Arbitrator Awards Tenure, Promotion in Huge Grievance Win

An arbitrator has ordered San José State University (SJSU) to grant tenure and promotion to Dr. Peggy Boylan Ashraf, ending a years-long battle that exposed flawed evaluation practices by SJSU’s top administrators.

The decision, issued on August 18, 2025, mandates that Dr. Boylan Ashraf be granted tenure and promotion retroactive to May 31, 2024, and be compensated for all lost salary and benefits. This is the second time an arbitrator has sided with Dr. Boylan Ashraf and CFA.

Dr. Boylan Ashraf’s ordeal began in June 2021, when former SJSU President Mary Papazian denied her tenure and promotion, rating her research as “Unsatisfactory” despite satisfactory ratings from peers in her department and college. CFA challenged the decision, and in November 2023, an arbitrator found that President Papazian had used a “higher standard than is permitted” and remanded the case back to the campus for a fair evaluation based upon proper University policy.

However, instead of rectifying the error, new SJSU president, Cynthia Teniente-Matson, issued a second denial in May 2024. In a shocking move, President Teniente-Matson downgraded Dr. Boylan Ashraf’s teaching record from “Excellent” to “Good”. Since SJSU policy required either an “Excellent” rating in teaching or research to secure tenure and promotion, this minor change was enough to, once again, deny her application.

Throughout her probationary period, Dr. Boylan Ashraf had been lauded as an “excellent” instructor. Her department unanimously recommended her for tenure, citing her strong student evaluations, and innovative teaching methods.

In the second arbitration conducted in Spring 2025, CFA argued that President Teniente Matson misinterpreted SJSU policy to justify the teaching downgrade. Arbitrator Catherine Harris agreed, calling President Teniente Matson’s conduct an “egregious procedural error” that was “highly prejudicial” to Dr. Boylan Ashraf.

The arbitrator, using the heightened standard detailed in our collective bargaining agreement, found that the President’s decision was “not based on reasoned judgment” and that, but for this error, tenure and promotion would have been granted. Arbitrator Harris also found additional procedural errors committed by the University including President Teniente-Matson’s use of a Google drive, rather than the official Personnel Action File, to allegedly access Dr. Boylan-Ashraf’s materials,

The award ends a stressful chapter for Dr. Boylan-Ashraf who is looking forward to returning to SJSU as a tenured professor. SJSU has already started to work with CFA-SJSU chapter leaders on its implementation, including ensuring that Dr. Boylan Ashraf can return to campus with a clear path towards full professorship.

This award exemplifies the critical need for accountability and transparency in the retention, tenure and promotion process. Faculty should reach out to their chapter field representatives to learn more information on best practices when contesting retention, tenure, and promotion grievances.