Inside Higher Ed
By Scott Jaschik
March 2, 2010

One of the ultimate protections of being a tenured faculty member, historically, has been being immune from layoff in all but the most extraordinary circumstances. Under policies issued by the American Association of University Professors and largely accepted by higher education leaders, only institutions that declare “financial exigency” — a state so dire that it “threatens the survival of the institution as a whole” — can eliminate the jobs of tenured faculty members.

Given the strict criteria on when an institution can declare exigency, and the obviously unwelcome scrutiny such a declaration would bring about, institutions have hesitated to invoke that status. As a result, while institutions eliminate adjunct positions all the time, the tenured faculty member has been protected.

But maybe not so much anymore. In a series of recent actions, colleges appear to be ignoring the exigency requirement either when eliminating tenured jobs or considering the possibility of doing so. Administrators defend their moves as necessary to manage institutions in tight financial times, but faculty leaders see an erosion of a key right.

Consider these developments:

Read more at insidehighered.com


Georgia Regents Propose 4,000 Layoffs, Dozens of Program Cuts

Times-Herald
By Walter C. Jones
March 2, 2010

The University System of Georgia released a list Monday afternoon of 4,000 layoffs and dozens of program eliminations that would be required should the General Assembly insist on taking another $300 million from the budget.

Lawmakers are searching for roughly $1 billion in savings to avoid a projected shortfall in next year’s budget. Last week, they ordered the system to compile a list by Friday of the cuts it would make.

University System spokesman John Millsaps said the Friday deadline wasn’t possible. The presidents of the 35 public colleges and universities forwarded their list of changes to the University System on Saturday for release to the public 4 p.m. Monday.

The changes include closing satellite campuses, elimination of certain majors, shorter hours at libraries and student centers and lower caps on enrollment among the various schools. The University of Georgia, for instance, would admit 500 fewer freshmen in the fall and accept 1,000 fewer transfer students.

Read more at timesherald.com

See related post:

Palm Beach School District Administrators Invoke Layoff Bogey