The rights, responsibilities, and duties of faculty members are described in the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System , Series 31004, Rights and Responsibilities of Faculty Members, and are paraphrased as follows:
The teacher is entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of his or her other academic duties. The teacher is entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing his or her subject but is expected not to introduce into teaching controversial matter that has no relation to the subject.
The university teacher is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and an officer of an educational institution supported by the state. When the teacher speaks or writes as a citizen, he or she should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but the teacher's special position in the community imposes special obligations. As a person of learning and an educational officer, the teacher should remember that the public may judge the teaching professions and The University of Texas by his or her speech. Hence, the teacher should at all times be accurate, exercise appropriate restraint, show respect for the opinions of others, and make it plain that he or she is not an institutional spokesperson.
The fundamental responsibilities of a faculty member as a teacher and scholar include the maintenance and demonstration of competence in his or her field of specialization.
Updated 8/95; 08/07