2. Autonomous faculty committees

a. Faculty Hearings Panel

1. Duties. To determine the membership of faculty hearing committees, whose duties shall be as follows: To review decisions of non-reappointment, suspension, discharge, or termination at the written request of the faculty member receiving such notice, in order to determine whether the decision was based upon any of the grounds stated to be impermissible. To grant a hearing as may be required by The Code or the Policies on Academic Freedom and Tenure. Either to confirm the previous decision, or to forward a recommendation for corrective action to the appropriate academic officer.
2. Membership. Thirty-two faculty members having permanent tenure. Persons excluded from the panel include those having emeritus status, administrators, department chairpersons, and those having concurrent membership on the Faculty Professional Relations Committee or on the Committee on Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion. Members shall be elected for two-year staggered terms and may serve no more than two terms in succession. At the beginning of each academic year the panel will convene to elect a chairperson from the panel membership and to review the hearings procedures. Petitions for a hearing shall be addressed to the chairperson of the panel. Upon receipt of a petition the panel chairperson shall randomly select a hearing committee of, if possible, eight panel members who are not currently serving on an active hearing committee and who are not members of the petitioner's department or school. Every hearing committee must consist of at least six members. The panel chairperson will designate the hearing committee chairperson pro tem, who will be responsible for convening the hearing committee. Upon convening, the hearing committee will elect its own chairperson and will serve as the hearing committee for that particular petition. The petitioner is allowed a total of two peremptory challenges. The committee chairperson may request additional members to be added to the committee, should any committee members remove themselves from the committee or be challenged.

[See also Election Procedures for Autonomous Faculty Committees.]