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COVID-19 Tenure 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 research, teaching, service, and other activities, the University is providing a one-year extension of the pre-tenure probationary period to all eligible tenure-track faculty who elect to request it. The specifics of the delay are articulated below.

Who is Eligible?

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

How should the request for tenure delay due to COVID-19 be made?

  • Eligible faculty will need to apply for a COVID-19-related tenure delay. They should discuss their intent to apply for a tenure delay with their unit head (Chair/Director/Dean) as soon as possible and before submitting the tenure delay request.
  • 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 tenure delay request.
  • Faculty should provide a brief reason (personal and/or professional) for the pandemic-related disruption to research, teaching, service, or other activities.
  • The request will be routed to the Chair/Director (if applicable), the Dean, and the Provost for approval as part of the normal tenure delay review process. 
  • Once approved, the faculty member, Chair/Director (if applicable), and Dean will receive notification of the approval and the new mandatory tenure/promotion decision date.

Timing of the Request

  • Eligible faculty whose mandatory tenure review is scheduled for Academic Year 2022-23 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 tenure delay?

  • Faculty who request a tenure delay and would have undergone their third-year review in Academic Year 2022-2023 or beyond will also have their third-year review period extended by one year.
  • Eligible faculty who apply for the tenure delay, but later decide that they do not need the additional year, may request that their tenure 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 tenure delay to eligible faculty members employed at the University as of March 1, 2020 through June 1, 2021.