Office of the Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Tenure-Clock Extensions

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Overview

The time between when an untenured, tenure-track faculty member is appointed at Lehigh and when they are granted or denied tenure is called the probationary period (but is commonly referred to as one’s “tenure clock”). Most new Assistant Professors have a six-year probationary period, meaning that, by default, the tenure review takes place in the first semester of their sixth academic year at Lehigh, and a tenure decision is made at the end of their sixth year. 

Untenured faculty members may be granted extensions to their probationary period for the following reasons:

  • Parenthood
  • Personal disability, family care, public service, military service, or extreme personal hardship
  • Elective extension for any reason
  • Disruptions due to COVID-19

The maximum length of the probationary period is eight years—meaning that an untenured faculty member may take up to two tenure-clock extensions in total. The COVID-19 extension is an exception: It may be taken in addition to two other extensions, for a total probationary period of nine years.

Tenure expectations do not change if a faculty member takes one or more tenure-clock extensions. They are evaluated under the same criteria as they would be if they had not taken extensions.

Types of Tenure-Clock Extensions

Parenthood

An untenured faculty member who becomes the parent of a child, by birth or adoption, will automatically receive a one-year extension of their appointment by the Provost. An extension is granted for each child, by birth or adoption, with a limit of two one-year extensions of the probationary period. (See also the Provost’s page on Parenthood and Work/Life Balance for information about Family and Medical Leave, Sloan Research Grants, and Child Care.)

The same extension is granted to an untenured faculty member who, at the start of their tenure-track position, has one or more children under six years old. In this case, the first appointment (and probationary period) will be extended for one year. If the faculty member has more than one child under age six when hired, a second extension to the probationary period may be taken during the second appointment (i.e., after reappointment and before tenure).

To request a parenthood extension, a faculty member should notify their Department Chair, who notifies the Provost’s office in writing. This should be done as soon as possible once the need for an extension is known. Notification must be received by the Provost prior to the date on which the faculty member’s tenure package is required to be sent to external reviewers (usually on or about August 1 for Fall-cycle tenure reviews and January 2 for Spring-cycle tenure reviews). 

The Provost then sends a letter informing the faculty member of their revised appointment and tenure review schedule. The faculty member confirms acceptance of the new dates or declines to have their probationary period extended. 

Although the tenure-clock extension for parenthood is automatic, a faculty member may decline the extension. A faculty member may also accept it but later change their mind and rescind the extension. In either case, the faculty member is not considered to be coming up for tenure early, because they are remaining on their original tenure schedule.

A faculty member who initially declines the parenthood extension, or does not inform their Department Chair of their parenthood, may later request the extension following the procedure above. 

Personal Disability, Family Care, Public or Military Service, or Extreme Personal Hardship

An untenured, tenure-track faculty member may request a one-semester or one-year extension to their tenure clock for the reasons listed below:

  1. The faculty member’s own disabling health condition. (See also Lehigh’s Disability Accommodations for Faculty.)
  2. Primary care of a family member or domestic partner for a serious health condition.
  3. Placement of a child in the family member’s home for foster care.
  4. Public or military service.
  5. A qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the faculty member’s family member or domestic partner is on active military duty or is called to active duty.
  6. Extreme personal hardship, e.g., death of a partner/spouse or child.

The faculty member should request the extension from the Provost in writing as soon as possible after they recognize the need for the extension, and should also notify their Department Chair of the extension request. Notification must be received by the Provost prior to the date on which the faculty member’s tenure package is required to be sent to external reviewers (usually on or about August 1 for Fall-cycle tenure reviews and January 2 for Spring-cycle tenure reviews). 

The Provost considers the request and sends a letter to the faculty member indicating whether or not the request is approved. If it is approved, the letter also informs the faculty member of their revised reappointment and tenure review schedule. The faculty member signs the letter to confirm acceptance of the new dates, and the Provost informs the Dean and Department Chair of the new dates.

The faculty member will be asked to provide adequate documentation of the situation necessitating the request, although for faculty on approved disability leave or Family and Medical Leave, no further medical certification is required.

Elective Extension

An untenured, tenure-track faculty member may, in the year prior to their final probationary year, request a one-semester or one-year extension to their tenure clock for any reason.

The faculty member should request the extension from the Provost in writing as soon as possible after they decide they wish to take the extension, and should also notify their Department Chair of the extension request. Notification must be received by the Provost prior to the date on which the faculty member’s tenure package is required to be sent to external reviewers (usually on or about August 1 for Fall-cycle tenure reviews and January 2 for Spring-cycle tenure reviews). 

As long as the extension would not exceed the maximum extension to the faculty member’s probationary period, the Provost will grant the request and send a letter to the faculty member indicating their revised tenure review schedule. The faculty member signs the letter to confirm acceptance of the new dates, and the Provost informs the Dean and Department Chair of the new dates.

COVID-19

An untenured, tenure-track faculty member who has experienced disruptions in their progress toward tenure due to COVID-19 may request a one-year extension of their probationary period by emailing their request to the Deputy Provost for Faculty Affairs at indpfa@lehigh.edu, with copies to their Department Chair and Dean.

COVID-19 extensions also extend the maximum probationary period—that is, a faculty member may extend their probationary period for one year due to COVID-19 and for two years due to other reasons above, for a nine-year total probationary period. 

No Change in Tenure Expectations

Tenure expectations are not changed for faculty members who receive extensions, regardless of the number, duration, or type of extensions. During tenure review, the Department Chair informs both internal and external evaluators that the candidate must be evaluated with the same criteria and expectations as candidates who have received no extensions.

Maximum Extension to Probationary Period

The maximum length of the probationary period of a faculty member, with all extensions, is eight years. 

Under extreme circumstances, such as a prolonged shutdown of University facilities, the Provost may consider extending the maximum length of the probationary period beyond the established eight-year limit. 

(The Provost took this step in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 extension allows the probationary period to be extended to nine years.)

Relevant Sections of R&P

  • 2.2.2.4 Probationary Period
  • 2.2.5.7 Extensions to the Probationary Period
  • 2.2.5.8 Maximum Length of Probationary Period

Notes

  • This overview is intended to supplement the information contained in Lehigh’s Rules and Procedures of the Faculty (R&P). If there is a discrepancy between the guidance on this page and R&P, the provisions of R&P govern.
  • Feel free to contact your Department Chair, Associate Dean for Faculty, the Deputy Provost for Faculty Affairs, or the Director of Faculty Affairs with any questions or concerns.