UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN COLLEGES

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

Definition:

A.        As defined in the UWC Constitution 6.07 and UWS 6.02, “A grievance as a

            personnel problem involving a faculty member’s expressed feeling of unfair

            treatment or dissatisfaction with actions or conduct by administration, faculty, or

            academic staff which disregard or violate University rules or policies and/or

            violate or adversely affect the working conditions or rights of a faculty member.”

B.         A grievance may be brought to the History Department Grievance Committee

            under the following circumstances:

            1.            The grievance is filed within twenty working days of the date upon which

                        the grievant became aware of the allegedly unfair action or conduct.

            2.            The grievance concerns allegedly unfair action or conduct by an officer,

                        committee or member of the UW Colleges Department of History.

Procedures:

A.        Upon receipt of a notice of a desire to file a grievance, the chair of the History

            Department Grievance Committee shall send a formal acknowledgement which

            will request in writing within ten working days the following:

            1.            Identification of the body, official, faculty member, or academic staff

                        member against whom the grievance is being made.

             2.            A description of the alleged unfair treatment or action or conduct which

                        adversely affects the working conditions or rights of the faculty member.           

            3.            A detailed listing of the facts claimed to support the grievance.

            4.            A listing of the disregarded or violated University rules or policies.

            5.            Copies of any documents related to the grievance.

            6.            A list of any persons having knowledge of the grieved matter.

B.         Upon receipt of the formal grievance, the committee chair will request in writing

            within ten working days* from the person or body against whom the grievance is

            filed the following:

            1.            A response to the formal charges in the grievance.

            2.            Evidence to support the response to the grievance.

            3.            Copies of any documents relating to the response to the grievance.

            4.            A list of any persons having knowledge of the grieved matter.

Hearing:

A.        Upon receipt of the response to the grievance the committee shall schedule within           

            twenty working days* a hearing to investigate the grievance.  The aggrieved

            faculty member shall be notified that he/she has the right to legal counsel.  If any

            party is represented by counsel, the committee will also be represented by legal

            counsel.  All parties will be notified of the time and place of the hearing and the

            names of all witnesses called to the hearing.

B.         The hearing shall be conducted as follows:

            1.            The committee chair shall present a summary of the facts relating to the

                        grievance as the committee understands them, define and state the issue(s)

                        before the committee, and review for identification purposes the

                        documents the committee has received which relate to the grievance.

            2.            The aggrieved faculty member shall be given the opportunity to make

                        clarifying and/or informative comments relevant to the grievance and to

                        present material witnesses.        

            3.            Those against whom the grievance is lodged will be given an opportunity

                        to respond to the charges.

            4.            All sitting members of the committee shall be given the opportunity to

                        address questions to the parties and/or to any others who appear at the

                        hearing.  (Only committee members shall have the right to address such

                        questions, either in open or closed hearing).

C.        As provided by WS 19.85 after all the evidence has been presented, the

committee may by majority recorded vote go into closed session.  The committee

shall first discuss the grievance in a manner which allows for all committee

members to speak fully, and then decide the question of the grievance’s validity by means of a formal vote.  The vote shall be by open ballot, unless a voting member requests a closed ballot, and the committee’s determination shall be that of the majority of those members present.

Determinations:

A.        Within twenty working days* after the hearing the chair of the committee shall

            notify the parties involved of its recommended solutions.

B.         The committee has the right to recommend solutions to the grievance to the

            Department chair, and when he/she does not concur, to the Chancellor.      

*All deadlines may be extended by mutual agreement.

Adopted by the Department, September 23, 1989.

Readopted as amended April 27, 1990.

Webpage Updated: April 16, 2005