Minutes of a Regular Meeting, June 22-23, 2004 - Digital Collections

REGENTS’ POLICY MANUALSECTION 2—ACADEMICSAlternative actions, such as resignation or retirement from the University, may be negotiated andimplemented with approval of the budget dean(s), Senior Vice President and Provost, President, andBoard of Regents.Review of Post-Tenure Review Policy and ProceduresThe above Post-Tenure Review Policy will be jointly reviewed by the Faculty Senate and administrationat least every five years and, if continued, will be evaluated every five years thereafter with respect to itseffectiveness in supporting faculty development and redressing problems of faculty performance, the timeand cost of the effort required, and the degree to which in practice it has been effectively cordoned offfrom disciplinary procedures and sanctions.(RM, 5-7-99, p. 26389; 1-27-2004, p. 28924)2.3.5— ABROGATION OF TENURE, DISMISSAL BEFORE EXPIRATION OF ATENURE-TRACK APPOINTMENT OR RENEWABLE TERM APPOINTMENT, ANDOTHER SEVERE SANCTIONSThe University strives to exercise great care in selecting its faculty appointees and to confer tenureupon only those faculty members who have demonstrated their merit for tenured appointment. For thatreason, severe sanctions such as a dismissal proceeding involving a tenured faculty member (abrogationof tenure) or of a faculty member during a tenure-track appointment or of a renewable term facultymember should be an exceptional event. It is also recognized, however, that a few faculty members may,from time to time, engage in improper conduct which requires severe sanctions short of dismissal. Suchsanctions may include but are not limited to loss of prospective privileges for a stated period (for instance,loss of eligibility for a sabbatical leave of absence, loss of remunerated consultative privileges, loss ofremunerated private practice privileges); restitution (payment of damages due to individuals or to theUniversity); a fine; a reduction in salary; or suspension from service for a stated period, without otherprejudice. As in the case of dismissal, the imposition of severe sanctions short of dismissal should beviewed as a serious and infrequent step usually undertaken only after administrative remedies and minorsanctions have failed.While extreme action will be required infrequently, the University must be prepared for such aneventuality, so that both the integrity of the University and the rights of the faculty member may bepreserved. Toward this end, the faculty must be willing to recommend severe sanctions of a colleaguewhen necessary. By the same token, the President and the Board of Regents shall give all reasonableconsideration to faculty recommendations.Only the Board of Regents has the power to impose severe sanctions. The Board of Regents shallexercise this power only in cases where it determines that there exists sufficient cause for such action.TERMINATION OF TENURED APPOINTMENT ON GROUNDS OF FINANCIAL EMERGENCYSee Financial Emergency Policy in Section 4 of Regents’ Policy Manual.THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA 53