Administrative Responsibilities

Vice President for Equity and Diversity

The vice president for Equity and Diversity, after consultation with the Conflict Resolution Advisory Committee, will appoint the director of the Office for Conflict Resolution. The director will report to the senior administrator within the unit within the Office of Equity and Diversity, who will supervise the office in consultation with the Conflict Resolution Advisory Committee.

The vice president for Equity and Diversity will appoint hearing officers to the Hearing Officer Roster after they are nominated by representative employee committees.

The vice president for Equity and Diversity will determine whether to approve payment of arbitrator fees exceeding the $10,000 cap.

Director

The director will provide conflict resolution services described in these procedures. The director will administer these procedures so that they are accessible, competent, and fair to all participants. In administering the formal conflict resolution processes, the director reviews a petition to determine whether the petitioner has satisfied the jurisdictional requirements of the formal process, adjusts time limits when appropriate, and informs the parties of the procedures to be followed.

The director will communicate with University faculty and staff about the services of the office and offer educational programming about conflict resolution to University faculty and staff.

The director will prepare an annual report on the work of the Office for Conflict Resolution, including a summary of issues raised in petitions, decisions rendered, the instances in which the executive vice president and provost declined to accept the recommendations of a peer panel, and any exceptions to the $10,000 cap on arbitrator fees. The report will be distributed to the vice president for Equity and Diversity, executive vice president and provost, the president’s executive team, vice president for Human Resources, Conflict Resolution Advisory Committee, Faculty Consultative Committee, P&A Consultative Committee, Civil Service Consultative Committee, Student Consultative Committee, and Senate Judicial Committee and Senate Judicial Committee. It will be posted on the website of the Office for Conflict Resolution. Following up on this report, the director will meet at least once annually with each of these entities.

Conflict Resolution Advisory Committee

1. Members. The Conflict Resolution Advisory Committee will consist of a chair who will be a regular faculty member appointed by the Senate Consultative Committee, two administrative representatives appointed by the president, and one member appointed by each of the following groups: Senate Committee on Committees, P&A Consultative Committee, Civil Service Consultative Committee, and Student Senate Committee on Committees. Appointments may be for terms of up to three years.
2. Duties. The Conflict Resolution Advisory Committee will advise the vice president for Equity and Diversity regarding the selection of the conflict resolution staff, its performance, and the operation of this program. The committee has no role in the disposition of individual petitions.
3. Five-year Review. The committee will undertake a thorough review of the functioning of this program every five years and report its findings and recommendations to the vice president for Equity and Diversity, President, and University Senate.

Rosters

Conflict resolution staff will train all members of these rosters for their roles. Appointments may be for terms of up to three years. If a student employee petitioner selects as a panelist a student representative from the University Senate’s Student Behavior Committee (CCSB), the student panelist will be trained in the Conflict Resolution Procedures.

1. Hearing Officer Roster. A roster of hearing officers will be maintained by the Office for Conflict Resolution. It will include twelve individuals eligible to serve as hearing officers—four regular faculty members, four P&A employees, and four civil service employees. The Senate Committee on Committees, P&A Consultative Committee, and the Civil Service Consultative Committee will nominate two individuals for each opening on the hearing officer roster for each respective employee group. The vice president for Equity and Diversity will select one of the two nominees for each opening or will request additional names.
2. Panelist Roster. It will include twelve individuals eligible to serve as panelists—four regular faculty members (two of whom may be administrators), four P&A employees, and four civil service employees. TheSenate Committee on Committees, P&A Consultative Committee, and Civil Service Consultative Committee will appoint individuals for each opening on the roster for each respective employee group. The appointees in each category should be from broadly varied backgrounds, including but not limited to, diverse professional community and life experiences.
3. Advisor Roster. A roster will be maintained by the Office for Conflict Resolution identifying University employees willing to serve as advisors to parties in conflict resolution proceedings.