School Tenure Probationary Period Extension Policy
IN-POL-FA13
About This Policy
- Effective Date:
- 03-02-2010
- Date of Last Review/Update:
- 03-02-2026
- Responsible Campus Administrator:
IU Indianapolis Faculty Council
Faculty Affairs Committee
- Policy Contact:
IU Indianapolis Faculty Council, ude[dot]ui[at]licnuocf
Office of the IU Indianapolis Provost, ude[dot]ui[at]tsvrp
Scope
Academic schools at IU IndianapolisPolicy Statement
IU Indianapolis recognizes its responsibility to provide tenure-eligible faculty members a fair and reasonable probationary period. It also recognizes the pressures that changing work environments place upon some disciplines and professions. IU Indianapolis will continue to offer tenure-eligible faculty the seven-year probationary period recommended by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and to consider appeals for extensions of the tenure clock from individuals who find themselves in exceptional circumstances. IU Indianapolis will also allow schools to offer longer probationary periods to all newly appointed faculty members after the school has successfully made its case for such an extension to the provost and executive vice chancellor and the IU Indianapolis Faculty Council Executive Committee by following the steps in this policy.Reason for Policy
The IU Indianapolis provost and executive vice chancellor will entertain approving extension of the tenure probationary period to up to nine years for all new tenure-track faculty in a school if certain conditions are met.
Procedures
This policy applies only to faculty hired after the approval date of the school’s request. The nine-year probationary period would have to be clearly expressed in the initial appointment letter and acknowledged by the appointee by signature. Extension of the school’s tenure probationary period does not alter the existing school performance expectations for tenure in place at the time of appointment. Schools retain the right to update their faculty performance expectations in the future in keeping with campus and university guidelines, while faculty retain the right to be evaluated for tenure under the written standards in effect at the time of appointment.
Conditions for a school to meet if it wants to offer automatic extended probationary periods of up to nine years to new faculty whose primary tenure will reside in that school:
- Develop a comprehensive report that demonstrates good cause for an extension (including a discussion of root causes, existing protected-time policy and practice, and alternative solutions with potential consequences) and that also reviews the current situation nationally to determine if extended probationary period for tenure is a trend for similar schools.
- Obtain the clear support of the school’s faculty governing body for extending the tenure probationary period for the school (e.g., school’s faculty steering committee).
- Obtain the clear support of the administrative authority for that school (e.g., dean and school executive committee). Notify the IU Indianapolis Faculty Council Executive Committee (IFC-EC) and the provost and executive vice chancellor (PEVC), and keep them informed throughout the process.
- School faculty governance leaders and administrators will set up a forum to encourage broad discussion of the proposal and its pros and cons within the school, using all means necessary to disseminate information and allow the free exchange of ideas. The forum may be conducted online and/or through town-hall meetings or other means to ensure broad participation. The forum should be held prior to the joint meeting described in (e).
- Have the proposal presented at a joint meeting of the IFC-EC, the PEVC, and the school’s faculty governance leaders for a thorough discussion.
- School faculty governance leaders, in consultation with the PEVC and IFC-EC, will design and conduct the referendum vote of the school’s faculty as outlined in (h).
- Obtain authorization to conduct a referendum from the PEVC and the IFC-EC.
- Hold a referendum (or the substantial equivalent) on the issue of extending the tenure probationary period in which all tenured/tenure-track faculty vote. Such a referendum may occur only once per academic year. A positive vote equaling at least two-thirds of all eligible tenured/tenure-track faculty is required to move the proposal forward to the IFC-EC for endorsement and to the PEVC for decision. (Either an electronic or paper vote is acceptable.)
- Provide a statement that, consistent with current university policy, individual faculty will be free to submit their dossiers for promotion and tenure at the sixth year point or early when appropriate, or at the seventh or eighth year point, it being understood that a dossier can only be submitted once for tenure, and that administrators may not disallow or discourage faculty from following a standard seven-year schedule.
- Provide a statement that, consistent with current university policy, the promotion and tenure criteria and standards will remain identical for all school faculty regardless of the length of their probationary period.
- Provide a statement that, consistent with current university policy, individual faculty will be free to seek their own extension (“stop-the-clock”) requests for life issues as governed by existing policy.
- Prepare a plan for systematic appropriate mentoring of tenure-track faculty (e.g., formative reviews at 3 years, and at 6 years if the faculty member has not petitioned for promotion and tenure by that time).
- Submit that plan to the PEVC for approval and to the IFC-EC for endorsement.
- Once the school’s petition is tentatively approved, alter the school’s promotion and tenure documents that guide tenure probationary faculty to accommodate the new timelines prior to implementation.
Conditions for a school to meet if automatic extended probationary periods of up to nine years for new faculty are approved:
School administration must track and report, to the PEVC and IFC-EC, annually and cumulatively for the number of years requested in the proposal all of the following:
- Number, gender, and race of tenure-track faculty in each year’s cohort.
- Number, gender, and race of tenure-track faculty going up for promotion and tenure earlier than the new extended number of years in the tenure probationary period.
- Number, gender, and race of tenure-track faculty receiving promotion and tenure earlier than the new extended number of years in the tenure probationary period.
- Reasons for receiving promotion and tenure earlier than the new extended number of years in the tenure probationary period..
- Trend of success rates for initial promotion and tenure cases, by gender and race.
- Trends of retention rates, by gender and race, for all initial tenure-track appointments up to the time of tenure being granted.
- Reasons for tenure-track faculty turnover.
- Number of and reasons for any individual requests for extension of the tenure clock beyond that of the school’s new extended probationary period.
Evaluation of the extension of the tenure probationary period for a school:
The PEVC and the IFC-EC will annually review the school’s report referenced above. This annual report and its review will be shared with the school’s faculty and the IFC.
Faculty options to rescind the request:
Faculty in the school may vote at any time to rescind or reverse the vote to request tenure probationary period extension for the school. This action requires approval of at least two-thirds of all eligible tenured/tenure-track faculty. Such a vote should be conducted by the president of the school’s faculty in consultation with the PEVC and IFC president.
Definitions
Approved by the IU Indianapolis Faculty Council: 03-02-2010
Updated for titles and campus name change: 03-02-2026