Faculty Rights Board (FRB)
Description & Purpose
The Faculty Rights Board shall have jurisdiction over any claim or charge by a member of the faculty that an administrative action; (i) violates the tenure rights of a tenured member of the faculty; (ii) constitutes a termination without proper cause of the services of a non‑tenured member of the faculty prior to the end of the term of the appointment; (iii) violates the established University procedures for the appointment, promotion, reappointment, or non-reappointment of a faculty member that prevented a fair consideration of the case; (iv) violates the academic freedom of a tenured or non‑tenured member of the faculty; (v) constitutes appeal under Article VI of the Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations from a negative promotion and/or tenure recommendation based on demonstrable application of improper standards or criteria; (vi) constitutes a censure, suspension or dismissal pursuant to Article VI of the Code of Faculty Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct without proper cause; or (vii) violates any faculty rights enumerated in Article III of the Code of Faculty Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, which is not specifically referred to herein. In its role as a hearing panel, all Committee members are expected to behave as objective arbiters of the evidence presented, neither advocating for nor against the individual bringing the case nor personally participating in the preparation and presentation of a particular case. Additionally, Committee members’ comments and questions are expected to focus on the substance of the case. Procedures for hearings held and appeals heard by the Faculty Rights Board shall be developed, approved, and made publicly available according to applicable provisions of the Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations.
Membership
The Faculty Rights Board shall be composed of five tenured members of the Faculty. One member with a Juris Doctorate degree, two members from the faculty at large, and a representative from the AAUP shall serve staggered three-year terms. A representative from the Faculty Executive Committee shall serve a one-year term. Members of the Faculty Rights Board are not eligible to hold consecutive three-year terms. Nominations for the AAUP seat on the committee will be sought from both the Executive Committee and at-large membership of the University of Kansas Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). In the event that an AAUP representative is not selected to fill a three-year term, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall appoint an additional member from the Faculty to a one-year term on the Faculty Rights Board, and nominations will be sought from the AAUP Executive Committee and at-large membership to fill that seat in the succeeding year.