Setting the Tenure Clock

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Policy Number:
UW-881
Responsible Office:
Office of the Secretary of the Faculty

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

The purpose of this this policy is to avoid any confusion that might arise from misunderstandings or assumptions regarding how the tenure clock date is determined.

Scope:

Faculty

Policy:
  1. Setting the Tenure Clock
    1. An assistant professor hired with no prior service must be reviewed for tenure within 6 years and has a probationary period of 7 years which includes a 12-month notice period in the case of a non-renewal. For more detailed information, refer to Faculty Policies and Procedures Chapter 7.
    2. New faculty who begin employment between March 15 and November 14 will have their tenure clock calculated based on a fall semester start. New faculty whose appointment begins between November 15 and March 14 will have their tenure clock calculated based on a spring semester start. This applies to both academic and annual basis employees. See examples below:
    Appointment Start Date Tenure Consideration Date (6th year) Probationary Appointment End Date
    March 1, 2020 Fall Semester 2025 December 2026
    May 1, 2020 Spring Semester 2026 May/summer (a basis) 2027
    August 21, 2020 Spring Semester 2026 May/summer (a basis) 2027
    November 25, 2020 Fall Semester 2026 December 2027
  2. Tenure Clock Extensions
    1. Tenure clocks are subject to change due to requests for extensions, prior service, percent time of appointment, or other reasons. Information on tenure clock extensions can be found in Faculty Policies and Procedures Chapter 7.04.
    2. Tenure clock extensions are approved in one-semester or full-year increments. Once the tenure clock has been set (based on the start date), extensions are approved using the academic calendar (for C-basis), or fiscal year (for A-basis). The contract is also extended for the same length of time as the extension (FPP 7.04.J).
Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:

Tenure Clock Calculator

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Secretary of the Faculty
Policy Manager:
Secretary of the Faculty
Contact:
Secretary of the Faculty -- Heather Daniels, sof@secfac.wisc.edu, (608) 265-4562
Effective Date:
07-10-1998
Date Issued:
03-15-2023
Revised Dates:

03-08-2023, 05-21-2025

Retrieved:
11-04-2025 08:24:31