4.4.3.IV - Formation of a Grievance Hearing Committee

The Assistant Vice President for Faculty will constitute a Grievance Hearing Committee of five committee members after consulting the shared governance body(ies) (Faculty Senate, Academic Deans Council, and Chairs’ and Directors’ Assembly) of the complainant and respondent, ensuring that members of the Grievance Hearing Committee do not have a conflict of interest with the involved parties. The appropriate shared governance bodies will recommend to the Assistant Vice President for Faculty the names of up to eight potential Grievance Hearing Committee members. The complainant and respondent may strike one each of the recommended Grievance Hearing Committee members. If either or both decline to strike a potential Grievance Hearing Committee member, the Assistant Vice President for Faculty will randomly choose the five members. The Assistant Vice President for Faculty will also select one alternate Grievance Hearing Committee member from the recommended pool of potential Grievance Hearing Committee members.

Organizational Meeting

The Assistant Vice President for Faculty will proceed to make all arrangements for a formal hearing before a Grievance Hearing Committee and assure that all materials submitted are available to the Complainant, the Respondent(s), and Grievance Hearing Committee members in advance of the formal hearing. The initial organizational meeting of the Grievance Hearing Committee will be within 14 calendar days from the date of selection of the Grievance Hearing Committee. Upon convening the Grievance Hearing Committee, and in the presence of both the Complainant and the Respondent(s), the Assistant Vice President for Faculty will give a brief charge to the Grievance Hearing Committee, specifying the allegations and summarizing the University policy. The Grievance Hearing Committee will elect a chair by majority vote. The meeting will then be turned over to the Grievance Hearing Committee Chair who will preside over all the meetings of the Grievance Hearing Committee until the review is completed. The Assistant Vice President for Faculty will remain available to respond to procedural questions but will not be present during the hearing.