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Delay of Probationary Period

Delay of Probationary Period

The University grants an automatic one year delay of the probationary period to any probationary regular, special, extension, or librarian title series faculty member who becomes the parent of a child or children by birth, adoption, or guardianship.  According to GR X-B.1.C, the qualifying faculty member “shall submit to his or her department chair a signed and completed Faculty Tenure Delay Form (TDF) and supporting documentation, if required. … Upon receipt of the TDF, the chair shall prepare and submit to the dean and the Provost a revised Notice of Academic Appointment reflecting the change in probationary dates, along with the completed TDF and supporting documentation.”  A faculty member who wants to waive the automatic delay must complete the waiver section of the TDF

A probationary faculty member who “assumes significant responsibilities for the care of a relative (see GR X.A.1) or domestic partner may request consideration of a one-year delay of probationary period based on extenuating circumstances. These extenuating circumstances for a delay related to significant care responsibilities must be clearly beyond those experienced by most probationary faculty. Documentation explaining the extenuating circumstance of the care-giving situation shall accompany the request. This request shall be routed through the normal administrative channels and will be considered for approval by the Provost.”

These provisions are “available to all probationary non-tenured faculty upon their official start date and up until the anniversary of their official start date in the year in which their tenure review is scheduled to occur.”

“Notifications of all delays shall be made by the faculty member to his or her department chair as soon as possible after the qualifying event or circumstances (i.e., birth, adoption, guardianship, orassumption of significant care responsibilities), but in no case later than six (6) months from the timeof the qualifying event or circumstances or no later than the last day of the fifth year of the probationary period; whichever comes first.”

 Delays “shall not be granted more than two (2) times within the probationary period of a facultymember. The faculty member shall be reviewed for tenure under the same academic standards as acandidate who has not extended the probationary period and shall not be penalized or adversely affected by the delay of the probationary period. Further, extension years shall not be counted towards sabbatical. A delay of the probationary period in no way limits the right of the University to terminate a probationary appointment prior to the time of the mandatory review for probation and tenure, should circumstances warrant such action.”

To obtain the form for requesting this delay or find out more information on this policy, consult the following link on the website of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs: http://www.uky.edu/Provost/APFA/Promotion_Tenure/Automatic_delay