Tarrant County College (TCC) has terminated former Vice Chancellor and Provost Shelley Pearson after weeks of faculty being told they must repay a portion of their summer salaries due to overpayment. Pearson confirmed her termination in a statement, stating she was let go for “faculty salary issues at TCC Connect.” She disagreed with the college’s findings, citing an ongoing effort to correct workload inconsistencies that existed before her tenure.
In October 2024, Pearson emailed Zena Jackson and Carlos Morales about requiring faculty to teach only three to four-and-a-half hours in summer. However, this requirement could be met by teaching one course. The college later changed contract lengths from monthly to actual days worked, causing confusion among faculty. Pearson implemented reforms, including centralized contracting, which saved the college nearly $2 million in excess stipends.
The termination of Pearson comes as TCC begins the process of naming a new provost, with the board meeting on November 20 discussing the “TCC Connect Investigation Report.” The college’s human resources department will inform faculty individually of how much they owe and when repayment is due.
Source: https://fortworthreport.org/2025/11/21/tcc-provost-terminated-after-some-faculty-told-to-return-portions-of-summer-pay