Unilateral Control vs. Mandatory Consultation

You know that the rules shouldn't change during the game. Don't let them change your career protections before Virginia law increases protections for your voice and your property interests!

​

On 6 April 2026, VCU Faculty were asked to comment on the administration's plan to eliminate tenure at VCU!  The proposed changes would go into effect, just prior to implementation of a new Virginia law newly codifying faculty rights on 1 July 2026.  More details are in this email from Faculty Senate representatives to the School of Business faculty.

​

NOTE:  Gov. Spanberger has proposed alternative language but below is the original context and language (perhaps) influencing the Adminstration's actions.  

​

The proposed changes to eliminate tenure are being rushed through in an attempt to circumvent the impact of a new Virginia law.  Senate Bill 494 codifies faculty due process rights and explicitly makes it harder for administrations to use "strategic realignment" or "program redirection" as a pretext for firing specific faculty.  Specifically, lines 354-361 replace previous language and (as of 1 July 2026) requires administrations to:
 

Solicit the input of representatives of the institution's faculty senate or its equivalent (i) at least twice per academic year on topics of general interest to the faculty and (ii) in advance of decisions to be made on the search for the institution's new Adopt and maintain policies defining and implementing shared governance among the components of such institution's organizational structure, including the governing board, chief executive officer, and the faculty, staff, and students of such institution, including policies requiring consultation with the institution's faculty senate or its equivalent on matters of academic policy and before any major academic changes such as decisions to eliminate any academic programs or changes to tenure policy.

 

Recent (2025) VCU policy updates have moved Post-Tenure Review into a standalone policy rather than keeping it inside the main P&T document. This separation makes it easier for administrations to change the rules of post-tenure review (i.e., making it more frequent or more punitive) without having to reopen the entire P&T policy. 

​

Critically, the administration's effort is a one-two punch with the second punch requiring department chairs to rate a mandatory percentage of faculty as 'unsatisfactory' each evaluation period.  Under the proposed change, decisions to end tenure would rest solely with the Deans and the Provost.

​

Do not let VCU make any changes to your voice and your property interests before the new legislation goes into effect!  Help us demonstrate to VCU that research shows that tenure makes us better.  Apparently, we would be the first R1 institute to drop tenure (more on R1 institutions and tenure).

​

1. Read the Faculty Senate statement that was submitted to the adminstration.

2. Comment on the proposed policy.  To make it easy to comment, the Suggested Comments page provides points about the policy that you can adopt and/or edit as you see fit.

3. Contact your university council representative - click here for
   sample/suggested content.

4. Keep reading to learn more (For example:  why putting VCU
   among a small list of  R1 Universities denying tenure
   would hurt recruiting).

5. Get involved - they are giving us a very short window to
   respond (24 April).
    

Signed, PlayFairVCU.org