The Special Hearing Committee is mandated in theNSHE Code Section 6 which deals with matters of procedures and sanctions available to resolve and determine charges against faculty “for allegedly engaging in conduct prohibited by the Nevada System of Higher Education Code or by other applicable stated policies, procedures, rules, regulations or bylaws of the System institutions.”
The Special Hearing Committee is defined by the Faculty Senate Bylaws.
6.14 Special Hearing Committee shall perform the following functions :
- 6.14.1 Shall serve as the faculty hearing panel as directed in NSHE Code. When notified by the administration, the Chair of the Senate is responsible for selecting by lot the committee members to serve on the Special Hearing Committee (NSHE Code Section 6.12.3 a and b).
Special Hearing Committee members are detailed in the Faculty Senate Bylaws.
5.1 A faculty hearing panel, composed of at least thirty-five faculty members, shall be selected by the Senate. Both academic faculty and administrative faculty (excluding chairs, directors, assistant and associate deans, deans, and other executive faculty) shall be eligible to serve. The selected pool shall include at least twenty tenured faculty, of which at least ten members shall be at full professor rank. Committee members shall be selected from a pool of at least two individuals from each college, library, administrative faculty, and the administration. The members of the faculty hearing panel shall serve one year terms, and upon agreeing, shall commit themselves in writing to serve on a Special Hearing Committee when needed.
Section 6.2 of the NSHE Code contains an extensive list of Causes for action against a faculty including 6.2.1 Prohibited Activities, 6.2.2 Mental or Physical Incapacity and 6.2.3 Sexual Harassment.