One-year Extension Policy

Third-year postdoctoral fellows whose academic portfolio may benefit from an additional year in the Department of Mathematics may apply to be considered for a one-year extension of their current contract, or for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) position (with a 2-2 teaching load). Requests should be submitted in writing to the Associate Head for Postdoctoral Programs between January 31st and April 1st of the last academic year of the applicant’s initial 3-year contract. 

1. Eligibility

In order to be considered for an additional one-year appointment, postdoctoral fellows must satisfy the following criteria.

1. Have at least met expectations in their last annual performance review.

2. Have submitted job applications to other universities during the current year.

2. Documentation

Written requests should be accompanied by the following materials.

1. A letter from a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Mathematics (typically the postdoctoral fellow’s mentor or a close research collaborator) in support of the candidate’s application for a one-year contract extension or a VAP position.

2. Updated research and teaching/outreach plans.

3. A description of how an additional year in the department will change the applicant’s CV and teaching/outreach portfolios.

4. A list of departments where the candidate interviewed for academic positions and of the offers they received.

Moreover, each candidate should also apply to the PDRAI position in the Department of Mathematics. This will give the Postdoctoral Committee access to their job application packet, including their letters of recommendation.

3. Procedure

The Postdoctoral Committee will review the submitted materials, consult the applicant’s teaching reports, and make a recommendation. In particular, the applicant’s profile should compare well with that of external candidates who have applied to our department for a second postdoc. The Committee will consider the number of years the candidate has spent in a postdoctoral position, their efforts to make themselves marketable and find another position after their current postdoctoral employment, as well as their current trajectory as a postdoc. 

The type of position granted (1-year contract extension or a 1-year Visiting Assistant Professorship) will depend on the Postdoctoral Committee’s evaluation of the candidate’s application and on available funding. 

One-year extensions of this type are not renewable. The final decision will rest with the Head of the Department of Mathematics. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of the review process by May first of the last academic year of their initial contract. If an extension is granted, applicants should be aware that they may be assigned lower-division courses in the following Fall semester.