The Faculty Senate will vote on changes to the faculty conduct policy at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

The rationale to changing the policy states “in the Conduct policy, the formal complaint process clearly states ‘the formal complaint process is based upon peer review and respect for due process. It is an academic and not a judicial process.'”

According to the rationale, “While complete abandonment of the position is addressed, the current policy does not provide guidance with regard to faculty who are not acceptably performing their duties described in their PRS [Position Responsibility Statement]. It is important to have a section in the faculty handbook that addresses the issue of unacceptable performance of duty to ensure that faculty is accountable for meeting their responsibilities to the university community and the citizens of the state.”

Currently, when a complaint is submitted, the provost and the president of the Faculty Senate determine if the complaint is properly filed, then they create a three-member faculty review board.

The faculty review board will then review the investigative report and responses to the report and may decide to dismiss the charges without a hearing, hold a minor sanction hearing or recommend that the complaint be referred to a major sanction committee.

The major sanction process involves a new peer committee of seven members. After completion of its review of all the information, the entire major sanction committee holds a hearing.

The policy was discussed at the senate’s February meeting, but further discussion was postponed until March.

The policy was discussed briefly in March and then postponed until April.

Michael Owen, Faculty Senate president, said that a proposal to implement a new minor in sustainability probably won’t happen at this meeting.

Owen said some voting that needs to be done within the department hasn’t happened yet.

There will also be a name change for the sport and recreation minor.

The Faculty Senate will also be looking to implement a new Bachelor of Design program.

The Bachelor of Design is a 122.5-credit undergraduate degree program focused on the interdisciplinary nature of design and the power of the design studio as a place and method for generating ideas and solving problems, according to the request to implement a new program.

In a letter of support for the proposal, Marwan Ghandour, associate dean, said, “The Bachelor of Design is an opportunity for the College of Design to enhance its academic engagement with the university by expanding our non-professional undergraduate courses and degree options. Currently the college offers only one non-professional degree … which focuses on history and theory academic track.”

The last item to be voted on is an academic program approval.