The University of Saskatchewan and the U of S Faculty Association have tentatively agreed to change the procedures for awarding tenure. The three-year agreement will affect 1,100 faculty members.

The revisions were negotiated during a collective bargaining process between the USFA and the university’s Board of Governors.

“We believe this agreement is a critical step forward in order to place the recent events at the university behind us and continue to build the reputation of the U of S as a world-class post secondary-institution,” chief negotiator for the USFA Jim Cheesman said in a press release.

The main highlight of the revisions is that the president will no longer have authority over decisions regarding tenure.

“Tenure is unquestionably one of the most important milestones in the career of a professor: It represents the transition from a probationary appointment to a permanent faculty appointment, along with all the rights and responsibilities that come with such an appointment,” wrote interim provost and vice-president academic Ernie Barber in an email to the Sheaf.

“The appointment of tenured faculty is also one of the most important decisions a university makes because the faculty are the primary engine through which a university achieves its mission for learning and discovery,” Barber said.

The tentative agreement also includes significant structural changes to the final review committee. Of the three to four committees that consider tenure candidates, a two-year extension to the probationary period may be granted by the final two committees.

“Changes in the structure and function of the collegial tenure committees made it possible for the Board of Governors to, in turn, change its procedures by which it exercises its authority over tenure approval,” Barber said. “Under the new agreement, tenure candidates who require more time to demonstrate that they have met the standards for tenure may now be afforded that opportunity sooner in the tenure consideration process without having to appeal to the final tenure committee.”

The agreement also includes revisions to the final review committee’s membership structure, specifically to include nine faculty members and three senior administrators, all serving three-year terms on the committee.

“Changes to the structure of final tenure committee to make it a standing committee and to include senior academic leaders will increase the breadth of experience and the consistency of decision making,” Barber said.

The negotiations clarify that observers on the final review committee are allowed to comment but do not have a vote. They also include a provision that would allow tenure candidates to present their tenure cases to the board in cases where clarification is required.

“With these changes, it will be rare that the president and the Board of Governors will be in disagreement with the recommendation of the final tenure committee; consequently, the board will be able to consider any controversial cases at the level of the entire board,” Barber said. “The president, as the university’s senior academic leader, will of course continue to have an important voice in board decisions on tenure.”

The USFA will vote to ratify the changes in September. The Board of Governors must also ratify the agreement, which is expected to take place in October. Once the ratification has occurred, the university and the USFA will discuss the full details of the collective agreement.

The negotiations occurred in response to the firing of U of S professor Robert Buckingham in May. Buckingham was stripped of tenure and escorted off campus by campus security after he publicly spoke out against TransformUS, an initiative to cut jobs and programs in order to address deficit in the university’s budget.

Barber hopes that the agreement will restore transparency to the procedures for awarding tenure by utilizing due diligence and a system of checks and balances.

“The university’s commitment to tenure and academic freedom was and is unwavering, and any opportunity to restate and demonstrate that commitment is welcome,” Barber said. “Prospective faculty and senior academic leaders should be reassured by what has been tentatively agreed upon regarding tenure approval procedures.”