[Moderate revision–posted 10/21/25 (replaces 6/6/18 edition)]
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Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 32.20: Notice of Non-Renewal for Pre-Tenure Tenure-Track Faculty and Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

DATE: October 21, 2025

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Operating Policy/Procedure (OP) is to implement § 51.943 of the Texas Education Code (as amended or modified), which relates to (1) annual renewal of employment appointments for full-time, non-tenure-track faculty, and (2) written notification of changes in employment for tenured and tenure-track faculty.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed every two years after publication by the Vice Provost for Faculty Success with substantive revisions presented to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1.  Definitions

a.    Academic year

(1)    9-month academic year – Begins one week before the first day of the fall semester and concludes the Monday after May commencement.

(2)    12-month academic year – Begins one week before the first day of the fall semester and concludes the Monday after August commencement.

b.    Appointment – An agreement between the Texas Tech University System or one of its components and a full-time faculty member establishing the terms of employment for an academic year.

c.    Faculty member – A full-time employee whose primary duties include teaching or research. The term “faculty member” does NOT include:

(1)    Classified personnel; or

(2)    Faculty members who spend a majority of their time in managerial or supervisory activities such as a chancellor, vice chancellor, president, vice president, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, vice or assistant provost, dean, or associate or assistant dean.

d.    Non-tenure-track faculty member – A faculty member who holds one of the following job classifications:

(1)    Lecturer;

(2)    Assistant professor of practice, associate professor of practice, professor of practice, assistant professor of veterinary practice, associate professor of veterinary practice, professor of veterinary practice;

(3)    Assistant research professor, associate research professor, research professor;

(4)    Adjunct assistant professor, adjunct associate professor, adjunct professor; and

(5)    Visiting assistant professor, visiting associate professor, visiting professor.

e.    Tenured or tenure-track faculty member – A faculty member who holds one of the following job classifications:

(1)    Assistant professor, associate professor, professor;

(2)    Assistant librarian, associate librarian, librarian; and

(3)    Assistant archivist, associate archivist, archivist.

2.  The university will NOT provide annual contracts to tenured or tenure-track faculty members.

3.  Annual Appointment Renewals for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Members

a.    Except as provided below, the university must offer a non-tenure-track faculty member a written notice of appointment for an academic year not later than thirty days before the first day of the academic year. A notice of employment is a statement either renewing employment for the next academic term or not renewing employment.

b.    If the university is unable to provide a timely notice of employment, it must provide the non-tenure-track faculty member written notice:

(1)    That it is unable to comply with Texas Education Code § 51.943;

(2)    Stating the reasons why it is unable to comply (e.g., unidentified need or funding); and

(3)    Specifying the time by which it will offer a written appointment.

c.    If the university retains a non-tenure-track faculty member without offering her/him a written appointment before the 61st day after the beginning of the academic year, then it must employ her/him under terms and conditions that are at least as favorable as the preceding academic year. The university and the non-tenure-track faculty member may subsequently negotiate a different employment agreement.

4.  Notice of Non-Reappointment and Termination for Pre-Tenure Tenure-Track Faculty

The university is not required to give a pre-tenure tenure-track faculty member a reason for a decision of non-reappointment. However, the university must provide a pre-tenure tenure-track faculty member who will not be retained with appropriate notification, as follows.

Pre-tenure tenure-track faculty members, regardless of rank, must be notified of non-reappointment as follows:

a.    Full-time faculty members in their first year with the university whose duties commence with the first semester of the academic year must be notified by the following March 1 if they are not to be reappointed.

b.    Full-time faculty members in their first year with the university whose duties commence after November 15 must be notified by the following April 15 if they are not to be reappointed.

c.    Full-time faculty members who are in their second year with the university must be notified by December 15 of their second academic year if their appointment will terminate at the conclusion of that academic year.

d.    Full-time faculty members with more than two years with the university will be notified of non-reappointment by issuance of a terminal appointment for one academic year.

e.    Full-time faculty members who hold a position by appointment for a fixed period shall receive notice of non-reappointment in accordance with the terms of the appointment or in accordance with sections a, b, c, or d above.

f.    The foregoing timelines do not apply to non-tenure-track faculty.

5.  Notice of Non-Reappointment and Termination for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

The university is not required to give a non-tenure-track faculty member who does not hold continuing appointment status a reason for a decision of non-reappointment. However, the university must provide a non-tenure-track faculty member who will not be retained with written notification of the non-reappointment prior to May 31 for the subsequent academic year.

OP Categories

• 01 Chancellor
• 02 Development
• 04 Audit Services
• 10 President
• 30 Academic and Student Affairs – General
• 32 Academic Policies – Faculty
• 34 Academic Policies – Students
• 36 Academic Programs
• 40 Institutional Compliance
• 48 Communication Services
• 52 Information Technology
• 60 Environmental Health and Safety
• 61 Facilities Management
• 62 Financial and Accounting
• 63 General Services
• 64 Graduate Programs (Faculty and Students)
• 65 Research Accounting
• 66 Libraries
• 67 Mail Services
• 68 Communications and Marketing
• 69 Payroll and Tax Services
• 70 Human Resources
• 72 Purchasing, Contracting, and Payables
• 73 Data Management
• 74 Research
• 75 Research Security
• 76 Security
• 77 Student Services and Registrar
• 78 Traffic and Parking
• 79 Travel
• 80 Vehicles