Faculty Grievance Commission
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The Faculty Grievance Commission is an independent panel composed of three members of the standing faculty holding the rank of Professor. These three members serve serially as Chair-Elect, Chair, and Past Chair of the Commission.
The Faculty Grievance Procedure is available to any member of the standing faculty, standing faculty-clinician-educator, associated faculty, academic support staff, or compensated emeritus faculty at the University of Pennsylvania.
A grievance is a claim that action has been taken that involves a faculty member’s personnel status or the terms or conditions of employment and that is: (1) arbitrary or capricious; (2) discriminatory with regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected class status; or (3) not in compliance with University procedures or regulations.
Before filing a grievance with the Commission, a faculty member must first review the complaint with his or her Department Chair or Dean, or, alternatively, the Vice Provost for Faculty in a case in which the grievance involves the dean. Every effort should be made to bring about an equitable resolution among the parties. If a resolution is not reached, the Department Chair, Dean or the Vice Provost for Faculty, upon request of the grievant, must provide the grievant with a written statement of the reasons for the actions which are the subject of the complaint. Before filing a grievance with the Commission, the faculty member is advised to consult with the University Ombudsman, to determine whether the Ombudsman’s office can be of assistance in resolving the dispute, and whether the Commission is the appropriate body to hear the potential complaint.
If after these consultations, the faculty member still wishes to file a complaint, he or she may initiate a grievance [by contacting the Chair of] the Commission.
If you would like to discuss a potential grievance, please contact the Chair of the Faculty Grievance Commission:
Sarah Hope Kagan, Ph.D.
Chair, Faculty Grievance Commission
Lucy Walker Honorary Term Professor of Gerontological Nursing
skagan@nursing.upenn.edu
The full Faculty Grievance Procedure is set forth in the Faculty Handbook.
Source: Of Record: Faculty Grievance Procedure. Almanac. August 26, 2014, Volume 61, No. 02. https://almanac.upenn.edu/archive/volumes/v61/n02/faculty-grievance-procedure.html
