East
Carolina University Faculty Manual
APPENDIX
X.
GRIEVANCE
PROCEDURES FOR COMPLAINTS OF SEXUAL OR RACIAL HARASSMENT OR DISCRIMINATION OR
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST BROUGHT AGAINST EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY FACULTY MEMBERS
OR ADMINISTRATORS HOLDING FACULTY STATUS.*
VI. Level
One Procedures for Complaints of Conflict of Interest
The
Grievance Officer, upon receiving a complaint of a conflict of interest
involving a faculty member and a student, shall determine whether evidence
exists that either sustains the charge that the accused faculty member and
student are in violation of the University's Conflict of Interest Policy or
sustains the charge's denial. The
Grievance Officer shall meet with the faculty member and student and shall
discuss the complaint and the evidence, if any, for or against the
complaint. If the Grievance Officer
concludes that there are good reasons to believe that the accused faculty
member and student are in violation of the University's policy, and the student
is enrolled in a class being taught by the faculty member, the faculty member
will be given the choice of either having the student withdrawn from the course
or appealing the Grievance Officer's conclusion before the Faculty Grievance
Committee. If the Grievance Officer
concludes that there are good reasons to believe that the accused faculty
member and student are in violation of the University's policy, and the student
is not in the faculty member's class, but is being supervised by the faculty
member, the faculty member will be given the choice of either having the
student assigned to another supervisor, or appealing the Grievance Officer's
conclusion before the Faculty Grievance Committee.
The
Grievance Officer, upon receiving a complaint of a conflict of interest
involving two faculty members, or involving a faculty member and an SPA or EPA
non‑faculty staff member who is being supervised by the faculty member,*
shall determine whether evidence exists that sustains either the charge that
the accused parties are in violation of the University's Conflict of Interest
Policy or its denial. The Grievance
Officer shall meet with the parties and shall discuss the complaint and the
evidence, if any, for or against the complaint. If the Grievance Officer concludes that there are good reasons to
believe that the accused parties are in violation of the University's policy,
the Grievance Officer shall prepare a report stating this conclusion and the
reasons supporting it. Either or both
of the accused parties may append a written response to this report. In cases where a written response is made,
this shall be noted in the Grievance Officer's report. The Grievance Officer shall provide a copy
of the report to both of the accused parties.
Within
ten working days an accused faculty member may, in accordance with the policies
and procedures stated in the ECU Faculty
Manual Appendix D, Tenure and Promotion Policies and Procedures of ECU request an appeal before the Faculty
Grievance Committee of the findings stated in the Grievance Officer's
report. If a request for an appeal
before the Faculty Grievance Committee is made, the Grievance Officer shall
withhold her or his report from the Chancellor until completion of the appeal
process. Upon completion of an appeal
before the Faculty Grievance Committee, and regardless of the Committee's
recommendations, the Grievance Officer may at her or his discretion forward the
original report to the Chancellor. A
faculty member who appeals the report's findings to the Faculty Grievance
Committee thereafter may, in accordance with the policies and procedures stated
in the ECU Faculty Manual, Appendix D, appeal to the Due Process
Committee her or his discharge or suspension from employment, or reduction in
rank by the Chancellor. Any other
disciplinary actions taken by the Chancellor against a faculty member who
previously appealed the Grievance Officer's findings before the Faculty
Grievance Committee may be appealed to the East Carolina University Board of
Trustees.
If
no request for an appeal before the Faculty Grievance Committee of the findings
stated in the Grievance Officer's report is made within ten working days of the
receipt of the Grievance Officer’s report by the accused parties, the Grievance
Officer shall forward her or his report to the Chancellor. In this case, in accordance with the
policies and procedures stated in the ECU
Faculty Manual, Appendix D,
within ten working days of the Chancellor's notifying a faculty member that she
or he will be discharged or suspended from employment, or reduced in rank, the
faculty member may request an appeal before the Due Process Committee. Any other disciplinary actions taken by the Chancellor
may be appealed to the Faculty Grievance Committee, in accordance with the
policies and procedures stated in the ECU
Faculty Manual, Appendix D.