Florida System Board Proposes Revised Posttenure Review

The board overseeing Florida’s dozen four-year public universities proposed revised posttenure faculty review regulations Wednesday.

In a news release, the State University System of Florida Board of Governors said individual university boards would have to amend their own policies to comply if the state-level board approves the proposals at its meeting next month.

“The regulation provides for a comprehensive review of faculty accomplishments and productivity, assigned duties, and performance metrics every five years and will include recognition and compensation,” the release said.

“The State University System is blessed to have high-performing dedicated faculty, whose expertise provide the platform from which we create the future,” said Brian Lamb, the board chair, in the release. “The new post-tenure review process will magnify faculty excellence, which will help us recruit and attract the very best faculty from across the country to this great state.”

Andrew Gothard, president of the United Faculty of Florida, said the new proposed version positively amended several areas that his union members were concerned about in a November iteration.

But Gothard said due process, progressive discipline and the right to appeal are still not fully reflected in the revised version, and he hopes the board will work with the union on those issues.

“We still think [the proposal] has a long ways to go before it fairly responds to Florida and federal law while also protecting tenure and the rights of faculty, but today’s amendments are a step in the right direction,” he said.