Opinion ID: 2570739
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Rice Administrative Proceeding

Text: On September 1, 1994, School of Mineral Engineering Dean Robert Trent and Department Head Bandopadhyay sent Sengupta a Notice of Intent to Discharge for Cause, stating UAF's intent to initiate termination proceedings. [1] In this notice, Trent and Bandopadhyay indicated that the termination proceedings were initiated primarily on the basis of the findings of Hearing Officer Parrish in the prior grievance proceeding. After consulting with Sengupta and the School of Mineral Engineering faculty in accordance with UAF procedures, [2] Dean Trent recommended to Chancellor Wadlow that Sengupta be discharged for cause. Chancellor Wadlow then notified Sengupta that she had accepted Dean Trent's recommendation to terminate Sengupta for cause on the basis of charges identified previously by Dean Trent and Dr. Bandopadhyay, as well as additional charges that Sengupta had violated the law. Sengupta requested a pre-termination hearing, to which he was entitled. The pre-termination hearing, authorized by Board of Regents' (BOR) Policy Section 04.08.08 XI, was conducted on December 12, 1994, before Hearing Officer Julian Rice. In his January 17, 1995 written decision, Rice accorded collateral estoppel effect to the Parrish findings and recommended that Sengupta be terminated for cause. Relying on the Parrish findings, Rice concluded that Dr. Sengupta's propensity for dishonest, unprofessional and disruptive behavior has been established and that major and substantial shortcomings ... render Dr. Sengupta's continued employment by the University detrimental to appropriate discipline and efficiency of service, including, but not limited to, neglect of contractual duties, unprofessional conduct and other conduct which interferes substantially with the continued performance of his duties. Chancellor Wadlow accepted Rice's recommendation to discharge Sengupta for cause. In her January 19, 1995 decision, she adopted nearly all of Rice's findings of fact and conclusions of law. Sengupta subsequently exercised his right under BOR Policy 04.08.08 IX.B to appeal the chancellor's decision to University President Jerome Komisar. On January 27, 1995, President Komisar rejected Sengupta's appeal and affirmed Chancellor Wadlow's decision. President Komisar's decision represented the final University decision and Sengupta appealed this decision to the superior court on February 23, 1995. On appeal, Superior Court Judge Jay Hodges affirmed, finding substantial evidence to support the University's decision to terminate Dr. Sengupta for cause. Sengupta appealed Judge Hodges's decision to the Alaska Supreme Court but the appeal was dismissed as untimely.