The University Handbook for Appointed Personnel provides that the period of tenure eligibility does not include leaves of absence without pay unless specifically provided otherwise by the Provost. For example, a faculty member who takes a full year leave of absence during the third year would not be reviewed for tenure until the seventh year at the University thereby creating a change to the tenure clock. (See chapters 3.3.01 for tenure track and 4A.3.01 for continuing status.)
On rare occasions an individual may wish to take a leave of absence without pay during his or her sixth year, when the mandatory review would normally take place. The review focuses on the candidate's achievements prior to the beginning of the sixth year, and the candidate's preparation of tenure packet materials must normally be completed prior to the beginning of the sixth year. Hence, there is usually no reason to defer the tenure review beyond the sixth year even though the candidate is on leave during that year.
The Provost normally will not extend the period of tenure or continuing status eligibility for employees who are on leave of absence without pay during the year in which they are scheduled for tenure review. The department and the dean must ensure that the candidate receives a timely notification of actions taken at the various stages of review as provided by UHAP Chapters 3.3.02.c for tenure track.
To extend the promotion clock, see clock delay