Salem State Trustees Relent On Tenure Decision

SALEM, MA — Trustees at Salem State University approved tenure and promotion decisions for 28 faculty members Wednesday, ending a standoff with the union that represents professors at the school.

Last month trustees had tabled the decisions, citing budget concerns. Salem State and other publicly-funded universities are trying to assess the impact the coronavirus crisis will have on enrollment, as well as state subsidies for programming.

But Salem State was the only school of the nine in the state university system to delay tenure and promotion decisions.

"Granting tenure and promotion provides faculty a small financial gain for their diligent hard work. Unlike the business sector we do not get bonuses. Actually we do not even get routine cost of living raises," Tiffany Chenault, president of the Salem State chapter of MSCA, said in comments to trustees before the vote. "The 0.09% of the budget that the 28 faculty and librarians who are up for tenure and promotion will receive is only equal to one administrator’s salary."

Of the nine regional institutions in the state university system, Salem State ranks second for having the most number of administrators.