In December 1977, the Chancellor approved the latest Affirmative Action Plan for the University of Kansas, Lawrence Campus. The plan contains policies prohibiting adverse discrimination on the bases of sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age as specified by law, disability, veteran status, sexual preference, parental status and marital status. Affirmative action to improve the status of minorities, women, persons with disabilities and Vietnam era veterans is set forth in the plan. Equal opportunity policies related to recruitment, selection, promotions, tenure, transfer and salary determinations for faculty, administrators and other unclassified staff are included in the plan. Grievance procedures for adverse discrimination, including sexual harassment, are also part of the plan appendices. The Affirmative Action Plan, procedures for implementing the plan and Affirmative Action Grievance Procedures are contained in The Affirmative Action Handbook.
An appointed Affirmative Action Board serves as a policy advisory body. The Director of the Office of Affirmative Action is responsible for implementing and administering the Affirmative Action Plan. The Office of Affirmative Action is located at 308 Strong Hall.
The Board of Regents adopted the following policy on financial exigency in September 1979 (amended in 1983).
In the event that financial conditions at a Regents institution may warrant the declaration of financial exigency, the chief executive officer shall notify the Board of Regents of that fact and shall provide a complete statement of the circumstances that may warrant the declaration of financial exigency. The statement shall also include a review of all reasonable alternatives to financial exigency. If the Board of Regents and the chief executive officer concur as to the existence of a financial exigency, it shall be the responsibility of the chief executive officer to so declare. It shall be the responsibility of the chief executive officer to review the financially exigent condition with the Board of Regents at such times and with such frequency as the Board may specify.
A statement of policy and procedures concerning financial exigency on the Lawrence campus was accepted by the Chancellor in December 1976 and was revised in December 1979 and April 1982. Financial exigency is a "condition, descriptive only of the University as a whole, a unique and compelling financial crisis that would jeopardize the ability of the University to maintain this position (as a quality institution of higher education) unless faculty positions are reduced by the release of one or more tenured faculty members other than 'for cause,' as defined in the. . .Handbook."
The procedures to be followed when a state of financial exigency is declared are found in Article VII of the Rules and Regulations of the University Senate.
Regents' Program Reviews, which began in 1983, follow the departmental structure of the institution and include all degree levels. Each department or division is scheduled for review once every five years. At the University of Kansas, Program Reviews are self-reviews by the departments involved.
To quote from the Board of Regents, the Program Review is designed to:
In 1983 the Board of Regents instructed the institutions under its direction to develop policies for academic program discontinuance. The University of Kansas then developed policies to be applied if an academic program is to be discontinued. These policies and procedures were formulated and approved by the University Senate, the Chancellor, and the Board of Regents in February 1984. They are published as Article VIII of the University Senate Rules and Regulations.
A formal statement of the University's commitment to the furtherance of human rights was adopted by the University Senate on May 11, 1965. As amended on February 19, 1970, this statement reads as follows:
In amplification of the original policy statement, the following directive was issued by the Chancellor on November 24, 1969:
In April 1982, the Chancellor approved a policy prohibiting sexual harassment for the University of Kansas, Lawrence Campus. Specific grievance procedures to be used for allegations of sexual harassment have also been adopted. The policy and grievance procedures are contained in The Affirmative Action Handbook. The Office of Affirmative Action implements and administers this policy.
Personnel records for faculty and other unclassified staff members are maintained by the various departments, divisions, and schools of the University and/or by the appropriate vice chancellor and university director. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs maintains the official personnel records for all faculty members. Access to these records is governed by the following policy which appears as Article VII of the Rules and Regulations of the Faculty Senate.
The Board of Regents has adopted the following statement of Policies and Procedures on Political Activity:
The filing of a declaration of intent to become a candidate shall not affect the status or appointment of an unclassified member of a college or university staff; provided, however, such person at all times while a candidate shall properly and fully perform all of his or her assigned duties; provided further, however, that should such person while he or she is a candidate fail to perform all of his or her assigned duties, such person shall not receive any salary or benefits from the date of filing for office.
Leave without salary or other benefits will be granted to those elected to public office requiring full-tine or lengthy sustained periods away from assigned duties, such as Congress, the State Legislature, and state and county offices or appointments to office falling within this category; effective, as to a person elected or appointed to Congress or the State Legislature, from the date such person takes the Oath of Office or the first day of the Legislative session and continuing until the adjournment of Congress or to a date no sooner than the last adjournment in April or sine die adjournment, whichever occurs first, of each regular and special session of the State Legislature; effective, as to other state and county offices, during the entire time a person serves as such officer. Leave without salary or other benefits shall not be required for any person serving in the State Legislature for service on any committee during a period when the Legislature is not in regular or special session, provided that such person shall decline to accept all legislative compensation for such service, but shall be entitled to such mileage and other expense allowances as provided by statute and paid by the Legislature.
In the interest of the fullest participation in public affairs, personnel are free to express opinions speaking or writing as an individual in signed advertisements, pamphlets and related material in support of or opposition to parties and causes. There will be the commensurate responsibility of making plain that each person so doing is acting for himself and not in behalf of an institution supported by tax funds drawn from citizens of varying political and economic views.
a. Regents Policy on Use of Campus Facilities for Political Activity
State facilities are not available for fund-raising events for candidates or parties. The Board of Regents policy states that:
Political office holders and candidates shall not be introduced or recognized on campus unless they are participating in the campus event which they are attending. The distribution of handbills shall be prohibited in those areas devoted primarily to instruction or study or at the immediate sites and times of enclosed public events.
The University Senate adopted the following policy statement concerning campus speakers on May 14, 1963:
The assembly places of the University must, therefore, be open to any properly invited speaker who comes to persuade by the expression of ideas. Only the speaker who would use the free expression of ideas in such a manner as to incite immediate riot or rebellion could reasonably be excluded.
In opening its doors to any performer or speaker thus sponsored, the University in no way places any official stamp of approval on the quality of the performance or the reasonableness of the ideas expressed. Since, however, the University will be inevitably associated with that quality of performance or reasonableness of ideas, the University should be able to expect that the freedom of the sponsoring agency will be accompanied, as any freedom must, by a corresponding responsibility, to the end that the University will not be made a refuge for intentional violators of public or private law.
Over the years, the University of Kansas has generally operated in accordance with the principles stated above and, thereby, provided a setting for a wide variety of voluntary and officially sponsored forums, speeches, and performances. It is the hope of the Senate that affirmation of these principles may further strengthen the University's zealous dedication to them in the future.
The Board of Regents policy on legislative appearances and committee hearings is as follows:
Recently enacted legislation considerably tightens state control over lobbying activities. Any faculty efforts to support or oppose either legislation or regulatory action which tie the identity of the faculty member to the University should be carried out only after consultation with the General Counsel's office. All expenditures made to entertain, or otherwise influence, legislators or other state officials should be reported before the fact to the University's registered agent (currently the Director of the Alumni Association) and to the Chancellor's Office.
The consumption of alcoholic liquor on the campus of the University of Kansas is prohibited by State Statute except under special circumstances provided by law. The sale of cereal malt beverages to individuals is restricted to licensed spaces in the Kansas Union and the Burge Union. Cereal malt beverages may also be served at group events which are held in the Unions and which are approved by the University Events Committee. Cereal malt beverage may not be consumed in educational buildings or in University housing facilities.
At all times, the marketing, sale, and consumption of cereal malt beverages must be accomplished in a manner to insure compliance with State Statutes and Regulations.
The Division of Student Affairs will provide information and services regarding alcohol education and abuse prevention programs. Violations of State law and/or University policy will be handled in accordance with applicable law enforcement or University disciplinary procedures.
The official policy on smoking in nonresidential buildings on the Lawrence campus was developed as a result of the action of the University Council on February 28, 1974. The policy approved by the Chancellor is as follows:
The following statements were issued by the Executive Vice Chancellor on September 22, 1975 (amended in 1986) to clarify some aspects of this policy:
All members of the University community are expected to observe this policy and to respect the rights of non-smokers as well as the rights of smokers.
The Rules and Regulations of the University Senate (4.1.1) stipulates that:
In this regulation, the term "editor" means the person, board, or other agency which determines the form and content of the publication.
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