3.1.2.1 "Just Cause" Standard for Tenured Faculty

adopted: Mar-1976
last revised: Feb-2019

The Public Community College Act (110 ILCS 805/3B-1 et seq.) provides that tenured faculty members may be dismissed for “just cause.” For this purpose, “just cause” includes, but is not limited to:

• incompetence, cruelty, negligence, immorality or when the faculty member is not qualified to perform the services for which that faculty member is employed;
• failure of faculty to attend to his or her duties or to implement, perform or adhere to directives or orders;
• any action by faculty involving willful misconduct or malfeasance or gross negligence in the performance of his duties;
• conduct of a criminal nature which may have an adverse impact on the College’s reputation and standing in the community;
• conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, including fraud, theft or embezzlement;
• any fraudulent conduct in connection with the business affairs of the College; or
• any other conduct that is substantially harmful to students, other employees or the College itself.