317 Severance from the University

317.01 Non-renewal of Contract

A. Tenured
All tenured faculty members employed under written contract for the fiscal or academic year shall give at least sixty days written notice of their intention to resign to the president of the institution or to his/her authorized representative.

B. Non-tenured

  1. Each year, on or before the dates specified in Regents' tenure regulations, the president of an institution or his/her authorized representative, shall advise, in writing, all non-tenured faculty who have been awarded academic rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor) and who are employed under written contract whether an employment contract for the succeeding academic year will be offered to them. Such written notice 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.
  2. Notice of intention to renew or not to renew a non-tenured faculty member who has been awarded academic rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor) shall be furnished, in writing, according to the following schedule:
  3. Non-tenured faculty and other non-tenured personnel employed under written contract shall be employed only for the term specified in the contract, and subsequent or future employment, if any, shall result solely from a separate offer and acceptance requisite to execution of a new and distinct contract.

[BR Minutes, 1964-65, pp. 614-16; 1970-71, pp. 685-87; 1974-75, pp. 302-13; 1980-81, p.137]

317.02 Dismissal

The Statutes (Article XI, Section 23, B) provide that the President may at any time remove any tenured or non-tenured faculty member before the end of his/her contract term for any of the following reasons:

A. 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;

B. professional incompetency, neglect of duty, or default of academic integrity in teaching, in research, or in scholarship;

C. unlawful manufacture, distribution, sale, use or possession of marijuana, a controlled substance, or other illegal or dangerous drugs as defined by Georgia laws; teaching or working under the influence of alcohol which interferes with the faculty member's performance of duty or his/her responsibilities to the institution or to his/her profession;

D. conviction or admission of guilt in a court proceeding of any criminal drug offense;

E. 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;

F. false swearing with respect to official documents filed with the institution;

G. disruption of any teaching, research, administrative, disciplinary, public service, or other authorized activity;

H. such other grounds for dismissal as may be specified in the statutes of the institution.

The dismissal procedures and appropriate avenues of appeal are detailed in the Statutes (Article XI, Section 24). In addition, dismissal is a sanction addressed in the Alcohol and Drug Policy (Appendix T).

317.03 Retirement

A. Board of Regents Policy on Retirement

B. Employment beyond Retirement: (Employment of Individuals Receiving State Retirement Benefits, Including the Teacher's Retirement System).

When a person has been retired from the University System and is receiving benefits from the Teachers Retirement system, the Employees Retirement System or the Regents' Retirement Plan, payment for services rendered to the University System by that person without prior approval by the Board of Regents is prohibited. In no event shall payment for services rendered be considered if compensation for that time, together with benefits being paid from the Teachers Retirement System (TRS), the Employees Retirement System (ERS), or the Regents' Retirement Plan exceed the compensation the individual was earning at the time of retirement (Board of Regents Policy: 802.0904).

1. It is the policy of Georgia State University to provide a recently retired president of Georgia State University with office space and secretarial assistance;

2. It is the policy of Georgia State University to provide office space at the discretion of the institution to individuals who recently retired from Georgia State University who held the title of provost, vice president, or dean.

Each case will be reviewed annually prior to the beginning of Fall Semester.

317.04 Pay For Accrued Leave For Terminated/Retired Faculty

Faculty members on twelve month contracts who have accrued leave at the time of termination or retirement will generally receive a lump sum payment for the accrued leave. Faculty will generally not be kept on the payroll until their leave is exhausted (Personnel: 2-22-89).

317.05 Clearing the University

A Clearance Form for Terminating Faculty and Classified Employees is utilized by terminating employees to clear the university and must be completed prior to the last day of employment. (Library books/fees, American Express cards, keys, parking cards/decals, etc. must be turned in to the appropriate offices before clearance is issued. Contact the individual offices listed on the Clearance Form for further clarification.) After all signatures have been obtained, the Clearance Form must be hand carried to the Records and Compensation Office on the last working day of employment. Clearance Forms can be obtained in the Human Resources Services Department.

317.06 Continuation of Coverage under COBRA

A terminating faculty member may elect to continue medical coverage for eighteen (18) months beyond termination. Election must be made within sixty (60) calendar days from termination date. The cost is 100% of the premium plus 2% administrative fee. Contact the Human Resources Services-Benefits Office for details.