3341-1-16 Faculty Retrenchment Policy

1. Policy Statement and Purpose

   In accordance with Ohio law, the Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees adopts a faculty retrenchment policy.

2. Periodic Review and Approval Requirement

   Every five years, BGSU will review this policy to determine if any updates are needed. Any recommended changes will be presented and discussed with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, who may at their sole discretion discuss the recommended changes with the full Senate for an advisory vote. Any updates must be approved by the Board of Trustees before they become effective.

3. Policy Scope

   This policy applies to all BGSU full-time faculty members directly compensated by the University, excluding full-time faculty who have at least thirty years, but not more than thirty-five years, of service in a retirement system at the time of a retrenchment decision. The retrenchment process for full-time faculty excluded from this policy is outlined in the collective bargaining agreement between the University and the BGSU Faculty Association.

4. Definition

   Retrenchment means a process by which the University reduces programs or services, thus resulting in a temporary suspension or permanent separation of one or more faculty members, to account for a reduction in student population or overall funding, a change to University mission or programs, or other fiscal emergencies or pressures facing the University.

5. Determining the Necessity for Retrenchment

   Retrenchment may be necessary when a judgment, made by the President, in consultation with the Board of Trustees, based upon evidence made available to the Faculty Senate according to the schedules set forth in this policy, indicates at least one of the five circumstances listed in Section F exists at the University. Unless Section M applies, the University will take no action regarding retrenchment until the President and the Board of Trustees have reviewed the recommendations from the Joint Committee on Retrenchment.

6. Circumstances for Retrenchment

   1. Financial exigency, defined as financial problems so severe that they threaten the University’s ability to maintain its operations at an acceptable level of quality;
   2. Significant reduction in the annual enrollment of a college, department/school, or program over three academic years (not including summer) that is expected to persist;
   3. Discontinuation of a college, department/school, or program;
   4. A significant change to university, college, or academic unit or program mission; or
   5. Action by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Ohio General Assembly, or an accrediting body that requires the university to implement a retrenchment.

7. Reductions through Attrition First

   1. Normal attrition is the preferred approach to alleviating financial exigency or responding to enrollment patterns.
   2. If the President, in consultation with the Board of Trustees, determines, according to the criteria listed in Section F of this policy, that retrenchment is necessary and, further, that in implementing this retrenchment a reduction in faculty is necessary, the university shall attempt to achieve the desired result through attrition, including voluntary early retirement.
   3. If, after completing this procedure, the President, in consultation with the Board of Trustees, makes the judgment that retrenchment requires reductions in faculty beyond those conducted through attrition, the following sections establish the process for implementing any retrenchment.

8. Process for Retrenchment

   1. Information Sharing

      The University shall provide to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee evidence of the need for retrenchment, based on the criteria listed in Section F.

      At the same time, the Provost shall notify the department chair/school director and college dean of the affected unit(s) or program(s) that retrenchment may be required.

   2. Consultation

      Within five business days after receipt of the rationale for retrenchment, a Joint Committee on Retrenchment, with three members appointed by the President and three members appointed by the Faculty Senate, shall be formed. The Provost, or designee, shall chair the committee in an ex-officio, non-voting capacity.

      In the case of an anticipated retrenchment affecting a campus, college, department/school, or program, the Joint Committee on Retrenchment’s recommendations shall consider, with respect to such campus, college, department/school, or program:

      1. Its historical role and contributions in the University’s educational, scholarly, and service mission, and those long-range circumstances which may have changed to alter that role and those contributions;
      2. The dependence of other programs in the University on the campus, college, department/school, or program;
      3. Duplication elsewhere across the University’s campuses and colleges of courses, scholarly/creative activity, or services offered through the department/school, college, or program, and possible organizational arrangements which might serve as alternatives to discontinuation;
      4. Arrangements which can be made to allow enrolled students to satisfy degree or certificate requirements;
      5. Stature of its faculty and alumni, and the possible consequences to the academic stature of the University through discontinuation;
      6. The profile of experience, periods of service and tenure status of its faculty and an estimate of their possible usefulness elsewhere within the University;
      7. Possible arrangements for planned phasing out of a campus, college, department/school, or program as an alternative to abrupt discontinuation; and
      8. Any other factors the Joint Committee on Retrenchment deems relevant.

      Within thirty calendar days after the receipt of the data and information in Section F, the Joint Committee on Retrenchment shall submit its advisory recommendations to the President. The President shall forward these recommendations along with a recommendation to the Chair of the Board of Trustees as soon thereafter as practicable. After receiving and considering the recommendation(s), the Board of Trustees shall make the final determination to implement retrenchment.

   3. Order of Retrenchment

      Faculty shall be recommended for release in the following order:

      1. Adjunct/Part-Time Faculty
      2. Nonrenewable Qualified Rank Faculty
      3. Renewable Qualified Rank Faculty
         1. Assistant Professor
         2. Associate Professor
         3. Professor
      4. Tenure-Track Faculty
         1. Assistant Professor
         2. Associate Professor
         3. Professor

   4. Additional Factors to Be Considered.

      In making the final determination within each category as to whether or not an individual faculty member shall be released, the following additional factors shall be given full consideration:

      1. The quality of the faculty member’s contribution in the areas of teaching/librarian effectiveness, scholarly/creative activity, and service;
      2. The impact on the academic program resulting from the release of the faculty member; and
      3. Length of service with the University as a full-time faculty member may be used in lieu of advancement of rank.

   5. Recommendations on Retrenchment

      The department chair/school director and college dean of the affected unit(s) shall make recommendations to the Provost concerning the individual faculty to be released. Whenever faculty within a category are considered approximately equivalent in the ratings on the factors set forth in Section H(4), then length of service with the University as a full-time faculty member shall also be considered.

   6. Final Decision

      Based on aforementioned recommendations, the Provost shall make the final decision for the University in accordance with Sections H(3)-(5) concerning the faculty to be released.

      A copy of each final decision shall be sent to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, the BGSU-FA, the department chair/school director, college dean, and the affected faculty members.

9. Notice of Release

   Except for circumstances described in Section M, the University shall provide notice of release to affected faculty in accordance with the following:

   1. At least twelve months of continued employment, spanning two academic semesters (not including summer), for affected faculty members who receive notice of release in spring or summer semesters.
   2. At least eighteen months of continued employment, spanning three academic semesters (not including summer), for affected faculty members who receive notice of release in fall semester.
   3. The University may provide salary in lieu of the notice required above when such arrangement is agreed upon in writing by the affected faculty member and the university. The university’s decision as to whether to provide salary in lieu of notice may not be appealed, and a faculty member may not be compelled to accept salary in lieu of the required notice.

10. Reinstatement

    During a period of two academic years following release of any full time faculty member under this policy, the faculty member shall be offered reinstatement to the same position, if the position is reauthorized. During a period of two academic years following release of a faculty member under this policy, the faculty member may be offered reinstatement to a similar position in any college or campus, if authorized. Any such reinstatement would be subject to the hiring priorities of the academic unit, college, and the university.

    1. Released faculty who have been offered reinstatement shall have a period of thirty calendar days in which to accept or decline the offer of reinstatement and up to thirty additional days before beginning the recalled position.
    2. The University’s offer to reinstate, if accepted, shall be at the same tenure level, rank, and salary, adjusted to incorporate any general, non-performance based salary increases that were granted since the time the faculty member was released.
    3. If the faculty member declines the offer of reinstatement, all reemployment options at the University shall be terminated and the position may be filled in accordance with regular employment policies and practices of the University.
    4. If the same or similar position is not reopened within the two academic years referenced above, the faculty member’s employment options at the University shall be terminated.

11. In the event that a part-time teaching position becomes available in the program of a released faculty member and if they have the appropriate qualifications for the position, the faculty member shall receive first consideration for the position. Acceptance or declination of such a part-time teaching position does not affect in any way the options of a released faculty member to reemployment under Section J of this policy.

12. A terminated faculty member shall be eligible to continue coverage under the University’s group rate benefit programs for health insurance benefits at the faculty member’s own expense as provided for under COBRA.

13. The procedure for retrenchment set forth in this policy is designed to accommodate both the orderly change in the University and reductions that must accompany more abrupt changes in circumstances. Catastrophic circumstances could develop which are beyond the control of the University and would render impossible or unfeasible the implementation of procedures set forth in this policy. Therefore, this Section shall not be used to accomplish retrenchment as set forth in this policy. If such unforeseen, uncontrolled, and catastrophic circumstances should occur, then the University agrees that, before taking any action that could be interpreted as bypassing the retrenchment procedures, representatives of the University shall: meet with representatives of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee; show evidence of the circumstances described above and that this evidence shall at least satisfy the requirements outlined in Section H (1) of this policy; and discuss the proposed course of action.

14. With respect to any collective bargaining agreement entered into after the date of this policy the following apply:

    1. Nothing in this policy may be collectively bargained;
    2. In the event that this policy conflicts with a collective bargaining agreement, this policy will prevail.
    3. Any past practices required by or associated with a collective bargaining agreement do not impact implementation of this policy.
    4. The University may bargain over retrenchment in a new or renewed collective bargaining agreement with respect to faculty members that have at least thirty, but not more than thirty-five, years of service in any one of the state retirement systems at the time of the future retrenchment decision.

Registered Date: December 24, 2025