Revisions to Academic Affairs Policy Manual 1.06-4, post-tenure review

This memorandum provides notice of recently posted revisions to the University of Georgia Academic Affairs Policy Manual (AAPM) Section 1.06-4, Post-Tenure Review. These revisions implement revised policy from the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents (BOR). In particular, AAPM 1.06-4 now includes a final faculty hearing in the event of remedial action of revocation of tenure/separation from employment following unsuccessful post-tenure review. This new final faculty hearing is required by revisions to BOR Policies 8.3.5.4 and 8.3.9.1, approved at the BOR’s April 2023 meeting, and subsequent revisions to the USG Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) Handbook, Section 4.7, posted on August 10, 2023.

Under current UGA policy, a faculty member who has an unsuccessful post-tenure review must have a one-year Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). The PIP performance is assessed at the time of the next written annual evaluation. If the department head and dean, with input from the faculty post-tenure review committee, determine that the faculty member has failed to make sufficient progress in PIP performance (or has refused to engage reasonably in the process), they will propose appropriate remedial action. At that juncture, the faculty member may request review by the University Council Faculty Post-Tenure Review Appeals Committee (FPTRAC). That FPTRAC review is governed by FPTRAC bylaws and operating policy. The FPTRAC decision is communicated as a recommendation to the provost.

Under the revised policy, if the remedial action is revocation of tenure/separation from employment, and only in that case, the faculty member has the right to request an additional, final faculty hearing for the purpose of confirming that due process was followed in reaching the decision of revocation of tenure/separation from employment. The final faculty hearing also is conducted by the FPTRAC, according to the procedures specified in USG ASA Handbook 4.7 and now included in AAPM 1.06-4, Section VII.

In summary, a faculty member with recommended remedial action of revocation of tenure/separation from employment has two opportunities for FPTRAC consideration, before and after the provost’s decision. The president will make the final decision on revocation of tenure/separation from employment.