Faculty and Staff Grievance Policy

Publication: Faculty Handbook, Staff Handbook

Policy Statement

Supervisors are responsible for providing faculty and staff with an opportunity to express opinions and to discuss problems and complaints.

Policy Procedures

All supervisors are required to listen, inform, and counsel with individuals under their supervision and to make a sincere effort to resolve complaints and grievances promptly. However, when faculty or staff are concerned that certain actions are unfair or arbitrary, have complaints concerning working conditions, or feel aggrieved concerning other matters, they are permitted to express those through the grievance process.

Staff

1. Whenever a staff member has a grievance against another employee, he/she should, in Christian love and forbearance, go to the offender in accordance with Matthew 18:5. Experience has shown that this procedure often resolves the matter, whether by clarifying a misunderstanding or bringing forgiveness and reconciliation after a genuine offense.
2. Any other grievance or unresolved personal offense should be discussed with the immediate supervisor. The employee and supervisor should make every attempt to resolve the difficulty in a spirit of open and informal discussion.
3. If on consulting the immediate supervisor, the staff member is still not satisfied, the next step is to bring the issue to the attention of the appropriate Cabinet Member. The problem or grievance must be submitted in writing. Again, every attempt must be made to resolve the difficulty. The process should be documented.
4. If the decision of the Cabinet Member is not acceptable, the staff member may appeal the decision to the President. Again, the problem should be submitted in writing and the process is to be documented.
5. The final internal step of settling a grievance is to appeal to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. The request should be made to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees in writing within seven days from the President’s response. The request will be handled at the next meeting of the Executive Committee. The staff member will present his/her case and then the President, representing the University, will present the decision of the Administration. All documentation will be made available to the Executive Committee. A simple majority decision will be final. A decision should come within seven days of the meeting and should be conveyed to the employee in writing.
6. If a grievance remains, all employees of Carolina University will be bound by the Binding Mediation policy outlined in Article XI of Carolina University’s corporate bylaws.

Faculty

1. Whenever a faculty member has a grievance against a faculty member or another employee, he/she should, in Christian love and forbearance, go to the offender in accordance with Matthew 18:5. Experience has shown that this procedure often resolves the matter, whether by clarifying a misunderstanding or bringing forgiveness and reconciliation after a genuine offense.
2. Any other grievance or unresolved personal offense should be discussed with the immediate supervisor. The faculty member and supervisor should make every attempt to resolve the difficulty in a spirit of open and informal discussion.
3. If on consulting the immediate supervisor, the faculty member is still not satisfied, the next step is to bring the issue to the attention of the Vice President in charge of the particular area within seven days. The problem or grievance must be submitted in writing. Again, every attempt must be made to resolve the difficulty. The process should be documented.
4. If the faculty member feels that the grievance has not been adequately resolved at this point, he/she may request the convening of an ad hoc grievance committee. This request for the convening of an ad hoc committee must be submitted to the President in writing with an explanation for the reason for the committee to convene.
5. The President shall appoint the ad hoc committee which shall consist of the President, Provost, a faculty member from the division of the Professor making the grievance, a Faculty member appointed by the President, and a Faculty member of the plaintiff's choice. The committee shall hear the grievance and attempt to resolve the matter. They may collect any data that is essential to making a recommendation for resolution. This may include the appearance of parties involved in the grievance process. All previous documentation will become part of the documentation for the committee's consideration. Minutes of the proceedings will be kept and a simple majority vote is adequate. The recommendation of the committee will be forwarded to the faculty member within seven days.
6. If the decision of the ad hoc committee is not acceptable to the faculty member, he/she may appeal the decision to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. The request should be made to the President and the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees in writing within seven days from the ad hoc committee response. The request will be handled at the next meeting of the Executive Committee. The faculty member will present his/her case and then the President, representing the University, and the ad hoc committee, will present the decision of the ad hoc committee. All documentation would be made available to the Executive Committee. A simple majority decision would be final. A decision should come within seven days of the meeting and should be conveyed to the faculty member in writing.