VCU faculty push back on tougher tenure review policy
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VCU wants a stricter review process for its tenured faculty — and professors are pushing back.
Why it matters: The university would be the first in Virginia to adopt the policy, which it says will help ensure tenured professors are being productive and encourage "more impactful research."
- Some educators argue the new policy will effectively end tenure at the school, lead to a "brain drain" of university talent and could ultimately harm students.
How it works: Post-tenure review is the periodic evaluation of a university's tenured faculty, who are usually awarded more job security and academic freedom after a yearslong process.
- Under VCU's existing policy, which is similar to most Virginia public universities, a post-review is only triggered if tenured faculty get an "unsatisfactory" rating on their annual performance review.
- From there, the process is peer-driven, with a panel of tenured professors conducting the review, crafting an improvement plan and determining its success.
- Under the proposed changes, a post-review is triggered when tenured staff is rated "below expectations" or "unsatisfactory," and the dean and provost, in addition to the peer panel, oversee an improvement plan with a clear timeline for completion.
Friction point: The policy change drew hundreds of comments during its public review period, the majority of which were against it.
- Some accused the school of rushing the process. Faculty learned of the proposal midway through the spring semester, which some say gave staff little time to review the changes.
- Others took issue with two levels of senior administrators being involved in the review process, questioning whether those top bosses fully understand the faculty's work.
The other side: "This is not — emphatically not — about ending tenure," VCU provost Arturo Saavedra tells Axios. In fact, he estimates nearly two dozen tenure-tracked positions will be created.
- Saavedra, who was officially named provost last week after serving as interim head, said the policy change is an accountability-focused update to VCU's 13-year-old post-tenure review policy.
- Plus, it's part of the school's broader goal of reaching $1 billion in sponsored research funding, he adds.
Between the lines: Published research and being an R1 top-tier research university, as VCU is, raise a school's profile and make it more competitive for lucrative grants, per Inside Higher Ed.
By the numbers: Around 785 VCU faculty members — or 31% — of the school's 2,544 faculty hold tenure, says David Oglethorpe, spokesperson for the school's provost office.
What's next: VCU's University Council is scheduled to vote on the new policy next week. VCU's Board of Visitors will vote on it on June 4.