H.B. No. 4997 amends the Education Code to revise the tenure and employment policies for faculty members at certain public institutions of higher education in Texas. The bill changes the heading of Section 51.942 from "TENURE" to "PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF TENURED FACULTY" and modifies the definitions related to the governing board. It establishes that each governing board must adopt policies for the performance evaluation of tenured faculty, which must occur at least once every six years. The evaluation will focus on the faculty member's professional responsibilities and include peer reviews, with provisions for due process rights during the evaluation process.

Additionally, the bill introduces a new subsection that allows faculty members facing termination based on evaluation results to seek nonbinding alternative dispute resolution. It mandates that the governing board provide written reasons for any termination decision. The bill also repeals certain provisions related to tenure, streamlining the process and emphasizing performance evaluations as a key component of faculty employment. The changes are set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 51.942 (Education Code 51)