The board of Kentucky's community college system has reversed a decision to eliminate the possibility of tenure for new faculty.
The reversal, made Friday by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System's Board of Regents, came after an opinion released this week by Attorney General Jack Conway said the board did not have the authority to deny tenure to new hires.
Tenure is a type of job security that academics can generally pursue. The board had approved in March a plan to eliminate tenure for faculty members hired after June 30, saying it would allow greater flexibility to alter programs during a rocky economy. Opponents had said eliminating tenure could compromise the quality of education and encourage new faculty to avoid controversy.