Tenure for Presidents
At the time of, or subsequent to the date of, appointment by the Board of Governors, the presidents of Rhode Island College, the Community College of Rhode Island, and the University of Rhode Island normally, in those cases where the president-designate or the incumbent has the requisite qualifications, as determined by the Board after appropriate consultation, shall be awarded the faculty rank of professor and tenure in the appropriate academic unit.
Rationale
Tenure represents a commitment by an institution to an individual that, normally, is binding and permanent. While tenure usually is awarded following a three-to-seven-year probationary period, most presidents are appointed from previously held academic tenure and faculty rank positions. Also, the Board of Governors usually has awarded tenure at the time of initial appointment of deans and provosts when it was considered necessary for purposes of recruitment. It is likely that presidential recruitment will be enhanced if particularly attractive candidates can be assured of tenure and faculty rank upon appointment. For reasons independent of professional qualifications, it may also be awkward for an incumbent president to seek rank or tenure. Further, presidents should be able voluntarily to step out of the presidency without undergoing excessive personal and/or professional difficulties, and in the rare instance where the Board may wish a president to leave that role, a tenured position would permit early departure without any unnecessary awkwardness or embarrassment.
