Education, Higher - As introduced, prohibits the board of regents, each state university board of trustees, and the board of trustees for the University of Tennessee from conferring any new tenure status on faculty members on or after July 1, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

SB 1838 prohibits Tennessee's state university boards (including the University of Tennessee system) from granting new faculty tenure after July 1, 2026. It preserves existing tenure for faculty who received it before that date but blocks all new tenure awards moving forward. The bill amends state education codes to require universities to adopt tenure policies reflecting this change, while allowing termination for cause or financial reasons. This directly affects all faculty at Tennessee's public universities who might seek tenure after 2026.