For Contract Renewal

Most teaching faculty are appointed on a nine-month contract year. For faculty in the School of Law, the nine-month year runs from August 16 through May 15.  For other nine-month faculty it runs from September 16 through June 15.  The university, in recognition of special requirements of particular appointments, may offer appointment for a longer period than nine months if such an appointment best represents the term of active service.

Most full-time administrative and research faculty are appointed for twelve months. The twelve-month year usually begins on July 1 and continues through June 30. When a nine-month faculty member takes on a twelve-month position, the salary is calculated on the basis of eleven-ninths, taking into consideration the one-month vacation period allocated full-time twelve-month faculty.

For specific information on contract renewal contact the Office of Unclassified Support Services at 346-3348.

Contract renewal as specifically related to tenure track faculty

CONTRACT RENEWAL / PRE-TENURE REVIEW -- spring of year 3

Initial contracts for untenured faculty are usually for three years. Contract renewal, sometimes called pre-tenure review, is your first serious testing point. The major criterion behind the decision to renew a contract is evidence of satisfactory progress toward establishing a record appropriate for tenure.

Though it makes no promises, the thorough process of contract renewal at the end of three years provides analysis of progress toward promotion and tenure. This renewal process helps the department and the candidate to identify strengths and weaknesses while there is time to improve the record.

The third-year review develops a written evaluation of all aspects of your career - teaching, research, and service - in greater depth than do the annual reviews. The standards against which you are measured in this review begin to approximate those standards you will need to satisfy in order to be granted tenure and promotion at a later point. Therefore, the written review should spell out concerns in any areas related to tenure; it should be a critical analysis that allows you to know areas in which further improvement will be needed. Ideally it will suggest - or your supervisor will suggest in conference - ways to bring about those improvements.

Though individual departments handle the probationary years somewhat differently, in no department is renewal automatic ; nor is a three-year contract renewal automatic if renewal is awarded. At this point in time, the University may terminate the contract; or it may, and frequently does, specify a one-year or two-year renewal rather than a three-year contract.

Your supervisor does you a favor by being frank and thorough at this stage of your career. If there is a clear mismatch between individual and institution, it is better for everyone to acknowledge that sooner rather than later. A much more likely scenario is that reasonable development is occurring and some form of renewal will be granted. That renewal, whether year by year or for a longer period, should be viewed as an opportunity for continued professional development before coming up for tenure. Although it is your department head's responsibility to provide you with the sort of three-year review described herein, if you do not receive one, then it is your responsibility to request one in writing, copying your dean in the process.