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Academic Hearing Committee

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 is composed of a pool of 21 full-time tenured faculty members selected by the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate. All colleges will be represented and membership will be diverse with regard to academic discipline, gender, race, and ethnicity. In an effort to maintain objectivity, a faculty member may only serve on one grievance committee at a time. Thus, a faculty member cannot serve simultaneously on the Academic Hearing Committee, a college grievance committee, or a departmental grievance committee.

The chair of the committee must be a tenured faculty member who has recently served on the committee. When a grievance reaches the level of the committee, the chair of the Academic Hearing Committee will notify the Chancellor. The Chancellor will select a subcommittee of seven from the committee to hear each grievance after consultation with the chair of the committee. The Chancellor also will select a Dean, from among the pool of Academic Deans, and a Department Chair, from the pool of all Department Chairs, to serve for each subcommittee after consultation with the chair of the committee. The committee chair will serve as the nonvoting chair for all subcommittees. Each subcommittee will elect one member to serve as secretary to prepare reports of the proceeding for the grievance being heard. The Chancellor will select a replacement from the committee for any member of a subcommittee who recuses or will not be available for the duration of the hearing.

In alleged discrimination cases, three additional tenured professors, serving on the University Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee, will join the University Hearing Committee. The two parties in the grievance shall each choose one member from the University Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee; the two selected members from the University Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee will select a third person from the University Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee. The Office of Human Resource Services will assemble any necessary materials, arrange facilities, and maintain the official written record of the hearing.

The Associate Vice Chancellor for Administration or his/her designee will serve as an ex-officio, nonvoting member of the committee for the purpose of providing advice and assistance on university procedural and policy matters. The Associate Vice Chancellor for Administration will be present for the initial presentation of the grievance to the committee and during any formal hearing. The Associate Vice Chancellor for Administration will not be present during committee discussions and deliberations unless asked to attend; however, he/she will review the committee’s report of findings and its recommendations for technical and/or legal issues prior to submission to the Chair of the Academic Hearing Committee. In discrimination cases, the Affirmative Action Coordinator acts as an advisor in addition to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Administration.

Members

  • Khem Aryal
  • Scott Bruce
  • Kellie Buford
  • Cheryl DuBose
  • Shivan Haran
  • Warren Johnson
  • Amanda Mohler
  • Paula Ruby
  • John Seydel
  • Paul Finnicum
  • Joanna Grymes
  • Bill Hu
  • Yeonsang Hwang
  • Jonathan Merten
  • TBD
  • TBD
  • Sarath Nonis
  • Jake Qualls
  • Alicia Shaw
  • Stacey Sloas
  • Andy Sustich
  • Lori Winn