3.40 Faculty Grievance Policy
In addition to the complaint procedures outlined in Chapter X, Sections 10.80, 10.81, and 10.82, a faculty member may also submit, through the Campus Complaint Coordinator, a formal complaint based on any of the following:
1. A denial of, or infringement upon, academic freedom;
2. A denial of an application for promotion or tenure;
3. An inequity in salary due to disputes over facts or information. Equity is defined as a faculty salary within 5% of the average salary of all other faculty of the same rank in their discipline. Further, a faculty member must allege that the salary disparity cannot be accounted for by the following:
- difference in years of service and years in rank
- productivity in teaching, research, and service
- centrality of the person’s work to the mission of the academic unit
- past/present administrative duties
- other factors set forth as legitimate bases for salary determination in the faculty member’s academic unit, such as special appointments, promotion and tenure documentation, or otherwise consistently communicated factors applied generally in hiring and salary increase decisions
For salary inequity appeals, three (3) full academic years must have passed since a final decision was rendered on a faculty member’s previous appeal under this process.
Effective Date
Approved by Board of Curators: January 15, 2026