Dear Colleagues,

As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, so, too, does the range of consequences for individuals, families, communities, and institutions, including Brown. Since spring 2020, the University has sought to anticipate and address the pandemic-related challenges faced by faculty, students and staff through new or refined policies and enhanced resources. One area that has required careful attention is the tenure and promotion process for faculty. For example, in March 2020, we offered the option to tenure-track faculty to extend their contracts by 12 months in recognition of the obstacles created by the pandemic, in order to make it possible for them to defer the next contract review. We are continuing to assess the impact of COVID-19 on faculty career development, and I write to offer an update on further actions we are taking.

To ensure a thoughtful and proactive approach to COVID-related tenure and promotion matters, we have established the ad hoc COVID-19 and Faculty Advancement Committee, with membership composed of faculty and administrators. In addition, I’m pleased to report that President Paxson and I have approved the Committee’s initial recommendations, including providing a 12-month contract extension to our newest tenure-track assistant faculty, who join the Brown community in the 2020-21 academic year. What follows is additional information on the Committee’s charge, membership and initial recommendations.

COVID-19 and Faculty Advancement Committee

The charge of the Tenure, Promotions, and Appointments Committee (TPAC) includes evaluating requests for extensions of contract for extraordinary circumstances. The policy is intended to provide additional time for faculty members whose work has been adversely affected by issues such as a serious illness (self or close family member) or disruptions in research due to, for example, lab construction or equipment delays. Discussions with TPAC and the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC) leadership suggest that in light of the array of unprecedented challenges that many faculty may face during this period, it would be advisable to develop guidance for TPAC as they consider requests under this policy, as well as for other pandemic-related issues that may arise.

We have therefore established the ad hoc COVID-19 and Faculty Advancement Committee to develop recommendations for the Office of the Provost and TPAC regarding best practices for supporting Brown faculty whose path to promotion (to whatever rank) and/or reappointment has been obstructed by the ongoing pandemic. The Committee will:

1)    Prioritize recommending guidelines for awarding further contract extensions to tenure-track faculty.

2)    Make recommendations to the Office of the Provost as to other policies that the University might adopt in an effort to acknowledge and address the challenges that this pandemic has presented to faculty of various ranks on their individual paths to promotion and reappointment, and their career development more generally.

We are grateful to members of  the faculty and administration who have agreed to serve (listed below), many of whom bring a depth of governance experience as past members and/or chairs of the FEC and/or TPAC.

Initial Recommendations Approved

The Committee met earlier this month and issued the following recommendations, which have been approved.

Requests for further extensions should wait until guidelines have been developed:
The current “Tenure Probation Extension Policy” states that requests for contract extensions “for extraordinary circumstances” must be submitted to the relevant dean and department chair as soon as possible after the extraordinary circumstances justifying such a request, but in any case no later than April 1 of the academic year before a review for reappointment or promotion to tenure would be required. Given the establishment of the COVID-19 and Faculty Advancement Committee and its charge, we are requesting that  deans and chairs defer any extension requests until further Covid-related guidelines have been developed by the newly formed committee. 

12-month extensions should be offered to tenure-track faculty with contract start dates in Academic Year 2020-21 (i.e. from July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021):
As noted above, the COVID-19 and Faculty Advancement Committee has recommended - and in consultation with President Paxson and Dean McLaughlin, I have approved - providing the option to extend the probationary period by 12 months to recently-appointed tenure-track assistant professors in recognition of the challenges created by the pandemic. This applies to tenure-track assistant professors who have joined, or will join,  the Brown faculty between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. I have written to eligible faculty members and their department chairs to announce this option, noting that requests for extension must be made by December 1, 2020.

I am deeply grateful to the leadership of TPAC and FEC for bringing these ideas forward, and for collaborating with the administration to spearhead the creation of this important committee, which will develop guidance to support faculty during this exceptional period.

Sincerely,

Richard M. Locke
Provost

COVID-19 and Faculty Advancement Committee Membership
Ruth Colwill (Chair of CFED), Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences; former chair of FEC
Johanna Hanink (Chair of FEC), Associate Professor of Classics
Stephen Houston, Dupee Family Professor of Social Science, Professor of Anthropology, Professor of History of Art and Architecture
Evelyn Lincoln, Professor of History of Art and Architecture, Chair of History of Art and Architecture, Professor of Italian Studies
Brian Meeks, Professor of Africana Studies, Chair of Africana Studies
Robert Pelcovits, Professor of Physics; former chair of FEC
Terrie Fox Wetle, Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice; former (inaugural) Dean of Public Health
Kristi Wharton, Professor of Biology; most recent past chair of TPAC
Anne Windham, Senior Associate Dean of the Faculty
Robert Barrick, Manager, Faculty Governance & Research, will staff the committee.