May 7, 2020
MEMORANDUM
To: SUNY Campus Presidents and Chief Academic Officers
From: Tod A. Laursen, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
Subject: SUNY Trustees Adopt Continuing Appointment Flexibility
I am very pleased to share with you that yesterday the SUNY Trustees adopted emergency rulemaking (modifying SUNY Trustee policy) which allows a central element of a new SUNY-UUP Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), titled “Possible Adjustments to Tenure Clock Timelines and Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Review Materials,” to proceed. The MOU is informed by your feedback on the draft proposal circulated for comment, recognizing the impact of COVID-19 on research and scholarship. The policy amendment and MOU are effective immediately for all state-operated campuses. The MOU is also meant to serve as a resource to SUNY community colleges as they pursue related negotiations. There are three key elements to MOU, summarized below:
- All academic rank employees not currently under review will receive an automatic one-year extension of their clock, without change in title, full-time equivalent or other employment status.
- There is an opt out clause for those who want to stay on their current schedule.
- Anyone who taught in Spring 2020 will have the option of not including student or peer evaluations in their dossier, and they can add an explanation of the impact of COVID-19 on their work.
- Also allowed is a six-month clock stop for Permanent Appointment with certain required actions.
A copy of the executed MOU is attached and will be shared with your respective Directors of Human Resources, who can serve as a resource for questions. Also please feel free to contact System Associate Vice Chancellor for Employee Relations Liesl Zwicklbauer with questions or concerns (Liesl.Zwicklbauer@suny.edu).
Copy: SUNY Directors of Human Resources
President, University Faculty Senate
President, Faculty Council of Community Colleges