Business Day: Monday through Friday, excluding university and campus holidays and reduced service days.
Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest is a significant professional or personal involvement with the facts or the Parties to a dispute. Any party or administrator who has a conflict of interest in a dispute under this policy or a concern about a conflict on the part of another shall promptly report it to the Intake Dean. The Intake Dean shall refer the matter to the Dean, who shall decide how to address any conflict of interest, unless the conflict lies with the Dean, in which case, the alleged conflict will be referred to the Office of the Provost for resolution.
Consultant: A person intended to provide advice to a Grievant or the Subject of a grievance. The Consultant shall not directly participate in any proceedings, but may be consulted during the process. If any party’s consultant at any meeting is an attorney, all participants must be informed at least three business days prior to such a meeting.
Dean: The Dean of the Graduate College or their designee. The Dean has responsibility for graduate programs and related policies and procedures. The Dean is the final arbiter of disputes under this policy. In the event a grievance is filed against the Dean, these responsibilities shall be referred to the Office of the Provost for handling and any appeals will be to the Chancellor or their designee.
Grievant: The student in the Graduate College who has filed a grievance.
Intake Dean: A person who has been identified by the Dean to handle a particular dispute; usually an assistant or associate dean in the Graduate College. The Intake Dean will, as appropriate, facilitate informal discussions and/or mediation of disputes; receive information and facilitate discussions and/or mediation after a grievance has been filed at the administrative action stage; prepare a written report of the efforts to resolve the matter; and provide this and other relevant background information as needed to the Review Dean, if different from the Intake Dean.
Parties: Refers to the Grievant and all Subjects named in a grievance collectively.
Review Dean: A person who the Dean may identify to oversee the formal review process; usually an assistant or associate dean in the Graduate College who may be the same person as the Intake Dean. The Review Dean is responsible for providing administrative support for the Review Panel, maintaining documentation, and keeping the Parties informed as to the status of a grievance.
Subject(s): The person or persons named in the grievance. If a grievance generally references a department or unit, the Subject shall be the director or head of the department or unit.