ADDENDUM: PROCEDURE FOR GRIEVANCES INVOLVING AHEC-BASED COM FACULTY

All references to the Dean and Associate Deans within this addendum refer to individuals who hold those titles within the UAMS College of Medicine.

Step I: Initial Attempt at Resolution

Paragraphs A – D within the body of this policy shall be pursued, with the following modifications for AHEC-based faculty:

The required documentation must be submitted by the grievant to the appropriate College of Medicine department chair, the AHEC center director, and the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. The department chair and AHEC center director will work together, as they deem appropriate, to try to resolve the alleged grievance through discussions with the grievant. Discussions may include the respondent.

If the grievance is against the department chair or the AHEC center director, the documentation will be submitted to the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and the Executive Director of the AHEC Program, who will work together, as they deem appropriate, to try to resolve the alleged grievance through discussions with the grievant. Discussions may include the respondent.

Every reasonable effort will be made to follow the same time line specified within the body of this procedure for the submission of the required written documentation, for holding the needed discussions, and for documenting the outcome of the discussions. Time intervals may be extended due to the complexity inherent in having increased numbers of individuals participating in the attempt to resolve the grievance and if travel between the AHEC and UAMS campus is required.

Step II: Formal Grievance to the Dean and the Executive Director of the AHEC Program

Grievances that are not satisfactorily resolved using Step 1 of this Procedure may be filed formally with the Dean and the Executive Director of the AHEC Program.

Copies of the required documentation must be submitted to the Dean, the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and the Executive Director of the AHEC Program. The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs will act as the Dean's designee for purposes of arranging for the grievance hearing and maintaining records as specified in the body of this procedure.

Upon notice of the need to seat a Grievance Panel, the Executive Director of the AHEC Program will promptly designate and submit to the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs a list of at least ten AHEC-based College of Medicine faculty members who will constitute the AHEC Appeals Board. Each of the AHECs should be represented by at least one person. The Executive Director of the AHEC Program will be responsible for communicating with these ten AHEC faculty members about their designation as members of the AHEC Appeals Board, and their responsibilities to serve on the Grievance Panel, if called upon to do so. The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs will follow the process specified within the body of this procedure for identifying the Grievance Panel. Two Appeals Board "lists" will be handled identically – one from the COM and one from the AHECs. The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and the grievant will review both of these Appeals Board lists, removing from consideration any member who may with reason be considered inappropriate for the hearing.(e.g., a faculty member directly involved in the issue being appealed should not sit on the panel for that complaint). Thereafter, the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and the grievant will first use the AHEC Appeals Board. Those names, noted on individual pieces of paper, will be randomly selected by the grievant. The first two names so selected will be the 1st and 2nd members of the Grievance panel. The subsequent eight names drawn will be listed in order as the alternates for the AHEC Grievance Panel members. Thereafter, the COM Appeal Board names will be similarly handled to identify Grievance Panel members #3, #4, and #5, with the remaining names drawn to identify the COM Grievance Panel alternates. Thus, the Grievance Panel will be composed of two AHEC-based COM faculty members and three UAMS campus-based COM faculty members.

Every reasonable effort will be made to follow the subsequent time line for the grievance hearing as specified in the body of this procedure, however time intervals may be modestly extended due to the complexity inherent with greater numbers of people participating in the grievance hearing and the necessity of travel between the AHECs and the UAMS campus in Little Rock.

The Grievance Hearing will be held on the UAMS campus, unless the Dean and the Executive Director of the AHEC Program determine that circumstances require holding the meeting elsewhere. Timelines may be extended for off-campus hearings.

Findings of the Grievance Panel shall be transmitted - according to the body of this procedure – to all parties specified therein and also to the Executive Director of the AHEC Program.

If the decision of the Grievance Panel is appealed, the Dean and Executive Director of the AHEC Program will make the final determination. Should these two individuals disagree about the final determination, the UAMS Chancellor shall hear the appeal. The decision of the Chancellor shall be final.

Approved by the Dean's Executive Committee – April 3, 2007.