Ohio Administrative Code|Rule 3342-6-13 | University policy and procedure governing modification of the faculty probationary period.

                                                
(A) Policy statement. The probationary period for faculty
		  members who hold a full-time tenure-track appointment at Kent state university
		  is governed by policies on reappointment and tenure developed by the faculty
		  senate professional standards committee and approved by the faculty senate and
		  board of trustees. From time to time, personal and/or family circumstances
		  arise such that a probationary faculty member may need to request that their
		  probationary period be extended. Granting such an extension of the probationary
		  period has traditionally been called "tolling" or "stopping the
		  tenure clock."
(B) Eligibility (i.e., When tolling is
		  permitted).
(1) Faculty members shall be eligible to extend the
			 probationary period leading to a mandatory tenure review, upon request, if:
			 
(a) The faculty (whether
				male or female) is a caregiver of a newborn, newly adopted or foster child,
				including a newborn, newly adopted or foster child of a domestic
				partner.
(b) The faculty member
				develops a serious illness or disability or a member of his or her immediate
				family (as defined in the universitys sick leave policy) becomes
				seriously ill or disabled.
(2) Faculty members may be eligible to extend the
			 probationary period leading to a mandatory tenure review, upon request, if the
			 faculty member has other personal and/or family circumstances of a compelling
			 nature that arise of or that occupy a substantial period of time during the
			 pre-tenure years.
(C) Implementation: The same professional standards and
		  expectations shall apply to tenure candidates who have had an extension of
		  their probationary period, as would apply to candidates who have not.
		  Professional accomplishments realized during the extended probationary period
		  shall be considered part of a candidates record when he or she stands
		  for tenure and/or promotion. However, a candidate who has had his or her
		  probationary period extended by one or two years under this policy shall not be
		  expected to meet higher or more rigorous standards than the standards applied
		  to individuals who have followed the normal probationary period. 
(1) Faculty leave. Decisions about the extension of the
			 probationary period shall occur independent of a faculty member's leave
			 status. Faculty members may or may not have a full or partial leave during this
			 period. Separate university policies and procedures exist for securing a leave
			 (e.g. sick leave, leave of absence without pay, etc.) if one is
			 appropriate.
(2) Length of tolling: An extension of the probationary
			 period shall be limited for one year for each qualifying event (or child), up
			 to a total of two years. An extension, if approved, shall be only for
			 increments of one year. The maximum extension of the probationary period will
			 be no more than two full years.
(3) Requesting tolling. Any request to extend the mandatory
			 probationary period must be reviewed and approved on or before March first of
			 the spring semester prior to the time that the candidate for tenure submits his
			 or her tenure review file.
(4) Dissemination of the policy. A copy of this policy
			 shall be provided to all those standing for reappointment and all new faculty
			 by the unit administrator during the first week of the academic
			 year.
(5) Reappointment: A faculty member who has taken a tolling
			 year shall not submit a reappointment file during the tolling year. The
			 following year, the candidate will submit a reappointment letter detailing
			 their accomplishments during the prior two years. Reviewers are reminded that
			 irrespective of the two-year time-frame (or in the case of two years of
			 tolling, the three-year time frame), the productivity of a faculty member who
			 has tolled is not expected to exceed what is expected of a probationary faculty
			 member in a single year.
(D) Procedures. A probationary faculty member may initiate
		  a request for an extension of his/her probationary period by the following
		  procedures:
(1) On the Kent campus, the faculty member shall write a
			 letter to the department chair or school director requesting permission to
			 extend the probationary period and citing the reasons consistent with paragraph
			 (B) of this policy why such action is warranted. On the regional campuses, the
			 faculty member shall write a letter to the regional campus dean requesting
			 permission to extend the probationary period and citing the reasons consistent
			 with paragraph (B) of this policy why such action is warranted.
(2) On the Kent campus, the department chair or school
			 director shall consult with the faculty advisory committee (FAC) or school
			 advisory committee (SAC). The FAC or SAC will make an advisory recommendation
			 to the unit administrator. The unit administrator will then make a
			 recommendation to the college dean. If the request is approved, he or she will
			 forward it to the dean's office for further review. On the regional
			 campuses, the campus dean shall consult with the faculty council. The faculty
			 council shall make an advisory recommendation to the campus dean. The campus
			 dean will then make a recommendation to the chief academic officer of the
			 regional campuses. If the request is approved, he or she will forward it to the
			 chief academic officer of the regional campus campuses for further
			 review.
(3) The college dean shall consult with the college
			 advisory committee (CAC). The chief academic officer of the regional campuses
			 shall consult with the regional campus faculty advisory committee (RCFAC). The
			 CAC or RCFAC will make an advisory recommendation to the appropriate
			 administrator. The administrator shall then make a recommendation to the
			 provost.
(4) If the request is approved by the provost, the office
			 of faculty affairs shall notify the faculty member in writing of the new date
			 for the mandatory tenure review and that existing professional standards, as
			 required by paragraph (C) of this policy, will govern the future tenure
			 decision. A copy of this letter shall be included in the candidates
			 tenure file. During any year which is tolled, the faculty member does not
			 submit a reappointment file. When the faculty member is next reviewed for
			 reappointment, all of the faculty members achievements, including those
			 completed during the period subject to tolling, shall be included in the
			 faculty members file.
(5) External reviewers for tenure and promotion evaluation.
			 In the letter to the candidates external reviewers, the unit
			 administrator shall explain that the candidate was granted an additional year
			 or two years under the university tolling policy. The letter shall include the
			 following statement: "The tolling policy provides for additional years
			 toward tenure for a variety of circumstances, but the policy stipulates that
			 the presence of an extended probationary period shall not be interpreted to
			 increase the expectations for productivity normally placed upon a probationary
			 faculty member."
(E) Appeals.
(1) If the request is not approved by the unit
			 administrator or regional campus dean, the reasons for rejection will be set
			 forth in writing and provided to the faculty member in question. If a Kent
			 campus faculty members request is not approved, he or she will have the
			 right to appeal to the college dean in colleges with departments or schools, or
			 to the provost in colleges without departments and schools and university
			 libraries, as applicable. If a regional campus faculty members request
			 is not approved, he or she will have the right to appeal to the chief academic
			 officer of the regional campuses. Such an appeal must be initiated in writing
			 within two weeks of the receipt of the negative decision by the unit
			 administrator or campus dean. The appeal should state clearly why the faculty
			 member disagrees with the decision. Appeals should be heard in a timely
			 manner.
(2) If the faculty members request is not approved
			 by either the college dean or the chief academic officer of the regional
			 campuses, the reasons for the rejection will be set forth in writing and
			 provided to the faculty member. The faculty member will have the right to
			 appeal to the provost. Such an appeal must be initiated in writing within two
			 weeks of the receipt of the negative decision by the college dean or chief
			 academic officer of the regional campuses, whichever is appropriate. The appeal
			 should state clearly why the faculty member disagrees with the decision.
			 Appeals should be heard in a timely manner.