Reallocation and reduction strategies being used by four-year colleges and universities were identified by the Project on Reallocation, which contacted 318 four-year institutions. The strengths and weaknesses of the reallocation and reduction strategies were also assessed. Telephone interviews were conducted with the chief academic officer or a…

While tenure has its disadvantages, far more would be lost than gained by reducing or abandoning the tenure system. Strategies are available to both safeguard against tenure abuse and increase institutional flexibility by reducing the proportion of tenured appointments, without endangering the traditional role of the institution. (Author/MSE)

With the prospect of fewer students and diminished tuition receipts, many universities will be unable to honor their contracts with tenured faculty. The author presents an ordered plan for dealing with faculty terminations at a time of "financial exigency." (Editor)

With declining enrollments and the tightening economy outdistancing the process of normal staff attrition, more and more administrators are faced with the painful process of informing professional employees that their services are no longer required. Higher education officials are taking steps to make student-teacher programs more competitive and…

A summary is presented of the Project on Reallocation, which investigated faculty staffing and academic program practices at a random sample of 369 four-year colleges and universities, as well as reallocation, reduction, and/or retrenchment patterns. Telephone interviews were conducted with 318 officials (usually the chief academic officer), and…

The use of seniority in current school layoff and transfer practices and the impact of seniority provisions on school operations are examined in this paper. The data for the study came from two sources: interviews with teachers, principals, union leaders, and district administrators in four school districts (drawn from a national sample) facing…

A report of a study of faculty personnel practices, including tenure, in Florida's state universities and community colleges is presented. The objective was to determine the impact of the practices on a college's ability to attract and retain faculty and to respond to changing enrollment patterns. Background information is presented on: tenure…

This chapter examines cases reported during 1981 concerning school employees. In the format used, federal questions are addressed first, then issues associated with state laws. The author deals with cases in the areas of discrimination in employment, substantive constitutional rights of speech and association and privacy, and procedural due…

Declining enrollment and financial setbacks faced by California community colleges have necessitated discontinuing programs and terminating the services of experienced, tenured, certified personnel. Laws and policies in California, Connecticut, and at Miami-Dade (Florida) related to reduction in force (RIF) are discussed in terms of termination…

This chapter analyzes 1982 decisions involving legal issues in public school employment. Cases in areas of federal law are discussed first, including: discrimination in employment (race, sex, religion, age, and handicap); substantive constitutional rights (speech, association, and religion); and procedural due process (property interest, liberty…

The legal developments regarding dismissal of tenured faculty members because of financial exigency are considered. Attention is directed to, the ability of the public or private institution to dismiss and the constitution of a state of financial exigency and a bona fide dismissal. A standard for claiming financial exigency that was suggested by…

Policies and procedures for retrenchment used at Emporia State University, Kansas, are identified to serve as a model for other colleges and the universities. The procedures are as follows: When a formal, institution-wide program of retrenchment appears necessary, the president will inform the faculty senate when such action is to be initiated and…

This book focuses on how school administrators deal with the problem of teacher incompetence. Data were derived from three research studies conducted in California: interviews with 30 school administrators; a mailed survey of 141 school district superintendents; and a case study of a school district with a relatively high rate of induced teacher…

Discusses substantive and procedural restraints, including legal pitfalls, due process, and no-layoff clauses, within which public employers must decide questions of reduction in workforce (RIF). Describes elements of a sound RIF policy and considers ways of using the collective bargaining process to facilitate the RIF process. (JBM)