From Inside Higher Ed: Kentucky public college and university boards would be able to lay off faculty—regardless of tenure—for low enrollment in a major or, more broadly, “misalignment of revenue and costs,” under legislation that has almost passed the General Assembly. And these terminations could happen fast: The legislation only requires 30 days’ notice to the professor so they can defend their job to board members. The House had passed the legislation in mid-February, but the Senate took no action on House Bill 490 until Tuesday of last week, when Republican leaders suddenly hit the gas on the bill. They repeatedly removed it from and sent it back to the Senate Education Committee, giving it the required official readings on the full Senate floor early to allow it to pass quickly whenever it escaped the committee.
Then, on Thursday, the committee brought out the bill, heard brief comments for and against it, and passed it—all in roughly 15 minutes. During the meeting, two faculty public commenters opposed the bill, saying public higher ed isn’t a business. Republican representative Gex Williams told them, “If it’s not a business then maybe, respectfully, you could take some pay cuts or volunteer your time. It is a business.” ...
Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty/tenure/2026/03/30/kentucky-senate-passes-bill-allowing-easier-faculty-layoffs.
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