Librarian Continuance and Promotion Appeal Process

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The decision to deny a continuing contract for librarians is not grievable. However, any librarian who believes that a decision has been made in his/her case which violates University review procedures may submit a letter expressing his/her intent to appeal the decision (hereafter referred to as the Notice of Appeal) to the Chair of the Promotion Review Committee and the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs within 30 days of notification of the decision. 

• The Chair of the Promotion Review Committee will serve as Chair of the Continuance Appeal Hearing Board unless he/she has participated in any way in the review process being appealed (this includes, but is not limited to, being the supervisor of the librarian in question or contributing a letter of reference to that persons’ file.) In the event that either of these conditions applies to the Chair of the Promotion Review Committee, the Promotion Review Committee will elect a librarian member of the committee who has not participated in any way in the process being appealed to serve as Chair of the Hearing Board.
• Upon receipt of the Notice of Appeal, the Chair of the Continuance Appeal Hearing Board will ask the teaching faculty representative from the Promotion Review committee and a librarian who has successfully completed the continuance process to serve on this Hearing Board for the appeal, making certain that none of the two have participated in any way in the process being appealed (this includes, but is not limited to, being the supervisor of the librarian in question or contributing a letter of reference to that persons’ file.) Representatives will recuse themselves from the Hearing Board if they believe they have a conflict of interest. 

1. Within 21 calendar days of submission of the Notice of Appeal, the librarian making the appeal will submit to the Chair of the Continuance Appeal Hearing Board and the Provost a written document summarizing the alleged procedural violations on which the appeal is based, including evidence substantiating the alleged violations. This will serve as the Continuance Appeal Hearing Board’s principal resource in its deliberations.
2. Once the librarian’s documentation has been received, the Continuance Appeal Hearing Board will conduct its review according to the following guidelines:
• The initial meeting of the Continuance Appeal Hearing Board will be convened by the Chair for the purpose of reviewing the appeal procedures. Additionally, the Chair of the Hearing Board will maintain a log of the Board’s activities.
• The Continuance Appeal Hearing Board is empowered to investigate and substantiate the details included in the appealing librarian’s written documentation.
3. In addition to the letter of appeal, the Board will have access to the librarian’s personnel file and any other of the petitioning librarian’s records that are relevant. Once the members of the Continuance Appeal Hearing Board are satisfied that they have adequately investigated the librarian’s allegations, the Hearing Board will meet in closed session to formally adjudicate the appeal.
4. Within 90 days of receipt of the Notice of Appeal, the Continuance Appeal Hearing Board will submit its recommendation on the appeal to the President for final decision. The appealing librarian will receive a copy of the recommendation. The President will notify the Chair of the Hearing Board that a final decision has been rendered. At that time, the Continuance Appeal Hearing Board will be disbanded.

Grounds for appeal are limited to procedural matters. A librarian who believes that a decision has been made in his/her case which violates library promotion procedures may submit a letter expressing his or her intent to appeal the decision (referred to as Notice of Appeal) to the Provost/Executive Vice President. The petition for an appeal must be filed with the Provost within 30 calendar days of the receipt by the librarian of the decision not to promote.

If appeal is denied, a librarian may reapply for promotion after two years. 

The Promotion Appeals Committee will be appointed by the Office of the Provost. The Committee shall consist of three members, including one post-probationary librarian, one administrative staff, and one post-probationary member of the teaching faculty. The Promotion Appeals Committee members may not have participated in the original decision not to promote the librarian. The librarian may select one member of the panel. The Appeals Committee will elect a Chair. 

1. Within 21 days, the librarian filing an appeal will submit to the Promotion Appeals Committee a letter outlining the reason for appeal, as well as all necessary supporting documents. This will serve as the Promotion Appeals Committee’s principal resource in its deliberations.

2. Once the librarian’s documentation has been received, the Promotion Appeals Committee will conduct its review according to the following guidelines:

• The initial meeting of the Promotion Appeal Committee will be convened by the Chair for the purpose of reviewing the appeal procedures. Additionally, the Chair of the Promotion Appeal Committee will maintain a log of the Committee’s activities.
• The Promotion Appeal Committee is empowered to investigate and substantiate the details included in the appealing librarian’s written documentation.
• In addition to the letter of appeal, the Committee will have access to the librarian’s personnel file and any other of the petitioning librarian’s records that are relevant.

3. Once the members of the Promotion Appeals Committee are satisfied that they have adequately investigated the librarian’s allegations, the Appeals Committee will meet in closed session to formally adjudicate the appeal.

4. Within 90 days of receipt of the Notice of Appeal, the Promotion Appeals Committee will submit its recommendation on the appeal to the President for final decision. The appealing librarian will receive a copy of the recommendation. The President will notify the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee that a final decision has been rendered.