Assistant Professors who begin employment at Indiana University Kokomo before completing their PhD are hired as Acting Assistant Professors. They must complete their PhD before a deadline specified in their offer letter (typically September 1st of the following year).
When their PhD is completed, they should discuss with their dean to determine the start of their tenure clock. The options are:
- August 1st of a year they were employed as an Acting Assistant Professor at Indiana University Kokomo
- August 1st of their first year as an Assistant Professor
Shortly after completing the PhD, the faculty member is to indicate their choice, in writing, to their dean and to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Once this decision is communicated, it cannot be changed. Faculty should remember that accomplishments in teaching, research, and service before the tenure clock starts do not count toward promotion and tenure.
Example:
A faculty member is hired ABD. Her employment starts on August 1st, 2018. She completes her PhD in December of 2018.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, she is appointed as an Acting Assistant Professor. When she completes her PhD in December of 2018, she notifies her dean and Academic Affairs of when she wants her tenure clock to start. The options are August 1st, 2018, or August 1st, 2019. On August 1st, 2019, she begins employment as an Assistant Professor.