Retirement

Faculty members having a minimum of 10 years of creditable service may elect to retire at age 60. Early retirement with penalty is allowable for those faculty members having attained age 55 and who have 25 years of creditable service. Faculty members having 30 years of creditable service may retire at any age without penalty. Creditable service includes active military duty, non-state teaching in a public system, study leave and current service in the University System. (BOR Policy 8.2.8.2)

Last updated March 24, 2022.

Resignation

All tenured faculty members employed under written contract for the fiscal or academic year shall give at least 60 days written notice of their intention to resign to the President of the institution or his or her designee (BOR Policy 8.3.4.1).

Last updated March 24, 2022.

Non-renewal of Contract

All non-tenured faculty who have been awarded academic rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor), are employed under written contract, and who served full-time for the entire previous year have the presumption of renewal of the next academic year unless notified in writing, by the President of the institution or his or her designee, of the intent not to renew. Written notice of intent not to renew shall be delivered by hand or by certified mail, to be delivered to the addressee only, with receipt to show to whom and when delivered and the address where delivered. Timelines and other information is available in the Board of Regents Policy Manual 8.3.4.2.

Lecturers, senior lecturers, and principal lecturers who have served full-time for the entire previous academic year have the presumption of reappointment for the subsequent academic year unless notified in writing to the contrary.  Stipulations are found in the Board of Regents Policy Manual as follows:

  1. For lecturers, senior lecturers, or principal lecturers with less than three years of full-time continuous service in that position at the current institution, institutions are encouraged to provide non-reappointment notice as early as possible, but no specific notice is required.
  2. For lecturers, senior lecturers, or principal lecturers with three or more years but less than six years of full-time continuous service in that position at the current institution, institutions must provide non-reappointment notice at least 30 calendar days prior to the institution’s first day of classes in the semester.
  3. For lecturers, senior lecturers, or principal lecturers with six years or more of full-time continuous service in those positions at the current institution, institutions must provide non-reappointment notice at least 180 calendar days prior to the institution’s first day of classes in the semester.

Lecturers, senior lecturers, or principal lecturers who have served for six or more years of fulltime continuous service in those positions at the current institution and who have received timely notice of non-reappointment shall be entitled to a review of the decision in accordance with published procedures developed by the institution. The procedures must be approved by the Chancellor or his or her designee prior to implementation. Additional appeal procedures are contained in the Board Policy Manual 8.3.4.3. Timelines and other information is available in the Board of Regents Policy Manual 8.3.4.2.

Last updated March 24, 2022.

Termination or Layoff of Tenured Personnel Due to Program Modification

The Board of Regents may exercise its authority to modify programs at various USG institutions. Such modification may result from a significant change of institutional mission or academic priorities that may be influenced by long-term declines in degree program productivity or financial exigency.

These changes may result in permanent termination of academic programs or permanent and significant reduction in size thereof. A program modification of such magnitude that requires the termination of tenured faculty members will be implemented only after completion of a study by the Chancellor’s staff with institutional administrative and faculty participation. The Chancellor will report the results of that study to the Board along with recommended guidelines under which program modification will be effected. The USG Chief Academic Officer shall issue procedures on program modification. (BOR Policy 8.3.7.9)

Last updated March 24, 2022.

Discipline and Removal of Faculty Members

The President of a University System of Georgia (USG) institution or his or her designee may at any time remove any faculty member or other employee of an institution for cause. Cause shall include willful or intentional violation of the Board of Regents’ policies or the approved statutes or bylaws of an institution or as otherwise set forth in the Board of Regents’ policies and the approved statutes or bylaws of an institution.

A tenured or non-tenured faculty member may be dismissed before the end of his or her contract term for any of the following reasons, provided that the institution has complied with procedural due process requirements:

  1. Conviction or admission of guilt of a felony or of a crime involving moral turpitude during the period of employment or prior thereto if the conviction or admission of guilt was willfully concealed;
  2. Professional incompetency, neglect of duty, or default of academic integrity in teaching, research, or scholarship;
  3. Unlawful manufacture, distribution, sale, use, or possession of marijuana, a controlled substance, or other drugs as defined by applicable laws; teaching or working under the influence of alcohol or illegal or dangerous drugs, which interferes with the faculty member’s performance of duties or responsibilities to the institution or his or her profession;
  4. Conviction or admission of guilt in a court proceeding of any criminal drug offense;
  5. Physical or mental incompetency as determined by law or by a medical board of three or more licensed physicians and reviewed by a committee of the faculty;
  6. False swearing with respect to official documents or statements filed with or given to the institution;
  7. Disruption of any teaching, research, administrative, disciplinary, public service, or other authorized activity;
  8. Violation of Board of Regents’ policies; and,
  9. Other grounds for dismissal as may be specified in the institution statutes of the institution, which may supplement the Board of Regents’ policies governing causes and procedures for dismissal.

Each institution should provide for standards governing faculty conduct, including sanctions short of dismissal and procedures for implementing such sanctions. In imposing sanctions, the burden of proof lies with the institution.

Procedures for dismissal are outlined in the BOR Policy Manual 8.3.9.2.

Last updated March 24, 2022.