Policy for Faculty Track Transfer from CHS Track to Tenure Track

Approved by the Executive Committee on April 13, 2021

Entry to CHS or tenure track will be through an open, national search. Transfers between tracks will be considered in exceptional cases and only under the conditions stated below.

Any track transfer consideration must be initiated by the faculty member and should be based on the best interests of the faculty member’s career and divisional and/or school programmatic needs, distinct from funding considerations. The appropriateness of initiating a faculty track change will be determined on an individual basis in discussions between the candidate, their division chair, and the dean. Initiating a track transfer requires approval by the dean.

A. Transfer from Assistant Professor (CHS Track) to Assistant Professor (Tenure Track)

The school Executive Committee can recommend that an individual who had initially been appointed as an Assistant Professor CHS be transferred to the tenure track rank of Assistant Professor under the following conditions:

1. The decision must be reached no later than during the 5th clock year as Assistant Professor (CHS track). Approved clock extensions (conforming to the criteria described in FP&P) during this initial 5-year probationary period will not count against the time period for consideration of track transfers
2. The individual must request this transfer in
3. There must be clear evidence of either:
   • a change in the individual’s duties, activities, or career goals and expectations from those specified in the original appointment OR
   • the inappropriateness of the track choice for the initial

The Executive Committee must base its recommendation upon an assessment that the individual’s future activities will emphasize and be characterized by a large time commitment to original research, teaching, or outreach as described in the guidelines for achieving tenure in the appropriate divisional committee at UW-Madison and will conform to this policy and to FP&P.

To effect this transfer, the faculty member’s Guidance and Oversight Committee chair submits the following documentation to the Executive Committee:

1. Request for transfer from the candidate (addressed to their division chair)
2. Statement of support from the division chair including evidence of change of duties or track misdirection
3. Letter of support for the transfer from the candidate’s Guidance and Oversight Committee chair
4. Candidate’s current CV
5. Signed letter from the candidate indicating that they request the track transfer and understand the rules articulated in this policy and agree to abide by them. A majority of Executive Committee members must be present to constitute a quorum. Voting will be conducted by voice vote unless a request is made for show of hands, roll call, or signed, paper ballots. A majority of members present must vote in favor to constitute a positive recommendation. Executive Committee must then present the recommendation, with all supporting documentation, to the dean for consideration and further action with sufficient time remaining to effect and approve the transfer before the end of the 5^th clock year and the appropriate divisional committee review

During the first three clock years, lateral transfers from Assistant Professor CHS to Assistant Professor on tenure track need only the school’s Executive Committee and dean approval. After the first 3 years of the CHS clock, lateral transfers from Assistant Professor CHS to Assistant Professor on tenure track, following School of Pharmacy Executive Committee approval, must be forwarded to the University Committee for approval. If approved by the University Committee, the request will go to the provost office for review. Note that track transfer requests from Assistant Professor CHS to Assistant Professor tenure track must be completed prior to the end of the 5^th CHS clock year. This includes University Committee and provost approvals, which will take at least two months.

The maximum probationary period in the tenure track is the equivalent of 7 years of full-time service, which includes a notice year. Prior service on a tenure track at another institution may be taken into consideration in determining the total tenure track probationary period. The total tenure track probationary period remaining when an individual transfers must be clearly stated in writing and will not exceed the maximum probationary period allowed by FP&P for new faculty.

An Assistant Professor must have an appointment on the tenure track at the time of the school’s recommendation for tenure. An Assistant Professor CHS who transfers to the tenure track cannot be permitted to return to the CHS, except upon recommendation by the Executive Committee, the University Committee, and the provost as stipulated in FP&P. Such a conversion may not be made to circumvent the decision between promotion to tenure and nonretention.

B. Transfer from Assoc or Full Professor (CHS Track) to Assoc or Full Professor (Tenure Track)

The school Executive Committee can recommend that an individual Associate or Full Professor CHS be transferred to the tenure track rank of Associate or Full Professor under the following conditions:

1. When there has been a clear change in the individual’s duties, activities, or career goals and expectations subsequent to appointment or promotion on the clinical track OR
2. When an individual’s duties and activities initially fit tenure-track guidelines but the individual was inappropriately placed in an initial CHS-track

To effect transfer at this level, the faculty member must voluntarily convert their indefinite appointment in exchange for a fixed-term renewable appointment and the Executive Committee must present their recommendation, with all necessary supporting documentation that would normally be a part of a tenure dossier for the desired tenure divisional committee, to the dean for consideration and further action.

The recommendation must include clear evidence of a change in the individual’s duties, activities, or career goals and expectations from those specified in the initial appointment or clear evidence of the inappropriateness of the track choice of the initial appointment. All proposed transfers must provide documentation of tenure worthiness, in line with the current guidelines of the appropriate divisional committee. If the dean agrees to consider the transfer, the Office of the Dean will forward the dossier to the appropriate divisional committee for tenure consideration. If transfer as full Professor is recommended, the dean will decide the rank following successful tenure review.

If the candidate has more than ten years of service in the CHS track when the request for transfer to tenure is made, the dean must also have the concurrence of the provost and the University Committee before seeking the advice of the appropriate divisional committee.

The candidate’s home division will be informed of the dean’s decision following review by the appropriate committees. If the transfer is not approved, the faculty member will be issued a one- year, finite, fixed-term terminal appointment.