Disciplinary Action and Termination
No disciplinary penalty, including termination, shall be imposed on a faculty member except in accordance with the provisions stated in the online Colleges Policies, policy A9.4 Termination of Faculty Appointments. The College subscribes to the 1971 AAUP Statement on Procedural Standards in the Renewal or Nonrenewal of Faculty Appointments (as modified and informed by the policy), which states in part, “faculty status and related matters are primarily a faculty responsibility; this area includes … dismissal.” If a person wishes to decline renewal, they shall give notice no less than three months before the end of their contract termination date.
In order to maintain the integrity of its teaching and research and to preserve academic freedom, Stonehill College demands high standards of professional conduct from its faculty. In the case of a serious violation of these standards, a faculty member may face disciplinary charges under the process outlined in policy 2507, Disciplinary Review of Faculty Members. These disciplinary procedures may be invoked when the Vice President for Academic Affairs or Dean formally charges a faculty member with personal or professional misconduct that may warrant a serious sanction, which includes censure (a public statement), a fine and/or reduction in pay, a reduction in rank, or dismissal from the College.
The Faculty Disciplinary Committee is established to hear the professional misconduct cases of faculty members. The membership of the Committee consists of five (5) tenured faculty members including two full professors, normally from both the May School of Arts & Sciences and the Meehan School of Business. The Committee shall convene as needed to address charges brought by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. It shall provide notice of meeting to the charged faculty member and shall conduct a hearing under established policies and procedures. It shall provide a written notice of its decision to the charged faculty member within a reasonable time after the hearing is concluded and shall report its findings and decision, including a recommendation of a sanction where relevant, to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will make a recommendation to the President, who will make a final decision.
If the decision involves the dismissal of the faculty member, reduction in rank, or rescission of tenure, the faculty member may inform the Vice President for Academic Affairs within 30 days that they wish to appeal the decision to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees, who may establish procedures to review the decision consistent with the rules established under the College’s Bylaws governing the powers of committees established by the Board of Trustees.
At any time prior to a final decision, the faculty member may be suspended or assigned to other duties in lieu of suspension if, in the opinion of the President or Vice President for Academic Affairs, immediate harm to the College, the faculty (including the charged faculty member), students, or others is threatened by the faculty member’s continued performance of their duties.