Academic Freedom and Responsibility Committee
Reporting Line
The Academic Freedom and Responsibility Committee reports to the Provost and to the Faculty Senate.
Composition of Membership
The committee is composed of fourteen rotating faculty, including two members selected by the Faculty Senate. Members come from each academic unit with three from the College of Arts & Sciences representing humanities/arts, social sciences/languages, and sciences. The Senate appointees need not also serve as elected members of the Faculty Senate, but one of the two Senate appointees must serve as chair. Moreover, the chair must be a tenured faculty member.
Committee Charge Responsibilities
The Academic Freedom and Responsibility Committee promotes a positive academic environment at Baylor; investigates issues of academic freedom and responsibility; makes recommendations concerning these matters to the Faculty Senate; and considers issues related to shared governance.
Committee Members, 2026-2027
| Member | Department (Academic Unit)/Role | Roll-off Date |
|---|---|---|
| Beaujean, Alex | Psychology & Neuroscience (A&S) | 2028 |
| Bennighof, James | Music Academic and Professional Studies (Music) | 2027 |
| Coffman, Elesha, Chair | History (A&S), Senate appointee | 2029 |
| Easley, Richard | Marketing (Business) | 2027 |
| Harris, Debra | Human Sciences and Design (HHS) | 2027 |
| Leung, Wing Ching | Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECS) | 2027 |
| Meraz, Rebecca | Nursing (Nursing) | 2027 |
| Nichols, Connie Powell | Law (Law), Senate appointee | 2028 |
| Perry, Sam | Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (Honors) | 2028 |
| Santiago-Vendrell, Angel | Seminary (Seminary) | 2029 |
| Scott, Rebecca | Social Work (Social Work) | 2029 |
| Talbert, Tony | Curriculum and Instruction (Education) | 2028 |
| Uecker, Jeremy | Sociology (A&S) | 2029 |
| Vaughan, Benna | Texas Collection (Libraries) | 2028 |
As of 2026/08/31, pending Faculty Senate approval