Committee Overview

The Academic Hearing Committee hears faculty grievances related to terms or conditions of employment such as promotion, retention, termination, salary, and job assignment. The committee reports to the Chancellor.

Membership consists of a pool of 21 full-time, tenured faculty members selected by the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate. All colleges are represented, and membership is diverse in academic discipline, gender, race, and ethnicity.

A faculty member may serve on only one grievance committee at a time (department, college, or university).

When a grievance reaches this level:

• The committee chair (a tenured faculty member with prior service on the committee) notifies the Chancellor.

• The Chancellor, in consultation with the chair, selects a subcommittee of seven from the full committee to hear the grievance, plus a Dean and a Department Chair (one each) to serve on that subcommittee.

• The committee chair serves as non-voting chair for all subcommittees.

• Each subcommittee elects a secretary to prepare the report of proceedings.

• If a subcommittee member recuses or cannot serve, the Chancellor selects a replacement from the full committee.

For alleged discrimination cases:

• Three additional tenured professors from the University Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee join the hearing.

• Each party chooses one of these three; the two then select a third from the same committee.

Support:

• The Office of Human Resource Services assembles materials, arranges facilities, and maintains the official record.

• The Associate Vice Chancellor for Administration (or designee) serves as an ex-officio, non-voting advisor on procedures and policy.

• In discrimination cases, the Affirmative Action Coordinator also advises.