Faculty to Release Plan For Discipline Reform

The steering committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) this week continued discussion on a plan to replace the controversial Committee on Rights and Responsibilities (CRR) with a new student-faculty disciplinary body.

"It's possible that a text that is under consideration can be released for discussion by students and faculty early in the spring term," said Secretary of the Faculty John R. Marquand.

Under the new plan, a 13-member student-faculty board would hear cases "with no clear precedent." The Administrative Board would continue to hear the bulk of disciplinary cases. The CRR has been boycotted by students almost continuously since its inception in 1969.

The Faculty Council also began consideration of a committee that would investigate misconduct or fraud in research by faculty members. Last year the Faculty Council approved a set of provisional procedures, but the full Faculty has not approved it.

Under the proposal a standing committee on professional conduct would investigate substantive allegations of faculty misconduct and submit a report to the Dean of the Faculty A. Michael Spence, who would then decide what action, if any, is appropriate.

Faculty members under investigation would have the right to review evidence, to appear before the committee, and to review the committee's final report.

The FAS has not had a case of research misconduct, but the Medical School has seen two cases of major research fraud in the past five years.

In other business, the Faculty Council will probably ban smoking from faculty meetings in compliance with a new Cambridge anti-smoking ordinance.