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Princeton Adopts New Family-Leave Policy
By Gwendolyn Bradley
Princeton University announced in August a new policy that automatically extends the probationary period and stops the tenure clock for both male and female faculty members after the birth or adoption of a child. The university previously offered such extensions to faculty who requested them but instituted automatic extensions after a survey revealed that many faculty members perceived such requests as stigmatizing. Under the new policy, junior faculty members automatically receive a one-year extension for every child born or adopted; twins or triplets stop the clock for two or three years. The policy does not limit the number of extensions. Faculty members who have received the extensions can request early tenure review, as can any other probationary faculty member.
In its 2001 Statement of Principles on Family Responsibilities and Academic Work, the AAUP recommends that faculty members should have the option to extend the probationary period, with or without a leave of absence, for up to a year following the birth or adoption of a child, and that they should be able to do so for two children.
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