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Faculty Complaints and Recourse

Specific Grievances

The University has many resources and some specific processes for dealing with grievances. The guidelines below will help you to address concerns in the most efficient and effective manner.

Sexual Harassment

If you believe that you are being sexually harassed, discriminated against, or retaliated against for making or reporting a charge of discrimination or sexual/harassment, you may:

See the University’s Policy On Discrimination and Sexual Harassment, including information about retaliation.

Dismissal or Tenure Denial

If you have been denied tenure and/or promotion or you have been dismissed from the University after an unsatisfactory intensive pre-tenure review or other event, you may contact the Faculty Status Committee. Appeals of these decisions must be filed within 30 days of the event. More information about this process may be found in Section III of the Faculty Manual (http://facsen.wsu.edu/faculty_manual/). See more information about the Faculty Status Committee, including information about how to file an appeal.

  • If you wish to report a potential violation of University rules or the State Ethics Law, please discuss the issue with your department chair or school director or with your dean if the concerns involve your chair or director. If concerns persist about a violation of the State Ethics Law, please contact the Director of the Internal Audit Office (Info Tech Building 2127, PO Box 641221, Pullman, WA 99164-1221, 509-335-2001, hlopez@wsu.edu).
  • If you believe that you have a medical problem that may require reasonable accommodation, please contact Human Resource Services (French Administration, Room 139, 509-335-4521, www.hrs.wsu.edu). The University’s policy on Reasonable Accommodation.
  • If you wish to register a complaint about potential research misconduct, please contact the Office of the Vice President for Research (French Ad 324, 509-335-6412, grimes@wsu.edu). More information about this process may be found in Section II. H. of the Faculty Manual (http://facsen.wsu.edu/faculty_manual/FacultyManual2009.pdf).

Graduate or Professional Students

If you are having problems dealing with a graduate or professional student or students, you may:

  • Call 911, in cases of immediate threat.
  • talk to your department chair or school director, and/or
  • talk to the University ombudsman (Wilson Hall, Room 2, Pullman, WA 99164-4002, 509-335-1195, www.wsu.edu/~ombuds/), and/or
  • report students who are exhibiting symptoms of distress, potentially violent behavior toward self or others, or failing to keep up with coursework (frequent absences, failed assignments) to aware.wsu.edu.
  • In addition, please immediately inform the Graduate School about the situation and discuss possible courses of action (French Ad 324, 509-335-6412, grimes@wsu.edu).

Undergraduate Students

If you are having problems dealing with an undergraduate student or students, you may:

  • Call 911, in cases of immediate threat.
  • talk to your department chair or school director, and/or
  • talk to the director of undergraduate education in your department or college, and/or
  • obtain information about issues related to academic integrity from the Office of the Dean of Students (PO Box 641066, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-1066, 509-335-5757, http://deanofstudents.wsu.edu/default.asp?PageID=4295), and/or
  • talk to the University ombudsman (Wilson Hall, Room 2, Pullman, WA 99164-4002, 509-335-1195, www.wsu.edu/~ombuds/), and/or
  • report students who are exhibiting symptoms of distress, potentially violent behavior toward self or others, or failing to keep up with coursework (frequent absences, failed assignments) to aware.wsu.edu.
  • Additional information about issues related to undergraduates may be found at http://vpue.wsu.edu/ or by contacting the Office of Undergraduate Education (PO Box 641046, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-1046, 509-335-8044).

Handling Other Grievances

Some grievances will not fall within any of the categories listed above. The following principles generally should govern attempts to resolve these grievances.

  • Grievances should be solved at the lowest step possible on the organizational chart (Faculty Manual, II, F, 1, 5).
  • Further appeals should follow the lines of the organizational chart without skipping any intermediate steps.
  • Resolutions should aim at solving the problem, rather than at assigning blame.

To conform to these principles, please follow these steps, in the order listed, to resolve most problems. Please do not move to the next step before the previous step has been exhausted, unless the previous step cannot be completed (e.g., if the problem concerns the person involved in that step and you are uncomfortable talking to that person).

  • Talk to the person with whom you’re having the problem.
  • Consult your department chair or school director.
  • Consult your dean, but only after informing your chair that you will do so.
  • Consult the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, but only after informing your chair and dean that you will do so (Fran McSweeney, 509-335-5581, fkmcs@wsu.edu).

If All Else Fails

If you are still uncertain about what to do, please contact Fran McSweeney, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, 509-335-5581, fkmcs@wsu.edu.