The UTK Senate passed a resolution Monday, April 5, approving the
Implementation Policy developed by their Executive Committee.  I am
attaching below a copy of their resolution--it is interesting to note that
they have determined that the policy does affirm both the importance of
academic freedom and of tenure.  Note also that the resolution indicates
failure to get some desired concessions but an acceptance of the policy
anyway. The UTK implementation policy is little changed from the last one
shared with you.  You may read it at:

http://www.acad.utk.edu/notes/notes-march1999.html

For those really interested in producing the best possible implementation
policy for UTC, it is worth comparing UTK's with our current draft.  If
anyone still does not have a copy of the latest draft of UTC's policy,
please let me or a member of the Performance Review Committee know.
Members are:

Valarie Adams
Herbert Burhenn
Leroy Fanning
William Gurley
Maria Smith
Stephanie Smullen
Larry Stokes
Mary Tanner

The following is the resolution that was adopted by the UTK Faculty Senate
on April 5, 1999.

    Whereas, The revised "New Tenure Section for the Faculty Handbook"
affirms the importance of academic freedom and of tenure, defines tenure as
a presumption of continuous employment, and retains generally strong due
process safeguards for adequate cause and misconduct procedures;

    Whereas, The revised section on tenure incorporates most of the changes
recommended by the Senate and its committees in order to strengthen
academic freedom and due process guarantees;

    Whereas, The revised section on tenure will incorporate by attachment
in the revised Faculty Evaluation Manual the recommendations of the
Research Council and the Teaching Council for conducting evaluations of
research and teaching; and

    Whereas, A small number of faculty recommendations are not adopted in
the revised section on tenure, usually because they conflict with the
policy of the Board of Trustees;

    Resolved, That it is the judgment of the Faculty Senate that the new
policies set out in the revised "New Tenure Section for the Faculty
Handbook" can meet the goals of protecting basic principles of academic
freedom and due process, identifying and rewarding exemplary faculty
performance, and guaranteeing fair and consistent evaluation procedures for
faculty among all
units.




Verbie Lovorn Prevost
Katharine Pryor Professor of English
Director of English Graduate Studies
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Phone: 423-755-4627
FAX: 423-785-2282
email: [log in to unmask]