8.1 Resignation
A faculty member may resign from the institution by giving written notice to their department head or appropriate administrative officer at least 90 calendar days prior to the effective date of the resignation. Any verbal resignation must be immediately confirmed in writing by the department head or administrative officer who received the verbal notice. The 90-day notice period may be waived by mutual agreement of the institution and the faculty member.
8.2 Retirement
Eligible employees of the University are entitled to certain benefits following the completion of a designated number of years of employment, the attainment of specified ages, or satisfaction of other requirements. For complete details, please review retirement options at the LSUHSC-S Human Resources website (link).
8.3 Termination for Cause
Criteria. Any appointment, whether term or tenure, may be terminated for cause. Causes for termination may include, but are not limited to:
- Incompetence, neglect, or refusal to fulfill assigned duties and responsibilities.
- Performance that does not meet the standards commonly expected for the given rank.
- Conduct seriously prejudicial to the University, including willful violations of University policies and procedures, breaches of professional ethics or standards, dishonesty, moral turpitude, or conviction of a felony.*
- Documented evidence of financial exigency requiring curtailment or discontinuance of programs, departments, or positions.
Actions that constitute exercise of academic freedom or rights guaranteed by state or federal law shall not be cause for termination.
*Any faculty member charged with a felony or any other illegal conduct that is seriously prejudicial to the University may be placed on leave with pay by the Chancellor or their designee.
Process. Recommendation for termination of a faculty member shall be made by the department head in the form of a Request for Termination. The Request for Termination shall be in writing and shall include a written statement of charges registered against the faculty member, a list of all known documentary evidence, and, if applicable, a list of witnesses with a brief statement of the nature of testimony expected from each witness. The Request for Termination shall be delivered in person to the dean. If the dean finds that the charges registered against the faculty member appear to be substantive, they shall notify the Chancellor who shall give Notice to the faculty member in writing of the intent to initiate proceedings, which might result in termination for cause. The Notice shall include a copy of the Request for Termination and shall be delivered by certified mail to the faculty member.
Prior to termination for cause, a faculty member shall be guaranteed due process in accordance with the LSU Board of Supervisors Bylaws and Rules and Regulations and as procedurally outlined in Section 9.1 of the Faculty Handbook.
8.4 Retrenchment
Criteria. LSUHSC-S may terminate or reduce the contractual rights of faculty members when the Chancellor, upon authority of the President and Board of Supervisors, determines that it is necessary (1) to alleviate a financial exigency within LSUHSC-S or sub-unit thereof, or (2) to effect a reorganization or elimination of an academic program of the institution. Financial exigency is defined as a critical need on the part of the University to reorder its monetary expenditures to address and resolve a financial crisis.
For more information regarding financial exigency, see Regulations, Article V, Section 14 of the LSU Board of Supervisors Rules and Regulations (2/23/2024).
Retrenchment Plan. In the event of financial exigency or the need to reorganize or eliminate an academic program, the Chancellor of LSUHSC-S will appoint an ad hoc committee of faculty and administrators to institute an orderly and consistent plan of retrenchment. Dismissal of faculty will only be initiated after all alternative means of alleviating the financial crisis have been exhausted or deemed inadequate. This retrenchment plan may be administered on a school-wide, departmental, or program basis.
Faculty terminations to alleviate a financial exigency shall be in the following order:
- Faculty on term appointments, starting with the most recently appointed and proceeding in reverse order of seniority.
- Tenured faculty on continuous appointments, starting with the most recently appointed and proceeding in reverse order of seniority.
For the purposes of a retrenchment plan, seniority shall mean total years of service at LSUHSC-S, as determined by the retirement system.
Exceptions to the Retrenchment Plan. Department heads or other administrators who wish to make specific exceptions to the retrenchment plan to avoid significant disruption to the academic program may appeal to the dean of the relevant School. The dean will act based on a recommendation from an ad hoc committee of five (5) faculty members from that School. The committee members will be appointed by the dean and approved by the Chancellor.
Notice. Faculty and other employees under contract who are furloughed, laid off, or terminated before the end of their contract terms for reasons of financial exigency shall, whenever possible, be notified in writing by LSUHSC-S at least 90 days in advance of the date of the furlough, layoff, or termination, in accordance with LSU Rules and Regulations, Regulations, Article V, Section 14-C. This written notice shall specify the cause of the termination or reduction of time, provide a summary of the facts relied on by LSUHSC-S to make the decision, and include a reference to the faculty member’s rights to file an appeal pursuant to Section 9.3 of the Faculty Handbook. Written notice shall be sent by certified U.S. mail, return receipt requested.
Alternative Position. Faculty members whose employment time is terminated or reduced due to retrenchment will be eligible to transfer to any vacant LSUHSC-S faculty position for which they are qualified, subject to the terms and conditions of that position. A faculty member’s qualification for a vacant position shall be determined by the dean of the appropriate School after consultation with the relevant department head and approved by the Chancellor. A faculty member who exercises the rights accorded under this section and is deemed qualified by the dean will have a preemptive right to the position consistent with the retrenchment plan.
Review. If a faculty member has been notified of termination or reduction of time, they may appeal only the procedural application of the plan.
Recall. If vacancies become available, faculty terminated under the retrenchment plan will be recalled in the reverse order of dismissal. Faculty will be eligible for recall up to one year after dismissal. Exceptions to this order may be appealed by the relevant department head to the dean of the appropriate school, who will act upon a recommendation made by an ad hoc committee of faculty members, as described earlier in this section regarding the committee’s composition, selection, and approval.
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