GA-12 Tenure

Purpose
To explain the board policy on tenure and dismissals.

Scope
All tenure and tenure-track faculty members. 

Definitions 

Policy and/or Procedure 
WAC 132J-128-200 Board policy on tenure and dismissals.

1. In accordance with RCW 28B.50.852, the board of trustees of college district no. 10, the appointing authority of Green
   River Community College, adopts this rules chapter to implement RCW 28B.50.850-.869. 
2. The board of trustees recognizes the importance of faculty tenure and appropriate tenure review and dismissal review processes in a higher education institution. The board further recognizes its own ultimate statutory responsibilities in these regards. Accordingly, the board reserves all of its statutory powers and rights regarding the awarding of faculty tenure and the dismissal of faculty, except as expressly provided otherwise in this chapter.
3. The board also recognizes the important role of the faculty and the faculty's bargaining representative in helping to determine the college's procedures for awarding tenure and dismissing faculty -- and helping to implement those procedures. Accordingly, the board will continue to negotiate with that bargaining representative to include major aspects of the tenure and dismissal review processes in the faculty collective bargaining agreements.
4. These rules are intended to avoid unnecessary duplication of the controlling statutes and/or currently-effective provisions of a faculty collective bargaining agreement, while providing for situations not covered thereby.

WAC 132J-128-210 Review committees generally.

1. Except as provided in a contrary, currently-effective provision of a faculty collective bargaining agreement, tenure and dismissal review committees shall be constituted and conducted under this chapter and as further directed by the college president.
2. The president is authorized to take all necessary actions to assure the composition and appointment of a valid and effective review committee, in accordance with RCW 28B.50.869 and/or other applicable law. If the president determines that there is no effective election or appointment to a position on a review committee, the president may declare that position vacant and either appoint a replacement (if it is an administrative staff member) or request an appointment by the student association or faculty bargaining representative, as appropriate. The
   association or bargaining representative shall convene any necessary meeting(s), make the appointment, and so advise the president within ten calendar days of receiving notification. If the association or bargaining representative fails to so advise of an appointment within ten days, without an extension of that deadline by the president, the association or bargaining representative shall be deemed to have waived its right to participate in the appointment and the president may conduct whatever meeting(s) may be appropriate to secure the appointment.
3. A review committee shall meet at a time and location designated by the president, after at least three days' notice to all its members, unless its members agree to a different time and/or location. At its first meeting, the committee shall elect a chair, who thereafter shall maintain all committee records.
4. Review committee deliberations shall be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law, except for evaluation information shared with a probationer.
5. The review committee shall report to the board of trustees within any deadline set by the president or the board.
6. A review committee's failure to properly perform its function shall not prevent the board of trustees from making a decision, after giving appropriate consideration to any recommendations of committee members and/or appropriate administrators.

Specific Authority 
RCW 28B.50.852. 94-04-053, § 132J-128-200, filed 1/31/94, effective 3/3/94

Law Implemented

History of Policy or Procedure
Draft:
Adopted: January 31, 1994
Revised: April 5, 2005
Reviewed by:
Contact: John Ramsey, Director of Public Information, ext. 3360
President’s Staff Sponsor: John Ramsey, Director of Public Information, ext. 3360