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

REGENTS’ POLICY MANUALSECTION 2—ACADEMICSGROUNDS FOR ABROGATION OF TENURE, DISMISSAL, AND OTHER SEVERE SANCTIONSA faculty member against whom the imposition of a severe sanction is to be brought or whosedismissal is to be requested must have given such cause for the action as relates directly and substantiallyto his or her professional capabilities or performance. It is not possible to specify all proper grounds forthese drastic measures. Proper reasons for dismissal of a faculty member who has tenure or whosetenure-track or renewable term/consecutive term appointment has not expired include the following:a) Professional incompetence or dishonesty;b) Substantial, manifest, or repeated failure to fulfill professional duties or responsibilities;c) Personal behavior preventing the faculty member from satisfactory fulfillment ofprofessional duties or responsibilities;d) Substantial, manifest, or repeated failure to adhere to University policies; including, forexample, the University’s Compliance Program.e) Serious violations of law which are admitted or proved before a court of competentjurisdiction or the administrative hearing body established to hear such matters, whichprevent the faculty member from satisfactory fulfillment of professional duties orresponsibilities, or violations of a court order, when such order relates to the facultymember’s proper performance of professional responsibilities;f) Changes in the University’s educational function through action of the Board of Regentsand/or the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education which result in the eliminationof an academic unit. In such instances, the University will make every reasonable effortto reassign affected faculty members to positions for which they are properly qualifiedbefore dismissal results from such elimination. Although not considered severe sanctions,(f) and (h) are proper reasons for dismissal of a faculty member who has tenure or whosetenure-track renewable term/consecutive term appointment has not expired.g) For any Health Sciences Center faculty member, being placed on the United StatesDepartment of Health and Human Services’ list of excluded individuals and entities, inwhich case the University will take quick and decisive action by terminating the facultymember’s employment. The faculty member may request a Faculty Appeals BoardHearing following termination.GROUNDS FOR SUMMARY SUSPENSIONSuspension of a faculty member or assignment to other duties in lieu of suspension is justified only ifimmediate harm to the faculty member or to others is threatened by that person’s continued performanceof regular duties or if the faculty member has failed to adhere to the University’s Compliance Program.The faculty member may, on written request and at the convenience and discretion of the department, berelieved of some professional duties if this is necessary to provide time for the preparation of a defense.Summary suspension does not remove from the University the obligation to provide due process within areasonable period of time following action.The Health Sciences Center’s policy on abrogation of tenure, dismissal before expiration of a tenuretrackor consecutive term appointment, severe sanctions, summary suspension, and failure to comply withthe University compliance program is available in the Health Sciences Center Faculty Handbook.THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA 54