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College presidents in Mississippi can now grant or deny tenure at public universities after the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees quietly approved a policy change last week.
Previously the IHL Board of Trustees was responsible for tenure approval.
Trustees made the change without fanfare on Thursday, approving the new tenure policy without public discussion as part of the consent agenda, according to Mississippi Today, which reported that faculty members denied tenure by their institution’s president can appeal to the IHL Board of Trustees.
According to Mississippi Today, university presidents can consider a faculty member’s “effectiveness, accuracy and integrity in communications” and “collegiality” when considering tenure reviews. “Contumacious conduct” or acts of insubordination can also be taken into consideration.
The move comes amid recent threats to tenure in Florida, Texas and other states
The IHL Board of Trustees also has its own history of challenging tenure for political reasons. In 2019, some trustees voted against granting tenure to a University of Mississippi sociology professor who posted tweets critical of Republican Party politics.
