The Hearing Committee

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Information below in italics is repeated from the Elon University Faculty Bylaws (Article VI).

“Elected members of Academic Council will serve as a hearing committee, when a hearing is to be held, in cases involving 1) the dismissal or suspension of a faculty member or 2) charges of unprofessional conduct against a faculty member with the exception of complaints of harassment or discrimination based on membership in protected categories in Elon’s nondiscrimination statement. Any dismissal, suspension, or disciplinary action as a result of a finding of a violation of the University’s nondiscrimination/ nonharassment policies may, upon request by the accused faculty member, be heard by Academic Council.”

Academic Council has adopted the following procedures for use when it sits as a hearing body for any employee with faculty rank:

• The person requesting the hearing (the grievant) may present the grievance and/or he/she may be represented by any other faculty member he/she selects.
• Any other person who considers himself/herself to be directly affected by the hearing may apply to Academic Council to be made a party. Those granted such status by Academic Council will have the same rights to representation and presentation of evidence as the grievant. The administration, or people complained against, will be parties to the hearing.
• Parties to the hearing will be afforded opportunity to present written or oral evidence and may call witnesses to present evidence.
• During the course of presentation of evidence, members of the hearing body may interject questions as considered necessary.
• All sessions will be open only to parties to the hearing, their representatives, and to witnesses while they are testifying.
• After all testimony has been heard, Academic Council will meet in executive session to formulate its recommendations.
• In reaching its decision, Academic Council will consider only documents, materials and testimony presented in the hearing.
• Recommendations of Academic Council as to disposition of the case will be made to the President of the University with a copy of same to each party.
• During and after the hearing, members of Academic Council will make no comment regarding the case beyond those made in meetings of the Council.