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I. The
meeting was called to order by Executive Officer, Byrd at 4:05 p.m. (51 senators present).
II. The minutes of October
19, 2005, approved,
moved/seconded by Senators Berkeley/Greene.
IV. Report of the Executive Officer
– Mickey Byrd
(See
Attachment A for report).
V. Reports of Senate Committees:
Permanent Committees:
A. Committee on Committees: Steve
Knouse, Chair.
No
Report
B. Ways and Means Committee: William
Rieck, Chair.
No
report
C. Academic Planning and Development
Committee: George Thomas, Chair.
No
report
D. Governmental Concerns Committee:
Durga Poudel, Chair.
No
report.
E. Faculty Senate-Faculty Advisory
Council Committee: Harry Bruder, Chair.
Senators
Bruder and Byrd attended faculty advisory council meeting and advisory council with regents. Education forum is planned with wide participation and
all groups participating to present a united front.
VI. Reports of Special Senate
Committees
A. Ad Hoc Committee on Adjunct Faculty:
Kurt Schsmerall,
Chair
No
report
B. Ad Hoc Web Site Committee: Jack
Ferstel, Chair.
No
Report.
D. Ad Hoc Committee on Dismissal
for Cause Procedures: John Greene, Chair.
The
document, ‘ Dismissal for Cause,’ has been returned
from the president with suggested changes all minor with one exception. Senator
Greene moved that edited document be placed on Senate web site and approved
at the January 25, 2006, Senate meeting. (See attachment
B)
E.. Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Student Housing Concerns:
No
report.
F.. Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Harassment: Judy Gentry,
Chair
No
report.
I. Ad Hoc Committee on Status of
Women: Sharon Ridgeway, Chair
No
report.
J. Ad Hoc
Committee on Diversity-Phebe Hayes, Chair
Senator
Hayes reported will have meeting in late January or early February. Jennifer
Hightower reported
that she will meet with Deans and Department Heads to dialog on
Diversity and discuss how vision of University relates to diversity. She has met with black student organizations to plan for
Black history month. Activities will be publicized
and faculty, students, and community members will be invited. (See attachment C)
VII. Reports of University Committees
A. Curriculum Committee: Paula Broussard,
Chair.
Committee
met on October 12 and reviewed a dozen courses. (See Attachment D).
Committee
will meet on November 22.
B. Faculty Grievance Committee: Jim
Underwood, Chair
No
Report.
C. Faculty Benefits and Welfare Committee:
No
report.
D. Library Committee: Allan Jones,
Chair.
No
report.
E. Committee on Academic Affairs
and Standards: Lewis Deaton, Chair
The
committee has not met.
F. Parking and Planning Committee:
Joey Dudley, Chair.
No
report.
G. Student Evaluation of Instruction:
James Flaitz, Chair.
No
report.
H. Academic Technology Committee
Keith Dorwick, Chairman
No report
VIII.
Unfinished Business: None
IX. New Business: None
X.
Announcements
Senator
Hayes announced the Phi Kappa Phi Meeting
to be held on November 18, 2005, in the Evangeline Room in the Student Union.
Senator
Bruder announced that Education Recovery Forum was taped by local television
in Baton Rouge and will be shown on C-Span.
Senator
Taylor announced that the Pride of Acadiana Marching Band will be in Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade and will be on the Today Show on November
23, 2005. A preview will
be held at 1 p.m. in Hamilton Field on November
18, 2005.
XI. Other
Senator
Gentry voiced concerns for abandoning Blackboard and the capabilities of
Moodle as well as the similarities and
differences in the two programs. Discussion followed
and C. Bruder stated she would distribute information about the program. Various senators expressed positive features of the program
Senator
Deaton expressed the concern for a Tree Protection Ordinance. Executive Officer Byrd stated he would appoint a committee
whose members would develop an ordinance.
C.
Bruder expressed the concerns for printed catalogs and the expense which
occurs every two years. Electronic catalogs are being
investigated.
XI. Adjournment:
Senator
Byrd, Executive Officer, adjourned the meeting at 4:50 p.m.
Mary B. Neiheisel,
Secretary
Faculty Senate
Attachment
A
Report
of the Executive Officer
November 16, 2005
Those of you who were here in the 1980s can no doubt remember
that painful spasm in the rear salivary glands accompanied by reverse esophageal
peristalsis that meant yet another budget cut was coming. Well, if you have
noticed the feeling again you are right. Budget cuts are here again. But how much and when and by whom? That we do not know.
A few days (or weeks ago) I learned that we were to suffer a 3% cut. That
cut grew to a 5% cut which lasted for only a few days before it became a
6.75% cut which after a bit shrank to a 6.3 % cut, which in a matter of days
became a 3% cut. The size of the cut or cuts may well have grown or receded
since about 2:30 this afternoon.
As all of you know the legislature is making sausage as we speak, the national
media dimly remembers something about high water last August, and compassionate
conservatism seems only to apply to very tall buildings and in any event
does not come any closer to us than the Hudson River.
As I understand it
we will attempt to save money in the old tried and true ways, that is to
say utilities reduction and so forth. We will attempt to teach more students
in more and larger classes and thereby spend less money on adjunct instruction
I am certain that there are other strategies in the hopper but I do not know
about them and in any event if they do not involve the University (by “university”
I mean the faculty) any interest that I may have is at best, limited.
I have asked them,
not the administration, because in the sense that we usually use the word
there is no such thing; I have asked Dr Authement
and Dr. Landry to keep two things uppermost in their minds as we tiptoe through
these interesting times.
1. If the faculty is
to pull more heavily loaded barges and to tote more cumbersome bales, all the faculty must be involved. I know the little
people will be involved the same way a pig is involved in a plate of ham
and eggs.They will pull their weight through
the virtue that a lack of choice brings about. My concern is about the larger
people, I mean that of couse metaphorically but follow the notion as you will. If during this grim time we have folk who are neither
teaching very well or very much they had better be within mere angstroms
of room temperature superconductivity or on the verge of portable cold fusion.
2. Every teacher and
even every pure researcher can sprint for a little while. But no one can
do so for very long and both teaching and research will most surely suffer
from having done so. I have listened to everybody that I can find and the
consensus seems to be that this will last three
years. I think that is probably correct if only because we will either be much better in three years or we will not be.
The corollary of this is that the adjunct
instructors who will not be with us will of necessity be replaced in many
if not in most cases by folk who will produce teaching of lower quality.
There are good reasons for keeping our older and our more research oriented
faculty away from our junior division students. IF the crisis eases we must
return to the superior teaching and research institution that we have been.
If not we will just be another LSU and one of those is quite enough.
Attachment B
PROCEDURES FOR DISMISSAL FOR CAUSE AND IMPOSITION
OF MAJOR SANCTIONS
[DRAFT 16: 9 November 2005]
THIS DOCUMENT SUPERCEDES APPENDIX A-XVIII (ENTIRE) AND DELETES APPENDIX A-XVII-C
IN FACULTY HANDBOOK]
Introduction
The University is a community of scholars dedicated to the advancement of
knowledge. Among the functions of a University is the establishment of a
proper intellectual integrity among the faculty, between the faculty and
the students, and between the faculty and the national and international
academic community. This intellectual integrity is fostered by the creation
of an environment of personal interaction and mutual trust whereby its members
are mindful of their responsibilities to maintain standards of competence,
and a proper attitude of objectivity, industry, and cooperation with their
associates within and without the University community. However, if the community
is to be sustained, it is necessary for it to take action when commonly held
standards of conduct are violated. Thus disciplinary action up to and including
dismissal may be undertaken for cause, with dismissal being reserved for
the most serious cases.
A close relationship exists between the excellence of American universities,
the strength of their faculties, and the extent of faculty responsibility
in determining faculty membership. In the effective university, a dismissal
proceeding involving a faculty member on tenure, or one occurring during
the term of an appointment, will be a rare exception, caused by individual
human weakness and not by an unhealthful setting. When it does come, however,
the procedures should provide that both institutional integrity and individual
human rights may be preserved. The faculty must be willing to recommend the
dismissal of a colleague when necessary. By the same token, presidents and
governing boards must be willing to give full weight to a faculty judgment
favorable to a colleague.
Adequacy of cause for a dismissal will be related, directly and substantially,
to the fitness of faculty members in their professional capacities as teachers
or researchers. Dismissal will not be used to restrain faculty members in
their exercise of academic freedom or their rights of American citizens or
legal aliens. The same protections and procedures should be used when the
university administration proposes a major sanction on a tenured faculty
member. When the issue is the proposed imposition of a major sanction, the
reader should substitute throughout the document where appropriate the words
“a major sanction” (or similar phrases) for “dismissal for cause” (or similar
phrases).
Non-tenured faculty members may be terminated by the University administration
in accordance with the notification of non-reappointment standards specified
in the Faculty Handbook (Section V). Should the University propose to dismiss
an untenured faculty member earlier than the advance notice of non-reappointment
(specified in the Faculty Handbook), the procedures
delineated in this document will be followed.
Preliminary Proceedings
1. Summary. The preliminary proceedings
include (a) an attempt at resolution by academic administrators and the faculty
member that includes notice of the availability of mediation; (b) an informal
inquiry by the Faculty Grievance Committee; (c) an attempt by the Faculty
Grievance Committee to arrange an adjustment between the parties; (d) failing
an adjustment, a recommendation by the Faculty Grievance Committee either
for or against going forward with formal charges against the faculty member;
(e) if the recommendation is for a formal hearing, a joint effort by the
Committee and the President’s representative to formulate proposed grounds
for dismissal.
Every effort should be made to expedite these preliminary proceedings. Although
these procedures are complex and lengthy in written form, they need not be
lengthy in operation. The two parts of the administrative and mediation effort
are designed to operate nearly simultaneously. Parts 3a and 3b of the informal
inquiry below are designed to operate nearly simultaneously. Parts 5a and
5b (which involve decision making and cooperation between the Committee and
the President’s representative, rather than information gathering) have the
potential for being completed expeditiously.
2. Administrative and Mediation Effort.
2a. When reasons arise to question the fitness
of a faculty member who has tenure or whose term appointment has not expired,
the appropriate administrative officers should ordinarily discuss the matter
with the faculty member in personal conference. Suspension of the faculty
member during the proceedings is justified only if immediate harm to the faculty
member or others is threatened by the faculty member’s continuance. If the
situation warrants a suspension, such suspension shall be with pay.
2b. Very early in the process, the appropriate vice-president shall inform
the parties of the availability of the mediation process, provide a copy
of the mediation document (Faculty Handbook APPENDIX A-XVII) to all parties,
and encourage the parties to seek a resolution through mediation. Possible
sanctions short of dismissal (such as reprimand, forfeiture of future pay
raises, written agreement to cease certain behavior, or other sanctions)
should be explored. The matter may be terminated by mutual consent at this
point.
3. Informal Inquiry.
3a. If an adjustment does not result by mediation, the President of the University
shall request in writing that the University Faculty Grievance Committee
informally inquire into the situation to effect an adjustment, if possible,
and, if none is effected, to determine whether in its view formal proceedings
to consider the faculty member’s dismissal should be initiated. The president
shall caution the administrators involved to take care that no administrative
pressure is brought to bear upon Committee members as they conduct their inquiry
and come to their conclusions.
3b. The Faculty Grievance Committee should immediately ask the parties to
provide documentary materials related to the problem within ten working days
of the request.
3c. The Faculty Grievance Committee should select one or more from among
its members to informally talk with the faculty member, involved administrators,
and other faculty members who have knowledge of the situation, to gather
as much relevant information as possible. The member or members gathering
information shall inform those whom they approach that they are acting under
the authority of the Faculty Grievance Committee and request that each person
contacted keep the contact and discussion confidential. The member or members
gathering information should also collect additional relevant documentary
materials that come to their attention. The member or members who are gathering
information will keep the Committee informed. Under normal circumstances,
the Committee shall then proceed to 4 below.
3d. Because of the difficulty of assembling parties and witnesses in a room
at the same time and the desirability of moving expeditiously through these
preliminary and informal proceedings, utilizing the procedures in 3b and
c above are preferred. But, in rare circumstances, the Committee may decide
to conduct its inquiry by informal hearing. Notice of the hearing should
be given to both parties no less than fifteen working days in advance of
the hearing, at which time the Committee should ask the parties to provide
documentary materials related to the problem and a list of witnesses (if
any) to the Committee Chair no later than seven working days before the hearing.
The Chairperson will notify the witnesses of the time and place of the hearing
and request their attendance. The hearing shall be closed (assuming a closed
hearing is in accordance with applicable State law).
With both parties and their advisors present, the Committee will hear the
concerns of the administration and then provide an opportunity for the faculty
member to present his or her concerns. Both the representative of the University
administration and the faculty member may be accompanied throughout the hearing
by an academic advisor and counsel of their choice (private counsel may be
retained at the faculty member’s expense), whose role will be limited strictly
to privately advising the faculty member or representative of the administration.
All witnesses called shall be asked to speak the truth to the best of their
knowledge and to keep the proceedings of the preliminary informal hearing
confidential until all of the proceedings described in this document have
been completed or an agreement satisfactory to all parties has been reached.
The hearing will be informal, in like manner as University committee meetings,
and legal rules of evidence shall not apply. There will be no recording
or verbatim record. In addition to his or her responsibilities of presiding
over meetings, the Chairperson shall exercise full voting privileges. If
any member of the Committee has been a participant in the circumstances from
which the matter arises, the Committee may decide that the member be excused
from the hearing or that the member may participate in the inquiry but not
vote. The Chairperson will normally decide matters of procedure. If the
Chairperson or any member of the Committee wishes, the Committee may take
a short recess to decide on procedures or to consult on other issues related
to the matter at hand. The Committee shall then proceed to 4 below.
4. Attempt to Effect an Adjustment. After gathering as much information
as the committee considers sufficient, the Faculty Grievance Committee should
attempt to effect an adjustment, if possible.
5. Recommendation and Possible Formulation of Grounds for Proposed Dismissal.
5a. If no adjustment is effected, the Committee
should determine expeditiously whether in its view formal proceedings to
consider the faculty member’s dismissal should begin.
5b. If, in the opinion of the Committee, either (1) insufficient evidence
in support of the allegations has come to the Committee’s attention or (2)
none of the allegations, even if eventually proved to be true, rise to the
level of adequate cause for dismissal, the Committee shall make a written
recommendation to the President of the University that no hearing for dismissal
for cause take place and that the administration cease efforts to dismiss
the faculty member. The Committee may recommend at this time that a formal
hearing for imposition of a major sanction be commenced. The Committee’s
recommendation shall include a rationale and/or preliminary finding of facts.
The Chair of the Faculty Grievance Committee shall, at the same time, send
a copy of the recommendation, including the rationale and/or preliminary
finding of facts, to the faculty member.
5c. If the Committee recommends that a formal hearing for dismissal for
cause be commenced, a copy of the recommendation shall be sent to the President
of the University and the faculty member, along with a request that the President
or his/her representative join with the Faculty Grievance Committee to formulate
a statement with reasonable particularity of the grounds for the proposed
dismissal. Once the jointly formulated statement of the grounds for the
proposed dismissal has been completed, the Chair of the Faculty Grievance
Committee shall send promptly a copy of the grounds for the proposed dismissal
to the faculty member, and action should be commenced under the procedures
for a formal hearing described below.
5d. If the President of the University, even after considering a recommendation
of the Committee favorable to the faculty member, expresses the conviction
that a proceeding nevertheless should be undertaken, the President or the
President’s representative should, within fifteen working days of receiving
the Committee’s recommendation, formulate a statement with reasonable particularity
of the grounds for the proposed dismissal and send a copy to the faculty
member and the Chair of the Faculty Grievance Committee. Action should then
be commenced under the procedures for a formal hearing described below.
5e. Should the President propose imposition of a major sanction on any of
the allegations the Committee has determined to be supported by sufficient
evidence to warrant going forward with a formal hearing but that do not rise
to the level of adequate cause for dismissal, the Committee Chair shall inform
the faculty member and inquire of both parties whether an attempt to effect
an adjustment should be made. If no adjustment can be agreed to and the President
decides to pursue a major sanction, actions should be commenced under the
procedures for a formal hearing described below.
6. If a decision is made to commence a formal hearing, documentary materials
accumulated by the Faculty Grievance Committee during these preliminary proceedings
shall be forwarded to the chair of the Ad Hoc Hearing Committee.
Formal Hearing before the Ad Hoc Hearing Committee
Summary: After the preliminary proceedings have been completed, in the best
interests of all parties, as with the preliminary proceedings, every effort
should be make to expedite the work of the ad hoc hearing committee. The
following document details the process and procedures involved in selecting
the membership of the ad hoc hearing committee and the process and procedures
involved in conducting the formal hearing.
1a. The chair of the Faculty Grievance Committee shall charge the Executive
Officer of the Faculty Senate to initiate immediately the process for the
selection of an ad hoc hearing committee as soon as the Faculty Grievance
Committee and the President of the University have agreed on a statement
with reasonable particularity of the grounds for the proposed dismissal;
or if the President of the University, even after considering a recommendation
of the committee favorable to the faculty member, expresses the conviction
that a proceeding should nevertheless be undertaken and has provided the
chair of the Faculty Grievance Committee with a statement of reasonable particularity
of the grounds for the proposed dismissal.
1b. At least fifteen (15) working days prior to the hearing, the Executive
Officer of the Faculty Senate shall provide to all parties, including the
President of the University and the faculty member, a written statement of
specific charges and a copy of the present Dismissal for Cause policy document.
2a. Pending a final decision by the ad hoc hearing committee, the faculty
member will be suspended or assigned to other duties in lieu of suspension,
only if immediate harm to the faculty member or others is threatened by continuance.
Before suspending a faculty member, pending an ultimate determination of
the faulty member’s status through the University’s hearing procedures, the
University administration will consult with the Faculty Grievance Committee
concerning the propriety, the length, and the other conditions of the suspension.
A suspension that is intended to be final is a dismissal, and will be treated
as such. Salary will continue during the period of the suspension.
2b. Salary will continue during the period of the suspension, until these
informal and formal proceedings have been completed or a written settlement
between the administration and the faculty member is agreed to or the faculty
member returns to his or her regular responsibilities and duties, in the classroom,
library, or other regular capacity. Should the faculty member agree and
sick pay is appropriate under state regulations, sick pay may replace salary
for part or all of the period.
3. 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 or asserts that the charges do not support
a finding of adequate cause, the ad hoc hearing committee will evaluate all
available evidence and rest its recommendation upon the evidence in the record.
The right of the faculty member to waive a hearing in no way limits the right
of the administration to present its case at a hearing.
4. The ad hoc hearing committee will be selected from the ranks of the tenured
faculty of the University in the following manner:
a. Independent of each other, the President of the University, the faculty
member, and the Executive Officer of the Faculty Senate each will nominate,
from among the full-time faculty, four (4) potential ad hoc committee members
and five alternates (which they shall identify as first alternate, second
alternate, etc.) to the chair of the Faculty Grievance Committee.
b. Should two or more of these parties nominate the same potential member,
the Chair of the Faculty Grievance Committee shall strike the duplicated
nominee(s) and choose a replacement or replacements in the following manner:
(1) if one name appears on the lists provided by both the faculty member
and the administration, strike the name from the list of the faculty member
and replace it with the first alternate from the faculty member’s list; if
a second name appears on the lists provided by both the faculty member and
the administration, strike the name from the list of the administration and
replace it with the first alternate from the administration’s list; if three
or more names appear on the lists provided by both the faculty member and
the administration, continue alternating;
(2) if one or more names appear on the lists provided by both the faculty
member and the Senate Executive Officer, strike the name from the list of
the faculty member and replace it with the first alternate from the faculty
member’s list, and so on, alternating between the Senate Executive Officer
and the faculty member as in (1) above;
(3) if one or more names appears on the lists provided by both the administration
and Senate Executive Officer, strike the name from the list of the administration
and replace it with the first alternate from the administration’s list, and
so on, alternating between the Senate Executive Officer and the administration
as in (1) above;
(4) if a name appears on all three lists, retain the nominee of the Senate
Executive Officer, strike the name from the faculty member’s and administration’s
lists and replace it with the next name on the list of alternates for each.
(5) The Faculty Grievance Committee Chair should then request that the appropriate
persons provide additional names to fill the vacancies on their lists of
alternates.
c. The President of the University and the faculty
member each must remove two (2) of the potential members from the list of
twelve potential members provided to them by the chair of the Faculty Grievance
Committee.
d. The remaining eight (8) members will constitute
the ad hoc hearing committee.
e. If either the faculty member or the President
of the University or his representative objects to any of the eight committee
members and can show cause for the objection (as determined by a majority
vote of the committee) the member shall be removed and replaced by the alternate
of the party who had nominated the potential committee member that was thus
removed in order of first alternate, second alternate, etc.
f. After the membership of the ad hoc hearing committee has been determined,
the President of the University will name one (1) member of that group to
serve as chair. If at any time objections are made to the University President’s
choice of chair, the committee will select a temporary chair, hear cause
why the President’s choice should not serve as chair, and determine by majority
vote whether the chair shall continue in that position. If cause is found
that the chair should not continue to serve in that capacity, the President
will be notified, and the President will name a new chair from the remaining
members of the ad hoc hearing committee. The person rejected as chair may
continue to serve on the ad hoc hearing committee as a regular member.
5. As soon as the final eight (8) members (including the chair) have been
selected, the entire ad hoc hearing committee will be charged with its duties
by the chair of the Faculty Grievance Committee. The committee shall hold
its first meeting no fewer than ten (10) working days after it has been charged.
Ad hoc committee members shall avoid discussing the case at hand with anyone
other than fellow committee members until all of the proceedings described
in this document have been completed or an agreement satisfactory to all
parties has been reached.
6. The ad hoc hearing committee may, with the consent of the parties concerned,
hold joint pre-hearing meetings with the parties to (a) simplify the issues;
(b) effect stipulations of facts; (c) provide for the exchange of documentary
or other information; and (d) achieve such other appropriate pre-hearing objectives
as will make the hearing fair, effective, and expeditious.
7. The goal of the formal hearing is for the ad hoc committee to determine
whether or not adequate cause for dismissal exists after it hears the case
in support of the charges against the faculty member as presented by the University
administration and its counsel, as well as the faculty member's defense against
the charges as presented by him/her and his/her counsel.
8. The University will provide a stenographer to make a verbatim record
of the hearing and will furnish the University administration, the ad hoc
committee, and the faculty member with copies.
9. The committee, in consultation with the president and the faculty member
(or their representatives), will exercise its judgment as to whether the
hearing or portions of the hearing should be open or closed. Any witness
may elect to give his or her testimony in closed hearing, assuming that such
a practice is in accordance with current State law.
10 a. Closed hearing.
In a closed hearing, only the following persons may be present at the sessions:
(1) The members of the ad hoc hearing committee.
(2) The Vice President (or his or her designate) representing the University
administration and his or her counsel and/or assistant(s). (The number of persons present assisting the administration may
not exceed the number of persons present assisting the faculty member).
(3) The faculty member and his or her counsel and, if requested, academic
advisor;
(4) The witness under examination and his or her counsel;
(5) The person responsible for recording the proceedings of, and the testimony
given, before the committee;
(6) If necessary, the University will provide an interpreter to translate
the testimony of a witness who is unable to speak the English language.
(7) If requested by the faculty member, the University administration, or
the chair of the ad hoc hearing committee, a representative of a responsible
educational association as an observer.
(8) In the case of a closed hearing, members of the ad hoc hearing committee,
all other persons present at any committee hearing session, and all persons
having confidential access to information concerning these committee sessions,
shall pledge to keep secret the testimony of witnesses and all other matters
occurring at, or directly connected with, this hearing until all of the proceedings
described in this document have been completed or an agreement satisfactory
to all parties has been reached.
10 b. Open hearing.
(1) In addition to the participants stipulated for a closed hearing (10
a (1-7) above), members of the public may also attend an open hearing, subject
to the authority and discretion of the ad hoc hearing committee, which is
responsible for keeping order.
(2) With the exception of the testimony presented in public during the ad
hoc committee’s hearings, the same procedures for confidentiality cited in
10 a (8) above shall apply.
11. The ad hoc hearing committee shall meet for hearing sessions as directed
by the ad hoc committee chair. Five ad hoc hearing committee members shall
constitute a quorum. The chair of the ad hoc hearing committee shall preside
over all hearings and shall have full voting privileges. The chair may delegate
duties to other committee members and may determine rules of procedure in
consultation with the committee members.
12. The burden of proof that adequate cause exists rests with the University
administration and will be satisfied only by clear and convincing evidence
in the record considered as a whole.
13. Procedures employed by the ad hoc hearing committee shall be such as
to allow as fair a hearing as possible. The guiding principle for procedures
is "what is reasonable to reasonable men and women."
14. The ad hoc hearing committee will grant adjournments to enable either
party to investigate evidence to which a valid claim of surprise is made.
15. Both the faculty member and University Administration will be afforded
an opportunity to obtain necessary witnesses and documentary or other evidence.
The Academic VP will cooperate with the ad hoc hearing committee in securing
witnesses and making available documentary and other evidence.
16. Both the faculty member and the University administration (or their counsels)
will have the right to confront and question all witnesses. Where the witnesses
cannot or will not appear, but the ad hoc hearing committee determines that
the interests of justice require admission of their statements, the committee
shall identify the witnesses, disclose their written statements, and if necessary,
provide for interrogatories for clarification.
17. In the hearing of charges of incompetence, testimony will include that
of qualified faculty members of this or other institutions of higher education.
18. The ad hoc hearing committee will not be bound by strict rules of legal
evidence and may admit 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.
19. The Committee shall take whatever time and employ whatever resources
it feels are necessary and practicable to reach an understanding of the truth
in the matter at hand.
20. At least five members of the ad hoc hearing committee must concur in
the recommendation for dismissal or imposition of a major sanction.
21. The findings of fact and the decision of the ad hoc hearing committee
will be based solely on the evidence presented in the stenographic record
of the hearing.
22. When the ad hoc hearing committee decides that it has enough information
about the case to reach a fair and impartial finding, it shall return one
of the following recommendations to the President and furnish a written rationale
for the finding:
a. Adequate cause for dismissal has been established and the faculty member’s
employment should be terminated.
(1) If the tenured faculty member is to be terminated because of moral turpitude,
upon the university’s final determination to dismiss the faculty member,
the faculty member will be notified of his/her dismissal in writing, effective
on the last day of the month of notification.
(2) If a tenured faculty is to be terminated but moral turpitude is not
a factor, upon the university’s final determination to dismiss the faculty
member, the faculty member will be notified of his/her dismissal in writing.
The faculty member shall be provided his/her regular monthly salary for five
months following the notification (exclusive of the summer session).
b. Adequate cause for dismissal has not been established, but in the committee’s
opinion disciplinary sanctions would be more appropriate. In this case the
committee may recommend to the President lesser penalties, such as demotion,
suspension, censure, or forfeiture of pay raises.
c. Adequate cause for dismissal has not been established by the evidence
in the record. Under normal circumstances, the President will accept the
report and cease efforts to dismiss the faculty member for cause. If, however,
the President rejects the report, the President will state the reasons for
doing so, in writing, to the ad hoc hearing committee and the faculty member
within fifteen (15) working days, and provide an opportunity for the committee
to prepare a written response before transmitting the case to the Board of
Supervisors.
23. After the ad hoc hearing committee chair has reported its recommendation
in writing to the President of the University, the President shall act upon
this recommendation within fifteen (15) working days of receiving it, and
shall confirm this action in writing to the Academic Vice-President, to the
faculty member, and to the chairs of the Faculty Grievance Committee and
the ad hoc hearing committee.
24. If the faculty member disagrees with the President's decision, he or
she may appeal to the Board of Supervisors of the University
of Louisiana System.
25. Except for such simple announcements as may be required, covering the
time of the hearing and similar matters, including consideration by the Board
of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System, public statements and
publicity about the case by either the faculty member or the University administration
will be avoided so far as possible until all proceedings have been completed.
Attachment C
Report from Jennifer Hightower
I will be attending the retreat for Deans and
Department Heads entitled Dialogue on Diversity. This will be held on Friday
@ 8am-11:30am in Abdalla Hall.
I met with the Black student organizations to
collaborate efforts on presenting a university-wide Black History Month program.
If any faculty member will be having activities, such as classroom discussions
or other related activities, please call (482.6464) or e-mail (jhightower@louisiana.edu) the
information to me. We are working with PR to provide a calendar of events
to be distributed amongst the university and community to attend.
Follow-up Report
Ms. Jennifer Hightower, Executive Director, Office
for Campus Diversity met with Deans and Department Heads on November 18 for
their annual faculty retreat. This year’s theme was “Dialogue on Diversity.”
Dr. Landry provided an overview and goals for the day and Dr. Authement discussed the university’s commitment to
diversity. Ms. Hightower gave an update on her professional background and
her future plans for UL. Also that day faculty provided their overall view
and idea of diversity at UL. Ms. Hightower will use this information along
with meetings she has been having around campus and the community to develop
a campus-wide diversity plan.
Ms. Hightower is working with a group of students,
staff and faculty to develop a kick-off celebration for Black History Month
(February, 2006). The purpose of this event is to inform the campus and community
of the month long events occurring at the university. Any faculty member
who is planning to do something for Black History Month should provide this
information to Ms. Hightower to be included in the campus-wide calendar that
will be distributed throughout the campus and community. The kick-off celebration
will be held on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at the Alumni House @ 5:00pm-6:30pm.
Food and door prizes will be provided.
Jennifer D. Hightower, Executive Director
Office for Campus Diversity
University of Louisiana
at Lafayette
P.O. Box
44212
Lafayette, LA
70504-4212
Office: 337.482.6464
jhightower@louisana.edu
Attachment D
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Control Sheet
Oct. 18 , 2005
|
DEPT
|
COURSE #
|
COURSE TITLE
|
NEW COURSE/ ADDITION
|
DELETION
|
COURSE CHANGE
REQUEST
|
COMMITTEE
ACTION
Approv/Return
|
VPAA
Signature
Date
|
|
AMUS
|
452
|
OPERATIC
PERFORMANCE
|
|
X
|
|
APPROVED
|
|
|
MGMT
|
398
|
INTERNSHIP
IN MANAGEMENT
|
X
|
|
|
APPROVED
|
|
|
ECON
|
389
|
INTERNSHIP
IN ECONOMICS
|
X
|
|
|
APPROVED
|
|
|
FNAN
|
398
|
INTERNSHIP
IN FINANCE
|
X
|
|
|
APPROVED
|
|
|
BLAW
|
398-498
|
INTERNSHIP
IN BUSINESS LAW
|
X
|
|
|
APPROVED
|
|
|
MKTG
|
398-498
|
INTERNSHIP
IN MARKETING
|
X
|
|
|
APPROVED
|
|
|
FREN 101
FREN 111
FREN 102
GERM 101
GERM 111
GERM 102
SPAN 101
SPAN 111
SPAN 102
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tabled pending
clarification from departments.
|
|
Committee present: G.H. Massiha,
Adele Smith, Carl Richter, Michael McClure, Mary Farmer-Kaiser, and Paula
Broussard , Chair
|