One of our members found the following articles about possible changes
to tenure in Kentucky.
*Kentucky Considers Eliminating Tenure For New Hires At
Community And Technical Colleges.*The _Louisville Courier-Journal_ (12/4) reported, “Kentucky’s state-operated community and technical colleges would eliminate tenure for new faculty and end heath insurance for new retirees as part of cost-saving measures the colleges’ Board of Regents will consider Friday.” Advocates say the policies “would allow more flexibility in hiring new staff as curriculum changes warrant, and save $57 million over 10 years.” Educators, however, contend that “eliminating tenure and benefits would erode teacher quality, by keeping away talented professors and making top educators fearful of speaking out on issues that could cost them their jobs.” The article described the current tenure system, and added that “nearly 60 percent of full-time faculty members at the nation’s two-year institutions had tenure or were on a tenure track in 2005, according to the American Association of University Professors.”
The _Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader_ (12/4, Alessi) noted that at an upcoming meeting, the regents will give the “first public airing of the idea of hiring new professors with contracts of up to four years, rather than the tenure track that essentially establishes faculty members for life.” The Herald-Leader pointed out that “the board can’t approve such a move this month because it is up for discussion only and couldn’t be acted upon until its March meeting at the earliest.” Still, “it is an idea that is being floated as an option to help the system handle ‘rapid shifts in the job market, emerging new job markets, and state budget cuts which underscored the need for flexibility,'” the board said. If the proposal is implemented, “any new hires after July 1, 2009…would be hired as either temporary ‘at will’ employees or with contracts of between one and four years,” similar to systems in Virginia, Indiana, Michigan and Missouri.