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TSU trustees approve tenure-discipline revisions with requirement for shared governance and Sept. 15 draft
Summary
Trustees approved changes to Tennessee State University's academic tenure policy on faculty discipline but required administration to undertake comprehensive shared-governance engagement and deliver a final draft to the Student and Academic Affairs Committee by Sept. 15, 2026.
Tennessee State University trustees approved revisions to the university's academic tenure policy on faculty discipline on June 30, 2026, while directing the administration to engage faculty and other stakeholders before final implementation. The board approved the item as part of its consent agenda after the Student and Academic Affairs Committee recommended the change with conditions.
The policy revisions, presented by interim provost Dr. Eric Schmemeller and Provost Miller, were framed as necessary to comply with newly enacted state law that changes how universities may address faculty misconduct. Provost Miller summarized the approach as two processes: a faster administrative track for misconduct or other "adequate cause" actions that limits faculty-committee input to meet the statute's requirements, and a separate process for unsatisfactory performance that preserves faculty engagement and departmental input on what constitutes satisfactory performance.
Chair Winton asked the board to approve the committee's recommendation "with express understanding that the administration will immediately engage in a shared governance process and work collaboratively with the appropriate institutional stakeholders to develop a comprehensive and sustainable policy," and requested a final draft be provided to the Student and Academic Affairs Committee by Sept. 15, 2026, for review ahead of the board's Nov. 5 meeting.
Trustees emphasized the need for due diligence and sustainability in the policy language. The Student and Academic Affairs Committee had earlier removed the item from its agenda to allow a fuller shared-governance review; following that work, the committee moved the recommended revisions to the full board with the conditions described above. The board approved the consent agenda containing the revisions by roll call.
The administration and legal counsel stated that documentation such as annual evaluations and student evaluations would remain part of any performance- or discipline-related process. The board did not adopt an immediate operational timeline beyond the Sept. 15 submission date for the committee's review. The committee and board comments made clear that further drafting and faculty engagement are expected before final implementation.
