Faculty Dismissal Committee

Reporting Line

The Faculty Dismissal Committee reports to the President and Provost.

Composition of Membership

The Faculty Dismissal Committee consists of three tenured faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences and one tenured faculty member from every other academic unit (Business, Education, Engineering and Computer Science, Honors, Law, Libraries, Music, Robbins, Nursing, Truett Theological Seminary, and Social Work) for a current total of fourteen. Each member shall be appointed for a three-year term, with approximately one-third of the committee rotating each year (4-4-6). Unless circumstances dictate due to the limited size of an academic unit, no member shall serve more than one term on the Faculty Dismissal Committee.

Over a period of three years, the President appoints six members to the Faculty Dismissal Committee according to the composition specified above. The Faculty Senate likewise appoints six members to the Faculty Dismissal Committee according to the composition specified above.

Therefore, in every three-year cycle, the appointments shall be as follows:

• Year One: President - 2 members, Faculty Process - 2 members (Total 4);
• Year Two: President - 2 members, Faculty Process - 2 members (Total 4);
• Year Three: President - 3 members, Faculty Process - 3 members (Total 6).

Should a vacancy occur on the Faculty Dismissal Committee for any reason, the party responsible for the original appointment (President or Faculty Senate) shall make a replacement appointment in a timely fashion for the remainder of any unexpired term and convey the decision to the Chair of the Committee on Committees and to the Faculty Dismissal Committee.

In addition to the provisions described above:

• No department chairs may serve on this committee.
• At the beginning of each academic year, the Dismissal Committee elects its own chair from among those members who have served at least one year on the Committee; no member may serve as chair for more than one year.
• A faculty member who rotates off the committee is ineligible for reappointment for at least one year.

Committee Charge Responsibilities

Serves as the hearing committee when charges filed against a tenured faculty member could lead to dismissal from the university. Specific responsibilities of the Faculty Dismissal are set forth in BU-PP 705: Faculty Dismissal Policy.

Committee Members, 2025-2026