A recent change to University policy allows faculty emeritus to file grievances with the University.

Carol Carrier, vice president for human resources, said the grievance policy change – which the Board of Regents approved last month – will benefit professors who signed agreements with the University prior to becoming faculty emeritus. The change allows them a recourse option if their contracts’ terms aren’t filled, she said.

“This was seen as a fairness (issue),” Carrier said. “We just wanted to make sure that if we made contractual, written agreements with people, those conditions remain even after they retire.”

Faculty emeritus are tenured
faculty members who have retired from the University under any circumstances after at least five years of employment and at an allowable age under the University retirement policy.

The regents also voted to accept another grievance policy amendment allowing the University president to make grievance-policy process changes with consultation from administration. Prior to this decision, any process changes had to be presented to the regents for approval.

“It will be more flexible when we see a need for change because it won’t have to go through the whole consultation process and up to the regents,” said Carolyn Chalmers, University grievance officer.

– Paul Sand