Dismissal and Sanction Procedures

Faculty Hearing Committee

There will be a Faculty Hearing Committee consisting of three members of the full-time teaching faculty, (one of whom will hold the rank of professor, one at associate professor, and one at assistant professor or instructor rank), elected annually by the faculty.This committee will consider anycharges brought against atenuredfaculty memberwhich are transmitted to it by the VPAA. Vacancies or disqualification of members of the committee will also be filled bya majorityvote of the facultybypersons of the same rank as the member who has been disqualified.

Charges against a faculty member

Charges which could result in termination may be brought by an interested party by delivering a written complaint to the VPAA who will immediately transmit the charges to the Faculty Hearing Committee. Specific charges in writing will be sent promptly to the faculty member. The faculty member will within five (5) days of receipt of the charges notify the VPAA of any challenge for cause of a member or members of the faculty committee, together with the reasons therefore.

Within five (5) days of receipt of the notice, the VPAA will notify the faculty member of his decision on the challenge, and, if the challenge is upheld, the faculty will promptly elect a substitute for any disqualified member. The substitute will serve duringanyhearingrelated to thecharges forwhichthe regular memberof the committee was disqualified. A member of the committee will remove himself or herself from a case, either at the request of a party or on their own initiative, if the faculty member deems himself or herself disqualified for bias or interest.

The Hearing

Notice of a hearing will then be given the charged faculty member at least 20 days prior to the faculty committee hearing. Prior to the hearing, the faculty member will have the right to knowwho is totestifyagainst him/her, providedthatafterthehearingbegins thefacultymember will be entitled to receive reasonable notice of any additional witnesses.

The faculty member may waive a hearing or may respond to the charges in writing at any time before the hearing. If the faculty member waives a hearing, but denies the charges against him/her or asserts that the charges do not support a finding of adequate cause, the faculty committee will evaluate all available evidence and rest its recommendation upon the evidence before it. The faculty committee, after consultation with the President and the faculty member, will exercise its judgment as to whether the hearing should be public or private. A verbatim record of the hearing or hearings will be taken and a typewritten copy will be made available to the faculty member without cost to him or her, at her or his request.

During the proceedings, the faculty member will be permitted to present witnesses, to be heard in his or her own behalf and to be accompanied by an academic advisor of his or her own choice. The administration may have an academic representative, and this representative will have the right to present evidence and examine witnesses.

Review by the Board of Trustees

If dismissal or other severe sanction is recommended, the President will, if requested by the faculty member, transmit to the Board of Trustees the record of the case. The Board of Trustee’s review will be based on the record of the Faculty Hearing Committee, and it will provide opportunity for argument, oral or written or both, by the principals at the hearings or by their representatives. The decision of the Faculty Hearing Committee will either be sustained or the proceeding returned to the committee with specific objections. The committee will then reconsider, taking into account the stated objections and receiving new evidence if necessary. The Board of Trustees will make a final decision only after study of the committee’s reconsideration.

The faculty member will be afforded an opportunity to obtain necessary witnesses and documentary or other evidence and the administration of the University will, insofar as it is practicable for it to do so, secure the cooperation of such witnesses and will make available necessary documents and other evidence within its control. The faculty committee will not be bound by strict rules of legal evidence, and may hear any evidence which is of probative value in determining the issues involved. Every possible effort will be made to obtain the most reliable evidence available. If the Faculty Hearing Committee concludes that adequate cause for dismissal has not been established by the evidence, it will so report to the President. If the President rejects the conclusion, he will state in writing to the faculty member and the Faculty Hearing Committee his reasons for doing so, and provide an opportunity for response before transmitting the case to the Board of Trustees. If the hearing committee concludes that adequate cause for a dismissal has been established, but that an academic penalty less than dismissal would be more appropriate, it will so recommend, with supporting reasons.

Until the final decision upon termination of an appointment has been reached, the faculty member maybe suspended or assigned to other duties. Salarywill continueduringthe period of suspension. Except for such simple announcements as may be required, covering the time of the hearing and similar matters of fact, public statements andpublicityabout the casewill not beprovided byeither the facultymemberor the administration so far as possibleuntil a final decision has been rendered.

Imposition of major sanctions other than dismissal

If the administration believes that the conduct of a facultymember,although not constitutingadequate cause for dismissal, is sufficiently gravetojustifyimposition of aseveresanction,such as suspensionfromservicefora stated period, the administration may institute a proceeding to impose such a severe sanction; the procedures outlined in b, c, and d above will govern such aproceeding.

Imposition of minor sanctions

If the administration believes that the conduct of a faculty member justifies imposition of a minor sanction, such as a reprimand, it will notify the faculty member of the basis of the proposed sanction and provide the faculty member with an opportunity to persuade the administration that the proposed sanction should not be imposed.

A faculty member who believes that a major sanction has been incorrectly imposed under this paragraph, or that a minor sanction has been unjustly imposed, may appeal the decision of the Faculty Hearing Committee. The hearing on the appeal need not follow all the forms outlined in b and c above, but the hearing must be on the record and must allow for both sides to introduce evidence and witnesses. The Faculty Hearing Committee will make its recommendation to the VPAA and the President, the latter of whom will make the final decision.

Terminal salary or notice

If the appointment is terminated, the faculty member will receive salary or notice in accordance with the following schedule: at least three months, if the final decision is reached by March 1 (or three months prior to the expiration) of the first year of probationary service; at least six months, if the decision is reached by December 15 of the second year (or after nine months but prior to eighteen months) of probationary service; at least one year, if the decision is reached after eighteen months of probationary service or if the faculty member has tenure. This provision for terminal notice or salary need not apply in the event that there has been a finding that the conduct which justified dismissal involved moral turpitude. On the recommendation of the Faculty Hearing Committee or the President, the Board of Trustees, in determining what, if any, payments will be made beyond the effective date of dismissal, may take into account the length and quality of service of the faculty member.