2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 110 - HIGHER EDUCATION › 110 ILCS 805/ - Public Community College Act. › Article IIIb - Tenure

(110 ILCS 805/Art. IIIB heading)
ARTICLE IIIB.  
		TENURE
(110 ILCS 805/3B-1) (from Ch. 122, par. 103B-1)
Sec. 3B-1. 
		Definitions. 
		As used in this Article, the following terms shall
have the meanings hereinafter stated:
"District" means a Community College District.
"Board" means a Board of a Community College District.
"Faculty Member" means a full time employee of the District regularly engaged
in teaching or academic support services, but excluding supervisors, administrators
and clerical employees.
"School Year" means a regular academic year or its equivalent excluding summer school.
"Term" means a term within a school year.
"Notice" means a written notice delivered in person or deposited in the
U.S. mail by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, addressed to
the faculty member's last known address.
(Source: P.A. 81-1100.)
(110 ILCS 805/3B-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 103B-2)
Sec. 3B-2. 
		Tenure. 
		Any faculty member who has been employed in any district
for a period of 3 consecutive school years shall enter upon
tenure unless dismissed as hereinafter provided. However, a board may at
its option extend such period for one additional school year by giving the
faculty member notice not later than 60 days before the end of the school
year or term during the school year or term immediately preceding the school
year or term in which tenure would otherwise be conferred. Such notice must
state the corrective actions which the faculty member should take to satisfactorily
complete service requirements for tenure. The specific reasons for the one-year
extension shall be confidential but shall be issued to the teacher upon
request. The foregoing provision for a three-year period and optional one-year
extension shall not be construed to interfere with or abrogate local board
rules or contracts which now or hereafter may provide for a lesser period
of service before entering upon tenure.
A tenured faculty member shall
have a vested contract right in continued employment as a faculty member
subject to termination only upon occurrence of one or more of the following:
a. Just cause for dismissal; or
b. A reduction in the number of faculty members employed by the board
or a discontinuance of some particular type of teaching service or program.
(Source: P.A. 81-1100.)
(110 ILCS 805/3B-3) (from Ch. 122, par. 103B-3)
Sec. 3B-3. 
		Dismissal of Non-tenure Faculty Member. 
		Every Board shall provide
by rule or contract for a procedure to evaluate the performance and qualifications
of non-tenure faculty members.
If the implementation of such procedure results in a decision to dismiss
a non-tenure faculty member for the ensuing school year or term, the Board
shall give notice thereof to the faculty member not later than 60 days before
the end of the school year or term.  The specific reasons
for the dismissal shall be confidential but shall be issued to the teacher
upon request. If the Board fails to give such notice, within the time period,
the faculty member shall be deemed reemployed for the ensuing school year.
If the Board fails to give such notice within the time provided during the
third year, or during the fourth year in the case of a one year extension,
the faculty member shall enter upon tenure during the ensuing school year or term.
(Source: P.A. 81-1100.)
(110 ILCS 805/3B-4) (from Ch. 122, par. 103B-4)
Sec. 3B-4. 
		Dismissal of Tenured Faculty Member for Cause. 
		If a dismissal
of a tenured faculty member is sought for cause, the board must first approve
a motion by a majority vote of all its members. The specific charges for
dismissal shall be confidential but shall be issued to the tenured faculty
member upon request.  The Board decision shall be final unless the tenured
faculty member within 10 days requests in writing of the Board that a hearing
be scheduled.  If the faculty member within 10 days requests in writing
that a hearing be scheduled, the Board shall schedule such hearing on those
charges before a disinterested hearing officer on a date no less than 45
days, nor more than 70 days after the adoption of the motion.  The hearing
officer shall be selected from a list of 5 qualified arbitrators provided
by a nationally recognized arbitration organization.  Within 10 days after
the teacher receives the notice of hearing, either the Board and the teacher
mutually or the teacher alone shall request the list of qualified hearing
officers from the arbitration organization.  Within 5 days from receipt
of the list, the Board and the teacher, or their legal representatives,
shall alternately strike one name from the list until one name remains.
The teacher shall make the first strike.  Notice of such charges shall be served
upon the tenured faculty member at least 21 days before the hearing date.
Such notice shall contain a bill of particulars. The hearing shall be public
at the request of either the tenured faculty member or the Board. The tenured
faculty member has the privilege of being present at the hearing with counsel
and of cross-examining witnesses and may offer evidence and witnesses and
present defenses to the charges. The hearing officer upon request by either
party may issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses and production
of documents. All testimony at the hearing shall be taken under oath administered
by the hearing officer. The hearing officer shall cause a record of the
proceedings to be kept and the Board shall employ a competent reporter to
take stenographic or stenotype notes of all testimony. The costs of the
reporter's attendance and services at the hearing and all other costs of
the hearing shall be borne equally by the Board and the tenured faculty
member. Either party desiring a transcript of the hearing shall pay for
the cost thereof. If in the opinion of the Board the interests of the district
require it the Board, after 20 days notice, may suspend the tenured faculty
member pending the hearing, but if acquitted, the tenured faculty member
shall not suffer the loss of any salary by reason of the suspension. The
hearing officer shall, with reasonable dispatch, make a decision as to whether
or not the tenured faculty member shall be dismissed and shall give a copy
of the decision to both the tenured faculty member and the Board. The decision
of the hearing officer shall be final and binding.
(Source: P.A. 81-1100.)
(110 ILCS 805/3B-5) (from Ch. 122, par. 103B-5)
Sec. 3B-5. 
		Reduction in Number of Faculty Members. 
		If a dismissal of a
faculty member for the ensuing school year results from the decision by
the Board to decrease the number of faculty members employed by the Board
or to discontinue some particular type of teaching service or program, notice
shall be given the affected faculty member not later than 60 days before
the end of the preceding school year, together with a statement of honorable
dismissal and the reason therefor; provided that the employment of no tenured
faculty member may be terminated under the provisions of this Section while
any probationary faculty member, or any other employee with less seniority,
is retained to render a service which the tenured employee is competent
to render. In the event a tenured faculty member is not given notice within
the time herein provided, he shall be deemed reemployed for the ensuing
school year. Each board, unless otherwise provided in a collective
bargaining agreement, shall each year establish a list, categorized by
positions, showing the seniority of each faculty member for each position
entailing services such faculty member is competent to render.  Copies of
the list shall be distributed to the exclusive employee representative on
or before February 1 of each year.  For the period of 24 months from the
beginning of the school year for which the faculty member was dismissed,
any faculty member shall have the preferred right to reappointment to a
position entailing services he is competent to render prior to the
appointment of any new faculty member; provided that no non-tenure faculty
member or other employee with less seniority shall be employed to render a
service which a tenured faculty member is competent to render.
(Source: P.A. 86-501.)
(110 ILCS 805/3B-6) (from Ch. 122, par. 103B-6)
Sec. 3B-6. 
		Review under the Administrative Review Law. 
		The provisions of the Administrative Review Law, and all amendments and
modifications thereof and the rules adopted pursuant thereto, shall apply
to and govern all proceedings instituted for the judicial review of final
administrative decisions of a hearing officer under Section 3B-4 of this
Article.  The term "administrative decision" is defined as in Section 3-101
of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(Source: P.A. 82-783.)