Faculty Responsibility Committee

The responsibilities of the Faculty Responsibility Committee are as follows:

To come together for a hearing for a faculty member facing a charge of unethical or irresponsible action, which may be brought against a faculty member or teacher by a person or group of persons associated with the University, such as a student, faculty member, teacher, administrator, or board member.

The committee shall investigate the charge and shall offer the accused and the accuser an opportunity to state their positions and to present testimony and other evidence relevant to the case. The accused shall have access to all information considered by the committee and the names of all persons giving evidence against him/her. The hearing shall be informal and the accused and the accuser at their option may be present during the hearing. Other persons shall not be present except while giving testimony or other evidence.

After completion of the hearing the committee shall meet in closed session and after deliberation prepare a written report. This report (including a minority report, if any) shall be transmitted to the divisional dean and a copy transmitted promptly to the accused. This report shall be limited to one of the following: (1) The charge is unfounded or there is insufficient reason to believe the accused has violated professional ethics or acted irresponsibly, and the matter should be dropped without prejudice to the accused. The justification for this conclusion must be included. (2) There is sufficient reason to believe the accused has acted unethically or irresponsibly, and if the accused is a faculty member, the matter should be referred for a formal hearing. No recommendation as to sanction should be made but an assessment of the seriousness of the alleged violation, including whether it is serious enough that termination of appointment should be considered, will be made.

Committee makeup: The Committee on Faculty Responsibility, a panel of 13 Faculty members and a special panel of five teachers shall be named by the Faculty Policy Committee following nomination of individuals by each CVM department and the VMDL. In any case where the accused or the accuser is a member of the panel, he/she shall be replaced by a substitute appointed by the Faculty Policy Committee.

(a) When the accused is a Faculty member, the Dean will strike three names and then the accused will strike three names from the panel of Faculty members and the remaining seven Faculty members will constitute the committee.

(b) When the accused is a teacher, five members of the panel of Faculty members will be removed from the panel and replaced by the members of the special panel of teachers. From the resulting panel of 13 the Divisional Dean will strike three names and then the accused will strike three names and the remaining seven members will constitute the committee.

(c) The Committee on Faculty Responsibility, once constituted, shall organize itself. The Dean shall supply the accused with the names of the members of the Committee.

Meetings and Minutes: The committee will meet when necessary. Due to the confidentiality of the meetings, minutes will not be taken.