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I teach at a small liberal arts college in the midwest, and am two years through a four year tenure clock (I came in with two years of constructive credit). After my recent pre-tenure review, the Personnel Committee, in their letter to the Dean, recommended an additional pre-tenure review next year.

My question is: is such an additional pre-tenure review likely to be a condition of my employment? Can I just refuse, and take my chances at the actual tenure review in two years?

NB: I understand that you may think it unwise to refuse the advice of the committee which will then be reading my actual tenure file (with I assume largely the same members). My question is about the legal matter. Do they have the legal right to fire me if I refuse to do an additional pre-tenure review?

Anonymous
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    You have to read your employment contract if you want to know your legal rights. If you don't have one, then in most parts of the US, you are an at-will employee and can legally be fired at any time for any reason or no reason, other than specific forms of illegal discrimination. – Nate Eldredge Feb 18 '19 at 07:43
  • Voting to close, since you say you're interested only in the legal, not the academic, implications of refusing (which no one can say without reading your contract). – cag51 Feb 18 '19 at 08:28

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Normally an un-tenured faculty member in the US serves on a fixed term contract, usually a year, but maybe more. It isn't that they have to fire you. They just don't have to renew your contract.

It is only after earning tenure that you have a continuing contract and need to be fired for cause. I strongly recommend that you get legal advice or go along

Buffy
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