LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 158

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158

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

regarding the nominees and provide a reasonable deadline
for receiving correspondence. The board of regents shall
establish a procedure for processing correspondence regarding nominees.
(c) The board of regents shall utilize the work of the search
committee to continue its search process.
(1) The search committee shall provide a report to the board
of regents regarding the qualifications of the candidates
with its observations and recommendations.
(2) The board of regents shall provide the candidates with
a report containing full disclosure of the condition of the
institution.
(d) The board of regents may suspend, terminate, or restart its
search at any time, but it may only elect a president of the
college or university from a slate it submitted that received
prior approval as described above. The President of Concordia University System chair of the Commission on University
Education (or a designee) shall attend the board of regents
meeting at which an election occurs as a guest and advisor.
The board of regents may require the president-elect to accept or decline within 15 days.
(e) If the president-elect declines the position, the board of regents is responsible for resuming the effort to fill the vacancy.
Candidates from the approved slate shall remain eligible to
be elected until a president has been elected and accepted
the position.
H. TO REVISE BYLAWS RELATED TO THE FACULTY
OF AFFILIATED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
In keeping with the charge of 2019 Res. 7-03 to “strengthen all
CUS institutions’ connection to the Synod” and in light of other
changes made above, minor revisions to bylaws dealing with the
college and university faculties are required. Changes in higher
education and in the role of the faculties in the broader work of the
Synod have reduced the degree to which the Bylaws of the Synod
should or can direct specifics of what are ordinarily internal personnel matters of colleges and universities. In keeping with the general
philosophy of the proposal, detailed specifications have been eliminated in favor of allowing boards of regents more flexibility while
maintaining Synod’s specific interests through the oversight and
accreditation process of the Commission for University Education.
Therefore be it
Resolved, that Bylaws 3.10.6.7–3.10.6.7.5.2 be revised as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Concordia University SystemSynod-Affiliated College and University Faculties
3.10.6.79 The faculty of each affiliated college or university of
the Synod shall consist of the president, the full-time faculty and
the part-time faculty.
(a) Part-time or temporary faculty members are distinguished
by an appropriate title.
(b) Part-time or temporary faculty members shall hold nonvoting membership on the faculty.
(c) Only the voting or full-time faculty who are in good standing as individual members of the Synod or are members in
good standing of a member congregation of the Synod shall
participate in faculty decisions regarding the qualification of
2023 Convention Workbook

graduates or colloquy program participants for rostered service.
3.10.6.7.1 The Concordia University System Board of Directors
shall maintain in its policies a list of subject matters that each
educational institution must address in its own policies and
procedures, to include faculty appointments, employment contracts, contract renewal, contract termination, faculty organization, modified service, sabbaticals, and dispute resolution.
3.10.6.79.21
Except as otherwise provided in these bylaws,
the board of regents on recommendation of the president of the
institution shall appoint all full-time members of the faculty.
The terms and conditions of every appointment shall be stated
in writing and be in the possession of both the institution and
the prospective faculty member before the appointment is consummated. Limitations of academic freedom because of the religious and confessional nature and aims of the institution shall
be stated in writing at the time of the appointment and conveyed
to the person being appointed. Faculty members, full- and parttime, shall pledge to perform their duties in harmony with the
Holy Scriptures as the inspired Word of God, the Lutheran Confessions, and the Synod’s doctrinal statements.
All initial appointments to persons serving on
3.10.6.79.32
theology faculties, or teaching classes in or cross-listed with the
theology department, shall require prior approval by a majority
vote of the President of the Synod (or his designee), the chairman of the Council of Presidents (or his designee), and a member of the Concordia University System Commission for University Education board selected by the chair, and shall include a
thorough theological review. The three voters shall be ordained.
The process shall be facilitated by the president of Concordia
University System chair of the Commission for University Education or his designee. Initial appointment refers to the initial engagement of any person to teach one or more theology courses,
regardless of assigned academic department, other than faculty
who teach theology courses no more than one academic year in
any three-year period.
3.10.6.7.4 A formal procedure shall be in place to carry out performance reviews for all faculty on a regular basis.
3.10.6.7.5 Other than honorable retirement, termination of faculty
employment may only be the result of the following:
(a) professional incompetency;
(b) incapacity for the performance of duty;
(c) insubordination;
(d) neglect of or refusal to perform duties of office;
(e) conduct unbecoming a Christian;
(f) advocacy of false doctrine (Constitution Art. II) or failure
to honor and uphold the doctrinal position of the Synod as
defined further in Bylaw 1.6.2 (b);
(g) discontinuance of an entire program (e.g., social work, business);
(h) discontinuance of an entire division or department (e.g.,
modern foreign language) of a college or university;
(i) reduction of the size of staff in order to maintain financial
viability in compliance with policies concerning fiscal viability;
(j) discontinuance, merger, or consolidation of an entire college
or university operation;
(k) expiration of the term of a contract of employment; and