Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences Faculty/Staff Grievance Processes and Procedures

University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Faculty/Staff Grievance Processes and Procedures
Effective XXX, 2024

The Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences is committed to fostering a supportive environment grounded in mutual respect and open dialogue resulting in fair and consistent treatment of all faculty and staff. However, when a dispute or grievance does occur, this policy specifies the procedures that should be followed. 

Description of General Grievances
General college grievances may include, but are not limited to, disagreements regarding personnel, merit, salary, and general college, department, and unit level procedural errors that may have impacted a decision. Any grievance for which there is a separate and special procedure provided by the university or CU system must be determined and resolved in accordance with those respective procedures and is ineligible for the college general grievance procedures. See Appendix A for a list of example grievances that have their own university or CU system level policies and procedures. If you are unsure if a grievance should be considered in the general college grievance process, please contact your supervisor, the Faculty Relations Manager in the Office of the Provost, or the Ombuds Program. The Ombuds Program provides confidential informal conflict management for faculty and staff (https://compliance.uccs.edu/news/ombuds-program).

Procedures (Steps) for Faculty/Staff Grievances (also see Appendices B-D for flowcharts)
1. The parties involved should be encouraged, but not required to engage in respectful and honest dialogue to better understand the other’s perspectives and viewpoints on the matter in an attempt to mutually resolve the disparity. If necessary, the direct supervisor(s) of the parties can be consulted for assistance. For grievances involving faculty, the Faculty Relations Manager in the Office of the Provost is available. For grievances involving faculty or staff the Ombuds Program may also be used as external, impartial, and confidential dispute resolution services.

2. If a resolution is not achieved between the parties, the faculty/staff member can submit a request for review of the concern in writing and any supplementary materials to their supervisor (e.g., Department Chairperson, Director, Assistant/Associate Dean). This level of administrative review and subsequent decision will conclude with a written letter, by the supervisor within ten (10) working days of receipt of the grievance. The entirety of evidence provided by all parties will be reviewed and considered by the supervisor to determine if a grievance is valid. Decisions must align with university, Regent, state, and federal laws. If a grievance is made against the supervisor and an amicable resolution is not agreed upon, the request for review of the concern should be sent to the Johnson Beth-El Dean. If a faculty/staff member believes that filing a grievance will result in
retaliation by their supervisor, the grievance can be submitted directly to the next level of review. If a griever believes retaliation has occurred, they should report this to the Dean.

3. If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved by the supervisor, the supervisor must then forward the written grievance and any supplementary materials to the Johnson Beth-El Dean. The Dean’s review and subsequent decision will conclude with a written letter within ten (10) working days of receipt of the grievance. The entirety of evidence provided by all parties will be reviewed and considered by the Dean to determine if a grievance is valid. Decisions must align with university, Regent, state, and federal laws. For grievances that require a Dean’s decision, this is the last level of review, their decision is final and may not be appealed to any other UCCS officer.

4. Some resolutions may require action by the Provost (or the Provost’s designee). This level of review will occur if a grievance is made against the Dean, if a faculty/staff member believes that filing a grievance will result in retaliation by the Dean, if a griever believes retaliation has occurred by the Dean, or if a party believes the Dean’s decision was biased. Under these circumstances the Provost (or their designee) is the last level of review, their decision is final and may not be appealed to any other UCCS officer.

5. Documentation of resolution(s) will be stored with Human Resources. Confidentiality Information received or considered by all parties involved in grievance deliberations is confidential and any breach in confidentiality may result in university sanctions. Involved parties may disclose information to other university personnel, or their designees, when there is a need to know in order to fulfill their university roles and responsibilities and when conducting an inquiry into a grievance. Individual parties may also request that the College or University Human Resources Liaison be present during any step of the grievance procedures. Administrative parties may disclose information to third parties outside of the university when the respondent has granted permission, to the degree necessary to understand the details of the grievance, and when allowed by Regent Laws or Policies, University policies, or when required by contract or law (e.g., court order, subpoena). Administrative parties must not disclose personally identifiable information as part of an inquiry unless it is necessary to fulfill the purpose of the disclosure. Timeline At any point during the review process, the grievant, respondent, or administrator may agree to suspend the ten (10) working day limit (e.g., either the grievant or respondent report the timeline imposes an undue burden, additional time required for the inquiry process or informal/formal resolution at any level of review, and/or additional time required for legal review). If an extension is necessary, the individual requiring the extension must provide an update to all parties at or before the 10-day period noting the decision/reason(s) for suspension of the resolution timeline. This review period will also be extended if the review occurs during university holidays or previously approved vacation periods of the reviewer. Extenuating circumstances will be considered, but all parties are encouraged to determine a resolution as quickly as possible.
This policy and its procedures are intended to comply with and implement Regent Law, Regent Policies, and University of Colorado Administrative Policy Statements (APS) as they apply to faculty grievance, including Regent Law Article 5. Any conflict between this policy and its procedures and applicable law, Regent Law and Policy, or University of Colorado APS will be resolved in accordance with the hierarchy established in Regent Law 1.C, in favor of the superseding directive.

Appendix 
Appendix A: Examples of University/System Level Grievances/Appeals Policies and Procedures Separate from the College General Grievance Procedures (not an exhaustive list)

Tenure and promotion: APS 1022. 
https://provost.uccs.edu/tenure-promotion-annual-performance-criteria-and-resources
 

Market, career merit, salary equity, and promotion adjustments: Regent Policy 11B. 
www.cu.edu/regents/policy/11
 

Sexual misconduct: APS 5014. https://www.cu.edu/ope/aps/5014
 

Concerns pertaining to violation of the Board of Regents Code of Conduct can be submitted anonymously via EthicsLine: https://www.cu.edu/ethicsline

Any grievances that are believed to be caused by discrimination/harassment, conflict of interest in amorous relationships, or sexual misconduct should be reported to the Office of Institutional Equity. https://equity.uccs.edu/oie-reporting-options.

Faculty grievances related to disciplinary actions such as suspensions with or without pay, removal from the classroom, etc. should be directed towards the CU Faculty Senate Grievance Committee. https://www.cu.edu/privilegeandtenure

Staff grievances or concerns regarding University rules or regulations, working conditions, personnel practices, salary inequities, and the application of personnel policies are addressed in campus policy 300-002. https://vcaf.uccs.edu/sites/g/files/kjihxj1631/files/inline-files/300-002.pdf

If faculty/staff believe they are being physically threatened, please contact campus police 24 hours/day, 7 days/week at (719-255-3111).

If faculty/staff believe their mental or emotional health is at risk, please contact Silvercloud or the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24/7) located on the UCCS Wellness Center website at https://recwellness.uccs.edu/wellness/mental-health-services.

Additional faculty/staff mental health resources are available from the CU System at https://www.cu.edu/employee-services/benefits-wellness/mental-health-resources; phone at 303-860-4200, or toll free at 1-855-216-7740, option 3; 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri.
 

Appendix B: General Grievance Procedural Flowchart

Appendix C: Grievance Against Supervisor Procedural Flowchart

Appendix D: Grievance Against Dean Procedural Flowchart