While decisions to promote, to award tenure, or to reappoint a Faculty Member on probationary or term appointment are the responsibility of academic officers, and while no opportunity for hearing is routinely provided in connection with a failure to promote, to reappoint, or to grant tenure, a hearing, as provided in this Article, shall be available in such cases where there is an allegation that the action was based on one or more of the grounds for complaint in Section 11.2.

It shall be grounds for complaint if a decision to deny tenure, to fail to reappoint, to fail to promote, or to terminate a tenured Faculty Member, is:

Subdivision 11.21 Discrimination

Based on the Faculty Member's age, national origin, race, religion, creed. or sex;

Subdivision 11.22 Academic Freedom

For reasons which violate the Faculty Member's academic freedom;

Subdivision 11.23 Established Procedures

Made by the administration in a manner which substantially fails to comport with established University procedures on tenure, promotion, or termination as defined in Section 11.0 except where subject to the provisions of Article Ten (Grievance Procedure);

Subdivision 11.24 Reasons and Facts

Made for reasons which are clearly inappropriate as a basis for decision or clearly without basis in fact; or 

Subdivision 11.25 Expectations

Made despite the Faculty Member's reasonable expectations based on representations in writing made to him or her by authorized University administrators that the Faculty Member would be reappointed, granted tenure or promoted.

Subdivision 11.31 Filing of an Appeal

A Faculty Member who desires review of decisions defined under Section 11.0 shall submit a notice of appeal to the Office of the Vice President and Provost within twenty-one (21) days of receiving notification of the negative Vice Presidential decision. Unless mutually agreed otherwise by the Board and United Faculty, March I shall be considered day one when counting days for submitting the Notice of Appeal. Such notice of appeal shall include the appropriate grounds for complaint as defined in Section 11.2, and, in reasonable detail, the alleged facts which support those grounds for complaint (see Appendix C).

Subdivision 11.32 Conference

Within twenty-one (21) days of the notice of appeal, a conference shall be held between the affected Faculty Member and the Vice President and Provost, or her/his designee. At the conference, the affected Faculty Member shall have the opportunity to present written evidence and to make oral arguments in behalf of her/his position. Five (5) days in advance of the conference, the Vice President and Provost, or her/his designee, shall provide a written statement of the reasons for the negative personnel decision. Invited to the conference will be the Dean of the College, head of the department, a member of the department faculty chosen by it, and a representative of the United Faculty.

Subdivision 11.33 Disposition of Appeal

Within forty-five (45) calendar days of the conference, the Vice President and Provost, or her/his designee, will indicate her/his disposition of the appeal, in writing, and shall furnish a copy thereof to the affected Faculty Member and all invited parties.

Subdivision 11.41 Nature of Anneal and Time Limits

If the affected member is not satisfied with the disposition of the appeal, or if no disposition is issued within forty-five (45) calendar days of the conference, s/he may file an "intent to appeal to the arbitrator." Such intent to appeal shall be filed with the Office of the President within forty-five (45) calendar days of receipt of the Vice President and Provostâs disposition of appeal. An intent to appeal may be filed only if it contains an endorsement by the United Faculty (Appendix D).

Subdivision 11.42 Selection of Arbitrator

When the grievance has been taken to arbitration, the parties shall, within 14 days, meet to select the arbitrator. The parties shall strike alternately from the permanent panel of arbitrators as provided in Article Ten, Subdivision 10.42, until one name remains. The person who remains shall be the arbitrator. The parties shall promptly notify the arbitrator of her/his selection.

Subdivision 11.43 Hearing Proceedings

The arbitrator so selected shall confer with the affected Faculty Member and the Office of the President and hold a hearing promptly. The hearing shall be open except by agreement between the Board and the Faculty Member. The Faculty Member shall present evidence first and shall have the burden of proving that the Board's action was improper under the provisions of Section 11.2, except as provided hereinafter in this Subdivision. The arbitrator shall issue a report not later than thirty (30) days from the date of the close of the hearing. Such report shall be in writing and shall set forth her/his findings of fact, reasoning and conclusions on the issue submitted.

Subdivision 11.44 Standard of Review

The standard of review to be applied by the arbitrator shall be whether the affected Faculty Member has proven by clear and convincing evidence that the Vice President and Provost's decision was in violation of Section 11.2 of this Article.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, in the case of dismissal of a tenured Faculty Member the University shall have the burden of proving just cause for the dismissal by a preponderance of the evidence and in such case the decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding.

Section 11.6 Disposition of the Arbitrator's Report Subdivision 11.61 President's Review

The report of the arbitrator, the Vice President and Provost's disposition of the appeal, and the record made in the case, shall be forwarded to the President for review. After reviewing the record, the report, and the Vice President and Provost's disposition, the President will determine what administrative response, if any, shall be taken. In making such decision, the President will give great weight to the report of the arbitrator. There will be no oral argument before the President, but either party may submit a brief in support of the party's position.

Such brief shall be submitted within fourteen (14) days of the receipt of the arbitrator's report by the parties. The decision of the President shall be issued within sixty (60) calendar days following receipt of such briefs.

Subdivision 11.62 Acceptance by President

If the President accepts the recommendation of the arbitrator, s/he shall make appropriate recommendations, when necessary, to the Board to implement the decision and the case shall be deemed closed.

Subdivision 11.63 Rejection by President

If the President rejects the recommendation of the arbitrator, the President shall do so in writing, giving reasons for going against the report. The Faculty Member may then request and shall receive a review by the Board.

Subdivision 11.64 Appeal to the Board

Appeals for review of a presidential rejection of an arbitrator's recommendation by the Board shall be filed within twenty-one (21) days of the receipt of such decision. Upon request by a Faculty Member for a review of a presidential decision, the Board shall confer with the parties and promptly set a date for consideration of the appeal. The Board shall consider the appeal and shall issue a decision in writing which shall be transmitted to the affected Faculty Member and the President. Such decision shall exhaust administrative remedies provided in this Article.

Subdivision 11.71 Representation

A Faculty Member utilizing this procedure may be represented at all stages by a representative of the United Faculty.

Subdivision 11.72 Application of Time Limits

The failure of an employee or United Faculty to act on an appeal under this Article within the prescribed time limits will act as a bar to any further appeal under this Article. An administrator's failure to give a decision within the time limits under this Article shall permit the appeal to proceed to the next step. The time limits may be extended by mutual agreement.

Subdivision 11.73 Costs

The costs for the services of the arbitrator will be borne equally by the Board and the United Faculty.

Subdivision 11.74 Election of Forum

If a Faculty Member files any claim or complaint in any forum other than under this Article, then, while the complaint is pending or if it has been adjudicated, the Board shall not be required to process the same or a substantially equivalent claim through the procedures of this Article.

Subdivision 11.75 Retirement Exclusion

Enforcement of the Board's mandatory retirement regulation shall not be deemed a violation of this Article. 

Subdivision 11.76 Days Defined

In all instances in which "days" is specified in this Article, the term refers to class days. Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and days when classes are not in session are not counted. Class days during the summer session will be counted for faculty on summer appointment (teaching or research) for the whole eight (8) weeks regardless of period of appointment of Faculty Member. By mutual agreement between United Faculty and the Board class days may not be counted for faculty on summer appointment. Class days for faculty not on summer appointment will not be counted except by mutual agreement between United Faculty and the Board. When counting days, the day the grievance is received at any point in the procedure shall be considered "day one".

Subdivision 11.77 Arbitration Hearings

All hearings before the arbitrator under this procedure shall be open except if the parties mutually agree that the proceedings shall be closed, or the arbitrator orders the proceedings closed for cause.