Is the Clock Still Ticking? An Evaluation of the Consequences of Stopping the Tenure Clock

Abstract

Using a longitudinal administrative dataset from a large research university, we empirically evaluate the consequences of using stop the clock (STC) polices for the career success of tenure-track faculty. STC policies were introduced approximately 40 years ago, yet surprisingly little is known about how they affect career outcomes. The prevalence of the ideal worker norm in academia raises the possibility of negative consequences as evaluators may treat policy use as a signal that the faculty member lacks sufficient commitment to his or her academic role. Consistent with this possibility, faculty members who stop their clock for family reasons incur a salary penalty relative to faculty members who do not stop their clock that cannot be explained by differences in productivity. Alternatively, faculty members who use the policy are not at a promotion disadvantage as compared to non-users, and actually have higher promotion rates.

Keywords: academia, work-family policies, salary, promotion

JEL Classification: J31, J33