Opinion ID: 569324
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Program-Elimination Decisions

Text: 34 While the appellants' interest implicated by the program-elimination decisions is significant, the paramount importance to UTD of pursuing its academic mission as it deems best and the minimal risk of error lead us to conclude that only the barest procedural protections of notice and an opportunity to be heard need be afforded the individual faculty member. UTD met and exceeded that standard in this case. Appellants were given twenty-months notice that the programs were to be phased out, and were repeatedly invited to meet with their respective deans, Vice President Clark, or President Rutford to discuss the facts that were considered in reaching [the] decision[s] and ... to demonstrate that those facts were in error. That is all that due process requires. 35 Even if the Fourteenth Amendment does require some predecision, as distinct from pretermination, process--though we do not believe it does--it was satisfied in this case. The summary judgment record establishes that the faculty in both programs were at least on constructive or inquiry notice that the programs were being considered for termination. The TERC report recommending that the Special Education program be eliminated was issued four years before that recommendation was implemented. Dean Dunn made his initial recommendation to eliminate Environmental Sciences three years before that program was eliminated. There is no evidence that any of this predecision activity was covert or surreptitious, and there is substantial evidence that it was in fact notorious. The notice element was thus satisfied. 36 Furthermore, we believe the faculty's right to be heard was satisfied by the opportunity to participate in a meaningful fashion in the decision-making process; that is, the faculty, though it lacked any decision-making authority, had the opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process and to have its contributions fairly considered. With respect to the Special Education program, the record demonstrates that Dean Tighe and Professor Fair submitted written objections to the TERC report on behalf of the Special Education faculty, and Dean Tighe submitted written objections on behalf of the faculty to the CTE Subcommittee report. With respect to the Environmental Sciences program, the record indicates that Dean Dunn discussed the program's bleak future in numerous meetings with appellant Professor Cale, head of the Environmental Sciences faculty, and with the whole faculty on at least two occasions, both prior to and after recommending the program's termination. Indeed, Professor Cale wrote a memorandum to Dean Dunn asserting factual data that he believed indicated the program's revival. The faculty was given a meaningful opportunity to be heard.