2,723: Probationary Period for Tenure
Revised: September 2013
In accordance with Chapter 3 of the NSHE Code, academic faculty eligible for appointment with tenure must serve in a probationary period before receiving such an appointment. Except as provided below, the total probationary period for all academic faculty eligible for such appointment shall not exceed seven years of uninterrupted full-time employment in Ranks I through IV.
At the discretion of the Board of Regents, an academic faculty member may be exempt from the requirement of serving a probationary period and tenure shall be awarded on a case-by-case basis in negotiation with the President or President's designee. Prior to recommending such an appointment, the President shall seek a recommendation from the appropriate faculty on whether an academic faculty member may be exempt from the requirement of serving a probationary period under procedures set forth in the UNR Bylaws.
The President, without seeking Board of Regents' approval, may grant tenure upon hire to an academic faculty member who at the time of hire holds tenure at another institution. Prior to making an offer of tenure upon hire, the President must seek a recommendation from the appropriate faculty. The department chair must seek a recommendation from the faculty as specified in the department bylaws. The chair and the dean must each send letters recommending tenure upon hire to the Executive Vice President & Provost, along with the candidate's CV and any other essential documentation. The dean and/or Executive Vice President & Provost may ask the college or university personnel committee to make a recommendation as well. The Executive Vice President & Provost will then make a recommendation to the President. Any offer of tenure upon hire must be consistent with criteria specified in university, college and department bylaws.
The President shall submit an annual report to the Board of Regents which shall include the name of any individual to whom tenure upon hire was granted, the department within which the individual was hired, and whether the faculty of such department voted to approve such tenure upon hire. This report shall be presented to the Board of Regents at the first meeting of the board after the beginning of each fiscal year.
Authorized periods of leave, paid or unpaid, may be excluded from service toward the seven-year probationary period upon written request of the faculty member and approval of the President or designee. The decision of whether to grant the faculty member's request to exclude periods of leave shall be based upon the sole discretion of the President or designee. The President's decision is final. The request for leave must state if the leave is to be excluded from service toward the probationary period.
The period of probation may exceed seven years upon written request of the faculty member and approval of the President or designee. The decision of whether to grant the faculty member's request to exceed the seven-year probationary period shall be based on the sole discretion of the President or designee. The decision of the President is final. The request for an extension of the seven-year period of probation must state the reasons for such extension.
Upon the request of the academic faculty member and the approval of the President or designee, up to three years' full-time employment at other accredited institutions of postsecondary education, in positions equivalent to positions providing eligibility for appointment with tenure, may be included in the probationary period. Such decision must be made at the time of initial employment.
Although eligible academic faculty may request being considered for appointment with tenure sooner than in the sixth year of the probationary period, the norm is to make that request at the start of the sixth year. Faculty should consult their department and major unit administrators, as well as the Provost's Office, for annual deadlines and guidelines on what materials must be submitted.
After completion of a probationary period, an academic faculty member eligible for appointment with tenure shall not be reappointed at any rank providing eligibility for such appointment unless such appointment is with tenure.