Changes in tenure dismissal by the University System of Georgia created strong disapproval from faculty members state-wide, according to a survey conducted by the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors.
In a press release sent to The Sentinel by Matthew Boedy, Georgia AAUP president, USG faculty expressed extreme discontent and disagreement with recent changes to tenure policies. Of the 972 faculty members surveyed, 57% of respondents said that their inclination to continue their employment with USG was affected by these changes. The release said that individual reports reflected faculty members searching for jobs outside of USG and colleagues reflecting that desire.
As a continuation, 68.1% of respondents said that their recommendation to graduates and out-of-state colleagues seeking employment with USG would be negatively impacted. An individual responded reflected in their survey that “professional organizations in multiple fields have lost respect for USG institutions.”
The survey follows the censure of USG by AAUP in March. This censure was a response to the USG Board of Regents’ vote to make the dismissal of tenured faculty possible without a peer-review process or hearing in October 2021.
“The principal purpose of tenure is to safeguard academic freedom, which is necessary for all who teach and conduct research in higher education,” the AAUP’s March statement said. “When faculty members can lose their positions because of their speech, publications or research findings, they cannot properly fulfill their core responsibilities to advance and transmit knowledge,”
On Sept. 8, 2020, a Post-Tenure Review Working Group was put together by USG to assess the current policy in place and receive feedback for reform, if necessary. The chair of this group was current KSU President Kathy Schwaig. Eleven others worked alongside President Schwaig, who was serving as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs of KSU at the time.
As of Fall 2021, 47% of KSU’s total 1,209 faculty members were tenured. This is a 2.4% decrease from Fall 2020 when KSU employed 1,157 members. However, across USG as a whole, the percentage from both years decreased by only 0.2%.
Currently, KSU’s dismissal of tenured faculty aligns with the Board of Regents Policy Grounds for Removal (8.3.9.1) and Procedures for Dismissal (8.3.9.2). Under these policies, there are five steps to dismissal. First, a meeting is conducted between the faculty member and an administrative officer. An informal inquiry is then submitted to the President by a faculty committee regarding the action that should be taken for or against dismissal.
Upon request, the dismissed faculty member may receive a letter outlining their termination, the charges against them and witness testimonies to warrant it. The member may also request a hearing for their dismissal. However, failure to request either in a timely manner waives the faculty member’s right to a hearing.
The hearing will be discussed among “not fewer than three or more than five impartial faculty members appointed by the executive committee (or its equivalent) of the highest legislative body of the faculty,” according to the Procedures for Dismissal, 8.3.9.2.
Survey responses were collected from Sept. 21 to Oct. 5, according to the press release.