FSU needs TT Grievance Officer

9/14/2021

Dear Tenure Track Colleagues,

The FSU is looking for a tenure track member to fill an opening on the FSU Grievance Committee.   Below is a job description.   There are two TT grievance officers. Each receives one paid course release per academic year.  You can expect to work on grievance matters a few hours a week on average (approximately 3-4  per week during the academic year) -- some weeks more, some weeks less.  It is very important and rewarding work!

The four major responsibilities of a grievance officer are (1) attending meetings between faculty and administrators which may result in disciplinary action (so-called Weingarten hearings). (2) Meeting with faculty and administrators to try to resolve issues before they become a grievance. (3) Meeting with faculty to determine what has occurred and whether the contract has been violated. (4) If the grievance committee believes the contract was violated (or if the contract seems ambiguous and the problem needs to be clarified), the grievance officer will file a grievance and represent the faculty member in a hearing with the administration.

Grievance officers must also be willing to familiarize themselves with the FSU contract and to understand the legal issues and process, should a violation occur.  You will be trained for this work. 



Grievance officers are expected to attend a monthly committee meeting of 1-1/2 to 2 hours, to respond promptly to faculty concerns (faculty must file a grievance within 60 days of the violation, so it’s essential to follow up quickly), to participate actively in committee emails and phone calls, since a lot can happen between monthly meetings, and do to any research required support the grievance and/or ascertain the facts.

The grievance officer's work is shared between grievance officers working closely with Lorenzo, FSU Senior Staff, and our MTA consultant.

Also, things do sometimes come up when classes are not in session. Less often than during the semester, but you must be willing to check emails and respond as best you can if you need to attend an on-campus meeting. 

Interested?  Contact fsu@umb.edu.