50: Temporary Administrative Governance

Revised: April 2026

Definitions

Department – basic academic unit of the University (department, program, center, school, institute, etc.)

Chair – The administrator of that unit.

Temporary Administrative Governance (TAG)

TAG is an intervention restricted to circumstances in which a department:

Is not meeting its primary mission with regard to creative activities, research, teaching, and/or service; or
Is not providing its faculty, graduate students, or undergraduates an environment conducive to meeting their expected potential.

Examples of conditions within the department that would justify TAG could include one or more of the following (not intended to characterize a complete set of circumstances):

There is significant conflict among faculty of the department that is pervasive and cannot be resolved by the current chair;
No internal change in leadership is deemed likely to remedy the situation;
The chair vacates the position with no replacement chair acceptable to the department and the dean;
An external program review recommends change in leadership and there is no candidate for chair acceptable to the department and the dean;
Significant conflicts exist between the chair and the faculty of the department.

Procedures for Initiating TAG

The Executive Vice President & Provost or dean may choose to have an initial discussion with the Faculty Senate Chair at any time prior to the initiation of TAG.

TAG is an intervention of last resort and shall be initiated only after documented completion of the following actions:

The Executive Vice President & Provost and dean shall have informed department faculty that TAG is being considered, and shall have met with the department faculty to discuss the matter with the goal of resolving the issues and avoiding TAG. A member or members of the Faculty Senate Executive Board shall have been present at this meeting; and
If the Executive Vice President & Provost and dean subsequently recommend to initiate TAG, the dean shall submit a written justification for initiating TAG to the Faculty Senate Executive Board and to the faculty of the department and copy the Executive Vice President & Provost. That justification shall include:
1. The date(s) on which the Executive Vice President & Provost and the dean met with department faculty to discuss TAG;
2. The specific reasons for initiating TAG; and
3. The specific criteria by which the department shall be evaluated in order to exit TAG.

The Faculty Senate Executive Board’s role in reviewing a proposal to initiate TAG is to verify that appropriate consultation has occurred between the Executive Vice President & Provost, the dean, and the department. The Faculty Senate Executive Board must also ensure that the written justification for initiating TAG, as well as the criteria and process for exiting TAG are clearly articulated and documented.

Once these steps have been completed, the Executive Vice President & Provost shall provide the President with all relevant information regarding the need to initiate TAG, including the rationale for initiation and the criteria and process for exiting TAG. The to approve the initiation of TAG for a department rests with the President.

Procedures for Extending or Terminating TAG

At the end of each academic year the department remains in TAG, the Executive Vice President & Provost and the dean shall conduct an annual review of the department. Each such review shall note specific progress made and any deficiencies found.

If the review recommends terminating TAG, it shall be forwarded to the President for a decision, with copies provided to the Faculty Senate Executive Board and the affected department.
If the review recommends extending TAG another year, it shall include the specific reasons for the extension, and the specific criteria the department must meet to exit TAG. Each such review, together with the Executive Vice President & Provost’s decision, shall be forwarded to the Faculty Senate Executive Board and the affected department. The authority to extend TAG another year rests with the President upon recommendation by the Executive Vice President & Provost.
The Executive Vice President & Provost and the dean may recommend termination of TAG at any time. Any such recommendation shall be forwarded to the President, the Faculty Senate Executive Board, and the affected department. The authority to terminate TAG for a department rests with the President.

Independent Assessment of TAG

If, following an annual review, a majority of the department’s voting faculty (as defined in University Bylaws 3.1.17 or the unit bylaws) objects to remaining under TAG, then the Faculty Senate Executive Board, or an ad-hoc committee appointed by it, shall conduct an independent assessment of the department. This assessment shall consider the Executive Vice President & Provost and the dean’s prior annual review(s), the previously established criteria for exiting TAG, as well as any comments submitted by the department faculty to the Faculty Senate Executive Board or its committee. The Faculty Senate Executive Board or its committee shall complete its assessment within 90 calendar days of the department’s request.

If the Faculty Senate Executive Board or its committee recommends:

Continuing TAG, it will forward its recommendation to the Executive Vice President & Provost, the dean, and the department.
Terminating TAG, it will forward its recommendation to the President for a decision, with copies of the recommendation provided to the Executive Vice President & Provost, dean, and the department.

Following receipt of the assessment and recommendation, the authority to continue or terminate TAG for the department rests with the President.

Implementation of TAG

The individual appointed by the President to administer TAG for a department shall be a tenured member of the University faculty who is not a member of the affected department or its major unit, has previous department chair or academic leadership experience, and whose role statement shall be adjusted to reflect the required administrative duties. Upon initiation of TAG, the affected department’s bylaws are suspended. The NSHE Code, the University Bylaws, and the bylaws of the department’s major unit shall remain in effect.

TAG is not by itself a grievable condition.