We are pleased to report that tenure has now been granted to all faculty members recommended by collegial bodies for the 2013-2014 academic year.

However, the fact that the Board of Governors has not formally reconsidered its original motion and that it is still fighting the case for a presidential veto is a cause for great concern for the Association. In our view, a Presidential veto on collegial tenure recommendations makes a mockery of both collegial governance and academic freedom.

The Association received a disappointing response from the Board to our demand that it reconsider its motion to grant the President veto power over collegial recommendations for tenure. The Board offered the Association an opportunity to present its concerns to its members at a meeting in October. This is not the response we expected and we will not wait until October to address this issue.

In addition, the University has appealed the decision by Arbitrator Sims on the denial of tenure for one of our members by such a “Presidential Veto” in 2009. This appeal further signals an intent to maintain and vigorously defend the disputed veto powers of the President.

We will continue to keep up the pressure on the Board and will take this issue to collective bargaining to defend collegial decision making as the foundation for the award of tenure.