Article III. – RIGHTS AND DUTIES

Section 1. INDIVIDUAL

The individual faculty member upon appointment becomes a member of a community of scholars who respect and uphold the principles of Lutheran Higher Education with certain rights and obligations. Preeminent among these is the obligation to uphold the objectives of the university and the right of academic freedom in order that the obligation of examining and interpreting special areas of instruction may be freely and thoroughly exercised.

Section 2. COLLECTIVE

1. All action taken collectively by the faculty shall be within the context of the expressed or implied delegation of authority and responsibility from the Board of Regents. All such faculty action is subject to review by the Board of Regents.
2. Inherent in the faculty collectively are the following rights and duties:
   1. The faculty, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents, shall determine those degrees, certificates of merit, awards and honors which may appropriately be granted by the university.
   2. The faculty, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents, is charged with the responsibility of establishing or discontinuing colleges, schools, institutes (whether for research or for teaching), and departments.
   3. The faculty shall formulate courses of study, recommend requirements for admissions, for academic status, and for graduation, and nominate candidates for degrees.
   4. The faculty shall, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents, establish the requirements for admission to, and rank of, its membership.
   5. The faculty shall, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents, have the right to establish its own form of governance.
   6. The faculty shall, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents, formulate and enact educational policy which is the central concern of the university. This responsibility shall extend to matters which have bearing upon educational values and goals, even those concerns which are apparently physical, or mechanical, or in some manner auxiliary, but which substantially affect the total educational program.
   7. The faculty shall enact such rules and regulations and establish and activate such committees or other agencies as it deems necessary for the effective exercise of its responsibilities.
   8. The faculty shall have available to it information contained in the official records of the university which is required in the exercise of its responsibilities.
   9. The faculty has the right to censure any member of the academic community whose actions adversely affect the goals of learning, but it has the obligation to defend and protect each of these members in the principle of free search for truth.
   10. The faculty has the duty to provide for a fair and impartial hearing in cases involving faculty members accused of professional misconduct.