II. Academic Policies

Grievance Procedures

If a faculty member believes that there has been a violation of academic freedom, professional ethics, or procedural fairness, he or she should discuss the alleged violation with his or her department head or director of academic affairs. Each college and campus also has an ombudsman, whose responsibilities are to enhance communication and clarify possible misunderstandings in situations involving potential disputes, to advise faculty members and administrators about appropriate courses of action, and to help settle matters before they develop into serious disputes.

Disputes that cannot be resolved through normal channels of administrative responsibility and procedure may be taken to the University Faculty Senate Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities. Upon receipt of a petition, the committee makes a preliminary determination of the extent of its review of the matter. The committee first reviews the matter informally. If this informal review does not resolve the matter, the committee may decide to establish a hearing board. Hearings before this board are not public. Conclusions of the hearing board are submitted to the President of the University, who then notifies the committee chairperson of the decision. For further details about this procedure and about the duties of ombudsmen, see University Policy HR-76, "Faculty Rights and Responsibilities."