Family Friendly Policies/Procedures

Modified Duties and Delaying the Tenure Review

 

 

The policies described in this document apply to tenure-track and tenured faculty members of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) who hold full-time appointments at the University.  LSA policies may be elected by LSA faculty rather than the related University policies, which may have narrower applicability.  For clarity, the related University policies are identified below.

 

Faculty members are encouraged to contact their Divisional Associate Dean with any questions about these policies, including questions of eligibility.

 

 

MODIFIED DUTIES (Last revision: November, 2009)

 

Modified duties is an option for faculty members who experience life events that decrease their ability to meet their teaching obligation for a particular term.  Such events might include: 

  • becoming a parent (e.g., birth or adoption),
  • personal illness, or
  • co-equal caregiving responsibility for an immediate family member or parent.

 

This policy is designed to permit the faculty member a period of adjustment to these life issues without a reduction in salary or benefits.  A tenure-track faculty member may also wish to discuss with their chair/director whether a delay of tenure review should also be requested (see Delaying the Tenure Review section below).

 

Modified duties provides relief from direct teaching responsibilities for one academic term per event.  The faculty member is expected to be in residence, fulfill his/her other responsibilities, and maintain research activity.  The faculty member cannot be employed by another institution during the period of modified duties and is expected to return to teach for one year following the period of modified duties.

  

Terms/Eligibility

Modified duties are available to a member of the faculty (tenure-track or tenured) who experiences a life event as described previously in this document.  A period of modified duties: 

  • is available immediately upon employment at the University.
  • must be taken within 12 months of the life event. 
  • is not affected by a faculty member's use of sick leave.
  • is automatically granted for each childbirth or adoption (please follow standard procedure outlined below).  Other events will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
  • may be granted to both parents who meet these eligibility criteria:
    • employed at the University in a rank eligible for this benefit,
    • have co-equal care-giving responsibilities for the child.

 

Procedure:

    1.  A faculty member who wishes to take a period of modified duties should submit a written request to the appropriate chair/director which includes:

  • the reason for modified duties and the timeframe of the life event,
  • the term for which modified duties is being requested,
  • the responsibilities the faculty member will continue to perform while on modified duties,
  • a statement that the faculty member will return to teach for one year following the term of modified duties,
  • a statement (where applicable) that the faculty member has co-equal caregiving responsibility for the child(ren) or primary responsibility for the critically ill partner, child(ren), or parent.

 

    2.  The chair/director attaches a memo of support for the request and forwards both documents to Mandy Harrison (amvogel@umich.edu; 615-0569; 2150 LSA) for the Divisional Associate Dean’s review and approval.   

 

Funding:

The College will provide the faculty member's LSA academic unit with appropriate funds to replace teaching that may be lost through the granting of a term of modified duties.

 

Additional links:

See SPG 201.93, "Modified Duties for New Parents” for a related University policy (http://spg.umich.edu/pdf/201.93.pdf).  The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave without loss of benefits coverage (also see http://www.umich.edu/~urecord/9293/Aug16_93/8.htm for more information).  The Sick Leave Plan for Academic Appointments may be found at http://spg.umich.edu/pdf/201.11-1.pdf.

 

 

DELAYING THE TENURE REVIEW (Last revision:  June, 2012)

 

Delaying the tenure review is an option for tenure-track faculty members who experience life events that may affect their progress towards tenure.  Such events might include:  

  • becoming a parent (e.g., birth or adoption),
  • personal illness,
  • illness of an immediate family member,
  • elder care, or
  • other reasons beyond the faculty member’s control that have hindered his/her progress toward tenure.
  • test  http://spg.umich.edu/pdf/201.92.pdf   

 

Faculty are expected to fulfill their normal responsibilities during the time the tenure review is delayed unless they have been granted a period of modified duties or medical leave.  

 

Whenever a delay in the tenure review process is granted, it is granted with the clear expectation that the eventual tenure evaluation process will not involve any change in the standards or criteria applied for tenure review.   Thus, the delay in the tenure review is granted in recognition that there has been time lost to the tenure candidate that may only be compensated for by a delay in the tenure review.   

 

Delaying the 3rd Year Review

 

A faculty member who has not yet had his/her third-year review may wish to delay the third-year review.  The only way to delay a third-year review is to request postponement of that review along with a request for delay of tenure review. 

 

Terms/Eligibility:

A delay of tenure review is available to a tenure track faculty member who has experienced a life event as described previously in this document.  A delay of tenure review:

  • must be submitted within one year of the life event.
  • must be requested no later than April 1 of the 5th year on the tenure track.
  • does not preclude tenure review at the normal time.
  • is available immediately upon employment at the University.
  • requires approval by the College Executive Committee.
  • is for a period of one year at a time with a maximum of two years and may not extend beyond a total of eight years of service unless approved in writing by the Provost.
  • may not be for events occurring in the final year of a faculty member's tenure probationary period.
  • is granted for a newly born or adopted child and is available to both parents who meet the following eligibility criteria:
    • employed at the University in a rank eligible for this benefit,
    • have equal care-giving responsibilities for the child.

 

A faculty member who receives one or two delays of the tenure review and is not awarded tenure may be appointed for a terminal year in his/her current title.

 

Procedure:   

    1.   A faculty member who wishes to request a delay in the tenure review should submit a written request to the appropriate chair/director.  This request should include:

  • the reasons for the delay of tenure review,
  • the academic year for which this exclusion is requested,
  • any other relevant information, and
  • a current CV.

 

    2.  The chair/director will attach a memo supporting the request and forward the documents to Mandy Harrison (amvogel@umich.edu; 615-0659; 2150 LSA) for Divisional Associate Dean review and Executive Committee approval.

 

    3.  Once the request has been reviewed by the College Executive Committee, the unit (chair/director, key administrator, secretary) will receive an email notification of the approval/denial.

 

    4.  If the delay in tenure request is denied by the College or by the Provost, the Divisional Associate Dean will communicate this to the appropriate chair/director.

 

    5.  After the notification of approval, the faculty member will receive a letter from the dean outlining the terms of the delay(s) in tenure and asking for the faculty member to sign and return the letter within 10 business days. The letter will be cc’d to the unit chair/director and key administrator.

 

Additional link:

See SPG 201.92, "Tenure Clock Probationary Period:   Effects on Tenure Clock of Childbearing and Dependent Care Responsibilities," for the related University policy http://spg.umich.edu/pdf/201.92.pdf   

 


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