Membership of Faculty Grievance

A.     The Faculty Grievance Committee shall consist of 15 tenured faculty members who are current members of the Faculty Senate and who hold no administrative
        positions and are selected by lot from the Faculty Senate. At its first meeting of the fall semester the Faculty Senate shall select the number of members needed
        to constitute the required number of committee members. The committee shall select a vice chair (chair-elect) who is not in his/her final year of service to the
        Faculty Senate and who shall serve a two-year term, the first year as vice chair and the second year as chair. The other members shall serve a one-year term
        which begins at the time of selection.

        To facilitate the work of the committee, the committee chair shall develop a calendar of meeting times for the academic year, and notify the executive secretary of
        the University Council. Grievant and respondent should be excused from regular assignments to present their cases when testimony is scheduled to be given. If
        the executive vice president and provost or other vice president states in writing to the chair of the grievance committee that it is impossible for the grievant or
        respondent to meet at these times due to the exigencies of university business, the committee may schedule additional hours or alternate meeting dates.

        The committee shall establish its own rules of procedure consistent with the university Bylaws and make the rules available to the grievant, the respondent, and
        other concerned parties. Eleven members shall constitute a quorum of the committee. All unexcused absences from regularly scheduled meetings established by
        Bylaws Article 10.31 shall be reported to the department chair and dean of the committee member. Five committee members will be selected to hear each
        grievance.

        No committee member who is a member of the grievant's or respondent's academic department or equivalent unit may take part in the hearing of the evidence,
        discussion of the case, or voting on the decision. Either the grievant or the respondent may object to any member of the committee taking part in the decision for
        reasonable cause. Challenged committee members may either excuse themselves, or a majority vote of all committee members present, other than the
        challenged member, shall determine if the challenged individual is excused.

        Decisions shall be based upon the evidence. No professional counselors shall be permitted on either side but each side shall be permitted to choose an advisor
        and up to three observers from among their NIU faculty colleagues. No one other than the committee members, advisors, observers, grievant, respondent, and
        others invited by the committee shall be present during a hearing. All proceedings and votes shall be strictly confidential.

        Decisions shall be based upon the evidence and will be rendered by a majority vote of members hearing the case. In no situation will a decision be rendered by
        less than three votes.

        The president of the university is charged with insuring that all individuals, faculty, supportive professional staff, operating staff, and students who present
        evidence in grievance cases on either side are protected from retaliation.

MEMBERSHIP 2003-2004:  Gretchen Bisplinghoff, Colin Booth, Ngoyi Bukonda, Corenna Cummings, Larry Gregory, Jitka Hurych, Kathryn Kahn, Lynn Kamenitsa, Gyu Chan Kim, Elizabeth Miller, Mark Mehrer, Pam Smith, Sally Webber, Robert Zerwekh

Alternates:  Donald Zinger, Jean Pierce, Clersida Garcia, William Baker

Chair:  William Tolhurst

Vice Chair: