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Preference for
informal resolution. In a diverse community, disagreements
and conflicts of various degrees of seriousness are inevitable.
Many issues are best resolved informally, by direct communication
between the individuals involved, or with the help of mediation
by a third party.
Often, the most effective avenue for informal resolution of
complaints is direct conversation with the person or persons
alleged to have caused the offense; reasoned discussion of
the issue will often bring about a resolution and new understanding.
When a direct conversation is not possible, the following
members of the College community stand ready to discuss complaints:
For students: Dean of the College, the Office of Student Affairs
(including the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, the Associate
Dean for International Students and Student Affairs, the Assistant
Dean for Minority Affairs), class deans, faculty advisers,
department chairs, the Associate Dean of the Faculty, College
Chaplains, the Dean of the School for Social Work, the Director
of Institutional Diversity;
For faculty: department chair, the Dean of
the Faculty, the Associate Dean of the Faculty, the Dean of
the School for Social Work, the Director of Institutional
Diversity;
For staff: the department head, the Director of Human
Resources, the Employment Director, the Dean of the School
for Social Work, the Director of Institutional Diversity.
These persons are prepared to assist the individual in assessing
the incident, to explain the options and resources available,
and to inform the individual that a copy of the College's
Civil Rights Policy and Grievance Procedures is available
in the Institutional Diversity Office. Questions are encouraged;
merely discussing an incident in this way does not commit
an individual to making a complaint.
If, after discussion with one or more of these persons, the
complainant decides to pursue the matter on her or his own,
she or he is free to do so. Alternatively, the complainant
may request that the Director of Institutional Diversity discuss
the allegations informally with the person complained of in
an attempt to end the alleged discrimination or harassment
and resolve the issue. Or the complainant may ask one of the
other individuals listed above to mediate. Should one of these
undertake to mediate, she or he will so inform the Director
of Institutional Diversity. The Director of Institutional
Diversity will provide advice on the substantive issues involved,
and the means for addressing the complaint and its possible
resolution. In any of these cases, the complainant may request
to have her or his name protected at this stage. If there
is a resolution acceptable to both parties, the matter will
not proceed further under these grievance procedures. No records
will be kept of materials generated by such informal mediation
except in cases where a written record is itself a part of
the agreed upon resolution. In such cases, a memorandum of
understanding will be reviewed and signed by both parties
and kept in the Office of Institutional Diversity.
Failure to respond to a complaint, or refusal to participate
in informal mediation, shall not be introduced as a consideration
during any formal proceedings that might arise.
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About
the Handbook
Table
of Contents
Introduction
Master's
Program, Summer
Master's
Program, Winter
The
Academic and Field Work Performance Standing
Committee
Administrative
Policies & Procedures
Other
School Policies
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