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COVID-19 Permanent Status Delay

The University community recognizes the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on faculty productivity, performance, and trajectory. Due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic on the ability of faculty members to fully re-engage in their scholarship, librarianship, service, and other activities, the University is providing a one-year extension of the pre-permanent status probationary period to all eligible faculty on the permanent status track who elect to request it. The specifics of the delay are articulated below.

Who is eligible?

All permanent status track faculty who are in their probationary period (pre-permanent status) on or after March 1, 2020. This includes faculty members who received the previously offered University COVID tenure delay.

How should the request for permanent status review delay due to COVID-19 be made?

  • Eligible faculty will need to apply for a COVID-19-related delay. They should discuss their intent to apply for a review delay with their supervisor as soon as possible and before submitting the review delay request.
  • Eligible faculty who wish to apply should go to http://faculty.umd.edu/delay to begin the process and select “COVID-19 Pandemic” as the reason for the review delay request.
  • Faculty should provide a brief justification of the pandemic-related disruption to librarianship, scholarship, and/or service activity.
  • The request will be routed to the Dean, and the Provost for approval as part of the normal permanent status delay review process. 
  • Once approved, the faculty member and Dean will receive notification of the approval and the new mandatory permanent status review decision date.

Timing of the Request

  • Eligible faculty whose mandatory permanent status review is scheduled for Academic Year 2022-23 or beyond need to apply for the delay by June 1, 2022.
  • Eligible faculty must apply for the tenure delay on or before April 1 in the year before their mandatory review year. For example, if a faculty member's mandatory review year is AY 2024-2025, they must apply for the delay no later than April 1, 2024.
  • All other requests for the extension from eligible faculty must be received by June 1, 2026.

What does it mean to request the COVID-19 permanent status review delay?

  • Eligible faculty currently undergoing Reappointment Review will complete that process as intended by the end of this Academic/Fiscal Year.
  • Eligible faculty undergoing their Reappointment Review in Academic Year 2022-2023 or beyond will have their review period extended by one year.
  • Eligible faculty who apply for a review delay, but later decide that they do not need the additional year, may request that their unit advance their candidacy according to the original schedule without being required to justify an “early” promotion.
  • Eligible faculty who apply for the COVID delay are not precluded from receiving additional delays as per University policy (II.1.00(D) - University of Maryland Policy on Extension of Time for Tenure Review Due to Personal and Professional Circumstance).

Who should faculty contact with questions?

  • Questions about the process should be directed to John Bertot, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs.

The University provided an optional permanent status delay to eligible faculty members employed at the University as of March 1, 2020 through June 1, 2021.