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Tenure decided by college presidents now

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College presidents now have final say on tenure after IHL quietly revises policy

The Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees will no longer approve tenure in Mississippi, per amended policies the board quietly approved at its regular meeting Thursday.ย 

Going forward, the presidents of Mississippi’s eight public universities will have the final say on whether to grant faculty members tenure, a type of indefinite appointment that protects academic freedom in higher education. Faculty who are denied tenure by a university president will still be able to appeal the to the board.ย 

Before granting tenure, university presidents can now take into account a faculty member’s โ€œeffectiveness, accuracy and integrity in communicationsโ€ as well as their โ€œcollegialityโ€ โ€”ย new language the board added to its policies. Presidents will also be able to consider โ€œcontumacious conduct,โ€ or insubordination, a factor that was previously only included in the board’s tenure dismissal policy.ย 

โ€œI worry these new terms would be used to try and chill faculty speech and participation in shared governance,โ€ said Neal Hutchens, a University of Mississippi professor of higher education who specializes in legal issues and tenure.ย 

The board did not discuss these changes at Thursday’s meeting because the new policies were included in the consent agenda, which trustees typically approve with no discussion. IHL also approved changes to its presidential search that make it so members of search committees will be anonymous even to each other.ย 

Thursday’s board book notes that โ€œthese policy amendments were discussed in detail during the March 2022 Board meeting.โ€ But that meeting was held at the Mississippi University Riley Center in Meridian, an hour-and-a-half away from the complex where the board typically meets in . Unlike most IHL board meetings, it was not live-streamed.ย 

Mississippi Today was not able to attend the March board meeting in Meridian, but a reporter did go to the IHL board’s retreat held the day before. At the retreat, board members discussed the proposed tenure policies, but no faculty were present to give their thoughts on the new language.ย 

Mississippi Today asked Caron Blanton, IHL’s spokesperson, if the board had consulted any faculty on the proposed policy language, but she did not respond by press time.ย 

Hutchens said it is disappointing that the board did not give faculty an opportunity to evaluate the proposed policies in an inclusive, transparent way.ย 

โ€œIt would’ve been nice to have some real town halls on this, so that we could ask questions, like โ€˜what do these standards do that existing HR standards don’t?’โ€ he said.ย 

Faculty work for years to tenure, which ensures they cannot be fired without cause, such as insubordination or reduction in academic programs. Tenure is granted after a rigorous committee process that begins at the department level. Last year, the roughly 1,300 tenured faculty in Mississippi comprised 34% of all faculty in Mississippi, according to a Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review report.ย 

Though tenure is meant to protect faculty from outside influences, the process has often been political, especially in Mississippi. In 2019, multiple members of the IHL board voted to deny tenure to University of Mississippi sociology professor James because they did not like some of his tweets. The decision to single out Thomas’s tenure application in an executive session drew national scrutiny, including from the American Association of University Professors. This session, state Sen. Chris McDaniel introduced a bill to eliminate tenure but it died in committee.

IHL hopes the new policies will de-politicized tenure in Mississippi by keeping those decisions in-house at each university.ย 

Hutchens said he โ€œcould see how that could eliminate one layer of political difficulty and give some insulationโ€ to tenure decisions but that is โ€œpredicated on a chancellor/president who is seeking in good-faith to adhere to the standards of promotion and tenure.โ€ He added that university presidents are more accountable to faculty than IHL board members, who are political appointees, not experts in higher education.ย 

The board’s changes only affect three of its eight tenure policies: Promotions in rank, minimum standards for tenured employment, and post-tenure review. In addition to the new language about โ€œcollegiality,โ€ the board added a reference to the AAUP’s Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure which says faculty โ€œshould remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances.โ€ย 

Hutchens said he is most concerned that presidents could use this new language to undermine the process. He also said policies that standards like โ€œcollegialityโ€ tend to be used inappropriately against faculty members of color.ย 

โ€œThe problem is that such terms can be so vague as to really be more about whether faculty are subservient to institutional and be a ground to dismiss faculty for unwarranted reasons or to deny tenure,โ€ he said.ย 

At the March retreat, Commissioner Alfred Rankins gave a PowerPoint presentation on the basics of tenure to board members. No faculty members were present, but the board said that Rankins, who was a tenured professor at Mississippi State University, could present that point of view.ย ย 

During the presentation, Rankins emphasized the benefit that tenure provides to a university and its faculty members. If Mississippi universities did not offer tenure, Rankins told the board, the โ€œbest and brightestโ€ faculty simply would not come to work in the state.ย ย 

โ€œIt’s highly unlikely they’re gonna and come to the University of Mississippi without tenure,โ€ he said. โ€œIt’s almost unheard.โ€ย 

Trustee Gee Olgetree, a real estate lawyer, asked what role the U.S. Department of Education plays in overseeing state-level tenure policies. He referenced a letter that USDOE sent to Florida about Gov. Ron DeSantis’s plan to limit tenure that required universities to continually switch regional accreditors.ย 

Rankins sighed. He said USDOE intervened in Florida because โ€œthey evaluate and accredit the accreditors.โ€ย 

Several trustees were surprised to learn that tenured faculty can, in fact, be fired for cause.ย 

โ€œBut I can terminate without cause in my company,โ€ said Teresa Hubbard, the president of CITE Armored, which manufactures SWAT vehicles.ย 

The board also had questions when Van Gillespie, IHL’s associate commissioner for legal affairs, explained why it is generally easier for universities to fire non-tenured faculty, who sign one-year contracts.ย 

โ€œSo, Van, if you’ve got a bad tenured guy and a bad non-tenured guy, and you have cause to fire them, there’s no difference in the two?โ€ asked J. Walt Starr, the outgoing board president. โ€œThey’re equal as far as you need to get rid of them.โ€ย 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi News

Cloudy and humid weekend – Home – WCBI TV

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www.wcbi.com – Sadie Morris – 2024-11-02 10:13:00

SUMMARY: In Columbus, Mississippi, humid and cloudy weather is expected, with temperatures remaining above average in the lower 80s for the upcoming . Rain is forecasted for Election Day on Tuesday, continuing into the week with isolated showers likely. This Saturday will see patchy fog in the morning, clearing by midday, with a high around 80 degrees. Sunday will bring similar humidity, with a high in the lower 80s and mild overnight lows in the mid-60s. Throughout the week, expect persistent clouds and humidity alongside mild temperatures.

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Sports Zone Saturday: A must-win weekend for Mississippi's college football teams

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www.wjtv.com – Blake Levine – 2024-11-02 09:43:00

SUMMARY: College football is back in Mississippi for the 2024 season, with a lineup of exciting this Saturday. The Zone team will special coverage from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on WJTV 12 . Notable matchups include No. 19 visiting Arkansas at 11:00 a.m. CT on ESPN, while Mississippi celebrates Homecoming against UMass at 3:15 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. State UAPB for their Homecoming at 2:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+, and Alcorn State travels to face Alabama State at 4:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+. Southern Miss has a bye .

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Danver’s celebrates forty seven years of continued success

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www.wcbi.com – Allie Martin – 2024-11-01 19:01:00

SUMMARY: Danver’s restaurant in , Mississippi, recently celebrated its 47th anniversary, maintaining a loyal customer base since its opening in 1977. General Larry Wade, who started as a cook, emphasized the restaurant’s focus on consistency, quality, and customer service. Despite economic challenges, Danver’s has thrived due to its enduring values and community connections, which patrons appreciate. Regular customers, like Tom Robinson, value the reasonable prices and consistent quality. The restaurant aims to continue this legacy, looking forward to its 50th anniversary in three years as it remains a cherished community staple.

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