BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alabama House on Tuesday passed a bill that would give governing boards more control over faculty senates, tenure and curriculum at the state’s public universities.
House Bill 580 would make faculty senates advisory only and shift more authority over tenure policy and curriculum to university boards. The bill also says accrediting agencies could not require institutions to violate state law or penalize them for complying with it.
But the version that passed the House backed away from some of the more prescriptive language in the original bill.
The House changed the bill twice, first by adopting a substitute from sponsor Rep. Troy Stubbs, R-Wetumpka, and then by approving an amendment from Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Saraland.
Stubbs said the substitute was shaped by concerns raised after the bill passed committee. He told lawmakers they used last week’s spring break to consider that feedback and make “many modifications to improve the bill.”
The changes kept the bill’s overall direction the same, but eased some of the original language and gave boards more flexibility in how parts of the requirements would work.
Bracy’s amendment made additional changes that Stubbs said added more autonomy and flexibility for governing boards.
Democrats spent much of the more than hour-long debate questioning why the bill was needed. Several asked Stubbs to point to a specific problem at Alabama’s public universities that justified the legislation.
Stubbs said the bill is meant to improve accountability and transparency by making clear that governing boards have authority over faculty senates, tenure policy and curriculum.
Opponents argued Stubbs had not pointed to a specific breakdown at Alabama’s public universities that would justify the changes.
The bill now heads to a Senate committee. If approved, the bill takes effect Oct. 1.
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