Faculty and Academic Staff Grievance Procedure
A.
APPLICATION
1. Any faculty or academic staff member or applicant for a position (faculty or academic staff) may use this grievance procedure.
2. A grievance is defined as an
allegation that the grievant has been discriminated against on
the basis of sex, race, age, religion, national origin, or
handicap in the interpretation or application of a University
policy, regulation or procedure relating to the privileges,
terms and conditions of employment.
3. A valid grievance must be
brought within the semester in which the alleged discrimination
occurred.
B. STEPS IN THE INFORMAL PROCESS
1. The grievance must be submitted in writing to the Affirmative Action Officer.
2. The grievance will be held in
confidence, at the request of the grievant, if possible.
3. Records documenting the nature
of the grievance, attempts made to resolve it (meetings,
hearings), and resolution will be kept on file in the
Affirmative Action office.
4. The Affirmative Action Officer
will make an initial information investigation while maintaining
confidentiality, if possible, and report back to the grievant
within ten (10) class days.
a. The Affirmative Action Officer
may determine, at this point, that a solution can be effected
simply by contacting the source of the grievance, while
maintaining confidentiality.
b. The
Affirmative Action Officer will discuss observations with the
grievant and recommend alternatives regarding further action.
These recommendations and alternatives will become part
of the grievance record and will be forwarded to the ad hoc
Formal Hearing Panel, if convened.
At that point:
1)
The grievant may drop the
grievance.
2)
The grievant may request further
action be delayed pending further observation and information.
3)
The grievant may request that a
Formal Hearing Panel be convened.
C. STEPS IN THE FORMAL PROCESS
1. The Ad Hoc
Grievance Register
The Formal Hearing Panel will be selected from a register
of persons nominated from the various constituencies (faculty,
academic staff, classified and students) within the University.
The Affirmative Action Officer shall request these
nominations.
2. The Formal
Hearing Panel
The Formal Hearing Panel shall be comprised of three
members from the register.
The grievant and the respondent(s) shall each select one
member from the register.
The third member shall be selected by the Affirmative
Action Committee.
If either the grievant or the respondent fails to select a
member, the third member will be chosen by the two members
selected.
3. The decision shall be rendered
by the Hearing Panel within thirty (30) days of
4. All written evidence to be
presented at the hearing shall be provided to both parties, the
Hearing Panel and the Affirmative Action Officer, ten (10)
calendar days prior to the hearing.
5. Decision
The Hearing Panel shall determine, by majority vote,
whether the allegations are true and, if true, shall make a
recommendation to the Chancellor regarding action to be taken.
If the Hearing Panel’s decision is that the allegations
are not true, the hearing will be terminated.
Copies of recommendations shall be provided to the
grievant and the respondent.
Any Hearing Panel member who disagrees with the majority
opinion shall write a dissenting opinion explaining the nature
of his/her disagreement.
6.
Chancellor’s Decision
The Chancellor shall act on recommendations within
sixteen (16) calendar days of the receipt of them from the
Hearing Panel.
7. Appeals
Appeals on the recommendations may be made to the
pertinent faculty committee (UW-L 4.0) or academic staff
committee (UW-L 11.0).
Revised 12/86