FINAL BILL REPORT

                           SSB 5878

                          C 188 L 93

                      SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Decentralizing posttenure evaluation for higher education faculty.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senator Bauer)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

BACKGROUND:

In 1991 the Legislature established a performance review of tenured faculty members in the community college system.  This statute requires tenured faculty members receive such review from a committee of peers at least once every 15 regular college quarters.  If the review is unsatisfactory, the tenured faculty member may be required to implement a professional improvement plan for a period of up to three regular college quarters.  If the faculty member's performance remains unsatisfactory following this period, tenure may be revoked and the faculty member will be returned to probationary status.

One section of the community college tenure statute contains references to teaching faculty serving on faculty tenure review committees.  The term "teaching faculty" may exclude librarians and counselors, who are faculty but not necessarily teaching faculty, from serving on the tenure review committees.  The term "teaching faculty" is not used in other sections of the community college tenure statute.

SUMMARY:

The community college tenured faculty performance review and evaluation statute is repealed.

The community and technical college system is directed to establish a process for periodic post-tenure review of faculty through the local collective bargaining process. 

The term "teaching faculty" is changed to "faculty" for the composition of tenure review committees.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate    45   0

House     97   0

EFFECTIVE:July 1, 1993