Faculty

Washington and Lee University Bylaws

Chapter IV: The Faculty

1.  The FACULTY shall consist of only those full-time personnel appointed under one of the following designations: President, Provost, Associate Provost, Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, or Instructor. The academic deans shall also be members of the faculty. Other employees of the University who have the privilege of teaching or research may be so designated by the Provost or President upon recommendation of the respective dean. Faculty in phased retirement shall also be considered faculty.

2.  The PROVOST is the chief academic officer of the University, through direct reporting from the academic deans. The Provost shall be appointed by the President, after consultation with the Board, and shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him or her by the President. The Provost shall be a tenured member of the faculty with rank in one of the University's academic departments. In addition to the overall responsibility for the academic program, the Provost is responsible for the management of various University administrative areas to be assigned by the President.  

  • The Provost shall act for the President in the event of the President's absence, temporary disability, or death consistent with these bylaws. 

  • The Provost or the President's designee shall chair the President's Advisory Committee and shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the President.

3.  Undergraduate and law faculties shall be responsible to the Board for the academic regulation of students, for entrance and graduation requirements, for the approval and supervision of courses of study, for the recommendation of students for degrees. Undergraduate and law faculties may adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper for the discharge of their obligations.

4.  The President shall be chair of the faculty and shall preside at University and undergraduate meetings unless the Provost or another member of the faculty is appointed by the President to preside. The Dean of the School of Law shall preside at meetings of law school faculty unless the President, Provost, or another member of the law faculty is appointed to preside by the President, Provost, or Dean of the School of Law. The academic deans shall be appointed by the Provost after consultation with the President. The academic deans shall perform such duties as may be assigned to them by the President, Provost, or the faculty.

5.  At the call of the President or Provost, the University faculty shall meet not less often than once in the fall and once in the spring of each academic year. The action of a majority of the faculty members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the University faculty.The undergraduate faculty shall meet at the call of the President or Provost. The law faculty shall meet at the call of the President, Provost, or the Dean of the School of Law. The law and undergraduate faculties shall conduct business pursuant to their established rules.

6.  In University, undergraduate, and law faculty meetings, members of the respective faculties, and others who teach at least one-half of a normal teaching assignment, shall have the privilege of the floor. All such persons shall have the right to vote, except those whose non-renewable appointments are for one (1) year or less.

7.  The legislation, policies, and actions of the faculty shall be subject to the ultimate authority of the Board, and the Board may call for and review the minutes and records of the faculty at any time.

8.  A faculty member who does not hold a position with tenure may be removed by the President. A faculty member who holds a position with tenure shall not be removed without the approval of the Board, and such removal shall not take place until a hearing pertaining to the cause of removal shall have been held, the hearing to be conducted in such manner and by such person or persons as the Board or the President may prescribe in each instance. The Board shall not act to approve the removal of a faculty member with tenure until it shall have concluded that a hearing has been held and until it shall have specifically considered the adequacy of such hearing. In the event the Board should determine in a particular instance that a hearing has not been held or was inadequate, the Board or the President may order that another hearing be conducted.

Trustee Bylaws, Revsion: February 8, 2025