Lawrence Journal-World opinion section

To the editor:

Kudos to the Kansas University Faculty Senate, its leadership, especially President Tom Beisecker and AAUP minders of faculty rights. Last Thursday the Senate passed its rewrite of the Faculty Code of Rights and Responsibilities. This document forms part of what is effectively the employment contract for more than 2,000 KU faculty members.

Previous reworks contained punitive “leave without pay” provisions which would allow the administration to place any faculty member on leave without pay with only a possibility of appeal. The Senate’s new version folds in Kansas Board of Regents language which converts leave without pay from a sanction to a right. (KBOR allows faculty members to request a leave to work off campus like a manager in a government lab or to do field work.)

Another important provision included is that serious sanction could only be levied following a full hearing. Previous reworks had only the possibility of an appeal, which is quite a different thing given that appeals can only be made on procedural grounds (without the features of a full and fair hearing).

The final critical measure changed which entity gets to interpret the document. Previous versions named the administration alone. The version passed, quite appropriately, gives the faculty an equal voice in interpretation. Now the improved code goes back to the administration where we hope the principles of KBOR policy primacy, due process and shared governance will be embraced and lead to its speedy approval.