also contact me at pspear@wisc.edu or Ext. 2-1304.

Attachments: FPP 7.04 and 7.05
xc: Linda S. Greene, Associate Vice Chancellor
David Musolf, Secretary of the Faculty
Carla Raatz, Director, Office of Human Resources
Luis Piñero, Director, Equity and Diversity Resource Center

Return to L&S Handbook Chapter IV.15, Extensions of the the Tenure Clock