University Adopted Guidelines for Retrenchment

WWW Posting Date:  1/15/2002 
Responsible Office:  Office of the President 

1. Three distinct circumstances indicating a need for staff reductions are recognized and determined to have different characteristics, thus necessitating different treatments.
   
   
   1. Adverse financial circumstances affecting the entire College or University or a Department thereof;
   
   
   
   2. Decline in enrollment in specific subjects indicating a corresponding decline in teaching personnel and services; and
   
   
   
   3. Discontinuance or combining of specific programs for reason.
      
2. In the case of A.1., it should be made abundantly clear that all segments of the institution will share, if feasible, in the necessary reductions to accommodate this type of adversity.



3. In the case of A.2. and A.3., good management practice would indicate the reduction irrespective of the financial condition of the institution.



4. The following general principles should be applied in dealing with any case of faculty reduction.
   
   
   1. The reasons for reduction should be clearly discernible and well documented.
   
   
   
   2. Unless a "financial exigency" has been declared and approved by the Board, notification of termination or non-renewal will adhere to dates and time specified in "Termination of Employment, Non-Tenured Academic Staff.
   
   
   
   3. All reductions will be made through natural attrition first, insofar as is possible.
   
   
   
   4. Non-tenured faculty employed in the specific teaching discipline identified for reduction will be given notification after D.3. above has been exhausted except as noted under E.1., E.2., and E.4. below.
      
      
   5. If additional reduction is indicated in a specific teaching discipline, tenured faculty will be identified for transfer, termination, or layoff.
      
      The institution shall make reasonable efforts (including retraining) to transfer the tenured employee by attempting to locate appropriate alternate employment:
      
      
      1. First, by attempting to transfer the faculty member to another teaching field, administrative position, or staff position within the University with no loss of tenure;
      
      
      
      2. Second, by exploring possibilities of non-faculty employment at the University or a faculty position at another institution under the Board of Supervisors for State Colleges and Universities.
         
         
      3. Third, by assisting in the search for other employment.

      In establishing a case for termination, minimal procedures require that the institution deciding to reduce tenured faculty

      1. First, provide the affected faculty member with a written statement of the basis for the initial decision to lay off or terminate;
      
      
      
      2. Second, provide an adequate description of the manner in which the decision was reached; and
      
      
      
      3. Third, provide a reasonably adequate disclosure of the information and data the decision-makers relied upon.
         
5. The hierarchy for determination of the order of reductions within a teaching discipline shall be determined as follows: 
   
   
   1. FIRST CONSIDERATION
      The need of the College or University for representation of a specialty among the faculty within the identified discipline with representation of that specialty being retained or a decision reached to delete it completely.
      
      
   2. SECOND CONSIDERATION
      The need of the University to meet equal employment opportunity guidelines or other race employment goals and timetables.
      
      
   3. THIRD CONSIDERATION
      The academic rank of the faculty members in the identified discipline with the lowest rank being chosen first.
      
      
   4. FOURTH CONSIDERATION
      The earned academic degrees of the faculty members in the identified discipline in accord with requirements of appropriate accrediting agencies (e.g., standards for professional competency in the arts).
      
      
   5. FIFTH CONSIDERATION
      The length of service within the College or University of the faculty members in the identified discipline, with the one having the fewest number of years of service chosen first.

    DEFINITIONS

   1. Teaching discipline
      This reference shall be identified by the major divisions of the Taxonomy of Academic Disciplines published by the National Center for Educational Statistics, U.S. Office of Education (Integrat­ed Post-secondary Education Data System--IPEDS–classifications).
      
   
   
   2. Specialty within a Teaching Discipline
      This reference shall be identified by one of the listed subdivisions in the IPEDS Taxonomy cited above or by a course or courses listed in the most recent College or University catalog.