Item 2021-08: Code of Professional Standards
The Steering Committee referred the proposed code and a related memorandum from the provost to Faculty Senate on September 1, 2020. Faculty Senate sent the proposed code back to University Committee on Faculty Affairs for discussion on September 15, 2020. Fulton sent a new draft to Christie Poitra on December 14, 2020 for review by various diversity-oriented groups. Poitra returned her personal feedback on December 16, 2020; Silvestri gave Fulton contact info for chairs of BSAA, EPIC, etc.
A letter from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education expressing First Amendment-related concerns was received on February 1, 2021. UCFA approved an amended version on February 2, 2021. Faculty Senate gave additional feedback on February 16, 2021.
UCFA subcommittee met with Theresa Kelley (General Counsel), Shannon Torres (General Counsel), Kara Yermak (Academic HR), Suzanne Lang (AHR), and Silvestri on March 2, 2021 to discuss next steps.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued Meriwether v. Hartop on March 26, 2021, and the decision has the potential to affect what the Code can contain. On April 2, 2021, Fulton informed Johnson and Silvestri that the Code would not be ready by the April 20, 2021 Faculty Senate meeting and that, "With further deliberation, the Code may once again be considered by the Faculty Senate during the Fall Semester of 2021." One member of the subcommittee noted at the April 6, 2021 UCFA meeting that this could take as long as a year or two.
No updates as of August 18, 2022.
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