The University Faculty Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs will propose revisions clarifying the term "grave misconduct" for professors at the Senate's September meeting, Senate Chair Kim Steiner said Tuesday.

The year-long investigation into the term began after university professors voiced concerns about the case of Nona Gerard, a former tenured professor at Penn State Altoona, who was fired last spring for writing e-mail messages criticizing the campus's integrative arts program, Steiner said.

Gerard was officially fired for "grave misconduct" and "failure to perform."

John Bagby, chair of the subcommittee on faculty right and private issues, said that although "grave misconduct" summarizes all faculty violations, it does not have a specific definition.

Standards for dismissal, according to Penn State's current HR-23 policy, are based on four categories: lack of competence or failure to perform in relation to the functions required by the appointment, excessive absenteeism, moral turpitude and grave misconduct.

Steiner said faculty senators were more concerned about the criteria Gerard was dismissed on rather than the case itself.

"The case raised a question of 'grave misconduct' and whether it would be useful to clarify the definition," Steiner said.

Penn State spokesman Matthew McDonald said there have only been two dismissals in the past 10 years.

Mohamad Nouri, a former Penn State Wilkes-Barre math professor, was dismissed April 15, 2004, on charges of academic dishonesty and plagiarism. Nouri's alleged violations included plagiarizing the work of two of his students, plagiarizing material for a book he authored and using another professors' ideas of another professor for a presentation at a 2001 conference in Iran.

Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said Penn State President Graham Spanier will view any recommendations the committee produces, after which the administration will make a decision.

Russell Frank, College of Communications faculty senator and member of the subcommittee, said he thinks "grave misconduct" is an unsatisfactory term.

He said the policy should not be limited to the four categories and more specific terminology should be used for better interpretation.

Terry Engelder, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences faculty senator, said although there needs to be a compromise between a statement that is too vague and one that is too specific, he trusts the interpretation of the administration.

Even though the discussion might not have a direct impact, Kendig said he thinks good procedures of hiring and keeping good faculty has a trickle-down effect on the students for providing them a good education.

Frank said he thinks because it is important for students to be exposed to multiple opinions and views, the policy should clarify what faculty can say before getting in trouble.