Dear Faculty Colleagues,

In April 2020, we implemented an opt-out approach for the additional one-year extension to the tenure clock for all tenure-track faculty who started prior to Sept. 1, 2020.

Understanding and recognizing that faculty teaching, scholarship and creative productivity might be affected by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked for additional guidance from UT System to grant this to all tenure-track faculty who started at UTSA between Sept. 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021. We are grateful that the UT System has granted the requested extension of the tenure clock for tenure-track faculty who started in fall 2020 and spring 2021.

As a result, all current pre-tenure faculty will automatically receive a one-year extension. Pre-tenure faculty who believe they are sufficiently advanced in their careers may opt out of the extension and maintain their original tenure review schedule. This decision is strictly at the discretion of the individual faculty member.

For above-referenced faculty who wish to opt out of the one-year extension, please inform Academic Affairs by emailing Sarah Soulek, with your department chair and dean cc’d, three months prior to your original planned review. For example, if your planned review was originally Sept. 1, 2022, then you should inform Academic Affairs of your wish to opt out by May 31, 2022. If no request is received by the deadline, you will go through mandatory review fall 2023.

Third Year Review of pre-tenured faculty members will occur on the original timeline. If a faculty member wishes to request an extension for Third Year Review then faculty should follow the process outlined in HOP 2.24.

We understand that these disruptions impact individual faculty in unique ways, based on differing responsibilities and circumstances, and differing timescales and intensities. An Impact Checklist has been created that allows faculty to provide information on disruptions to their teaching, research/scholarship/creative activity and/or service. This checklist will be included in annual evaluations for the next several years, as well as in internal evaluation materials for Tenure and Promotion, Comprehensive Periodic Evaluation, and Third Year Review.

We deeply appreciate everything you are doing to advance our educational, research and service mission.

Kimberly Andrews Espy, Ph.D.
Peter T. Flawn Distinguished Professor
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Heather Shipley, Ph.D.
Burzik Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of University College