The Morehead State University Executive Board of Regents met in special session Tuesday morning to discuss possible disciplinary action against an employee.
The members appointed by the state met in closed session for just over 90 minutes and returned to the open session to take a vote. Chair Eric Howard said the committee will present a written preliminary recommendation to the full Board of Regents during the next regular meeting. A member of the board confirmed the meeting concerned a Petition of Faculty Grievance filed with the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Committee in September.
The petition claims that the removal of the Faculty Regent’s course release, a precedent set in 1986, was a personal retaliation against the current regent. A revision of the Regent bylaws was passed in June and did not include the course release. At that time, Board members said the change aligned the bylaws with KRS 163, which prohibits members of the Board of Regents in the state from being compensated for the position.
The Faculty Rights and Responsibility Committee found that the actions of the University President in removing the release appeared to be retaliatory and created a quote “substantial injustice resulting from a violation of procedural fairness.”
The FRR committee made four recommendations, including a reinstatement of the course release, that shared governance be observed, and that the President work with the board of regents with respect and full transparency.
The committee also recommended that the Faculty Senate review its own rules and regulations to provide alternative recommendation channels if a future Petition of Grievance names the University President.
The next Board of Regents meeting will be held on December 1st.