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A Penn State Nittany Lion statue is seen in the courtyard of Penn State College of Medicine in Summer 2016. The statue is in focus toward the right side of the image. Out of focus in the background, green plants and trees are visible in the courtyard.

Requesting a transfer from the tenure track to the non-tenure line

A tenure-track faculty member may request to transfer to the non-tenure line due to personal or professional reasons. Such transfers are permitted, with the department chair’s and dean’s approval, for faculty in good standing (i.e., has not received an unsatisfactory provisional tenure review). Once a transfer has occurred, the faculty member may not be reinstated to the tenure track.

The request should be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs prior to July 1 of the academic year in which the transfer will occur. This is especially important if a provisional tenure review or the final tenure review is scheduled for that academic year. In no cases will a request for transfer be approved after July 1 of the academic year in which the final tenure review would occur.

The steps are:

  1. The faculty member writes a letter to the department chair requesting the transfer, and provides a current CV;
  2. The chair reviews the request and upon confirmation that the faculty member is in good standing, writes a letter to the dean approving the request and stating the effective date and any change in job expectations;
  3. The chair submits both letters and the CV to the Office of Faculty Affairs;
  4. The dean reviews the request and makes the final decision;
  5. Upon the dean’s approval, a letter of confirmation is sent to the department chair and faculty member, stating the effective date.

With questions, contact the Office of Faculty Affairs.