BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – University of Alabama System trustees have approved new rules requiring regular reviews of tenured faculty and limiting the authority of faculty senates at the system’s three campuses.
The rules apply to the University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Alabama in Huntsville. They require regular reviews of tenured faculty, limit faculty senates to advisory roles and affirm trustees’ authority over courses and curriculum.
Faculty senates can continue at all three universities, but they cannot make final decisions or speak on behalf of their universities.
In a statement, the UA System said the policies approved Friday would “strengthen academic quality, support faculty development and productivity” and ensure its institutions remain focused on their teaching, research and service missions.
Trustees said the changes are consistent with House Bill 580, a higher education law passed by lawmakers earlier this year. However, the UA System and Auburn University were excluded from the law’s requirements because their governing boards have authority established in the Alabama Constitution.
The University of Alabama chapter of the American Association of University Professors said in a statement that trustees used HB 580 “as cover to introduce policies beyond what the law actually requires.”
The new law requires the public universities it covers to adopt new rules for faculty senates, tenure, reviews of tenured faculty and curriculum by Oct. 1.
Under the new tenure rule, each campus must create its own review process. Reviews must include peer review. A tenured faculty member who receives an unsatisfactory review must be given a plan to improve.
“The post-tenure review process is designed to ensure our faculty have support throughout the tenure process to be successful, but also, like all employees, includes consequences for unsatisfactory performance,” UA System Chancellor Sid Trant told trustees during Friday’s meeting.
The rule also allows discipline, including firing, if a faculty member fails to complete the review process or is found to be incompetent, to have neglected job duties or to have committed serious misconduct.
Serious misconduct can include failing to perform job duties, breaking laws or university policies, being convicted of certain crimes or falsifying academic credentials.
Before a tenured faculty member can be fired, the university must provide written notice of the accusations and the evidence supporting them. The faculty member also must have a chance to respond at a hearing before a university administrator.
The chapter also opposed the new post-tenure review policy, saying faculty members already undergo annual reviews and the additional process could weaken tenure protections.
“A sufficiently punitive post-tenure review process effectively dissolves tenure protections in practice, even if the word ‘tenure’ remains on paper,” the chapter said.
The group also said the rule’s review standards are vague and do not explicitly protect academic freedom, raising concerns that faculty members could face subjective or retaliatory decisions.
The new faculty senate rule says the groups provide an important faculty perspective but have no final decision-making power. Any existing campus rule or policy giving a senate such power is repealed.
Each campus must submit new faculty senate rules to the system chancellor for approval by Oct. 1.
The UA System’s action follows changes at Auburn and Jacksonville State universities.
Auburn trustees abolished the university’s Faculty Senate in June, replaced it with a faculty advisory group and affirmed the board’s authority over curriculum.
Jacksonville State trustees this month abolished the university’s Faculty Senate and Staff Council. They directed university officials to develop new policies covering faculty and staff advisory groups, tenure, reviews of tenured faculty and curriculum.
Unlike Auburn and Jacksonville State, the UA System is allowing its existing faculty senates to remain, but limiting them to advisory roles.
Trustees also added a five-year deadline for the first review of each new academic program. Campuses must report performance data and whether the program is meeting the goals set when it was created.
The new rule also says trustees have “broad and ultimate authority” over all courses and curriculum. It makes university presidents and provosts responsible for ensuring courses and curricula follow the law and board rules.
Trustees approved the three policies together following Trant’s presentation.
The meeting can be viewed below or on the UA System’s YouTube channel.