Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
Statute U
ACADEMIC STAFF

Chapter VI

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

1. The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to any complaint by a member of the academic staff which constitutes a grievance concerning his or her appointment or employment, where the grievance relates solely to matters affecting the member as an individual, or to matters affecting the member's personal dealings or relationships with other members of the University staff, not being matters for which express provision is made elsewhere in this Statute.

2. If other remedies have been exhausted within the School, Faculty, Department, or other institution, a member of the academic staff may seek redress of a grievance by making a complaint to the Chairman of the appropriate Faculty Board or other authority, or to the Head of the appropriate Department or other institution.

3. If a member of the academic staff is dissatisfied with the result of an approach under section 2 above, or if the member's grievance directly concerns the Chairman of the Faculty Board or other authority or the Head of the Department or other institution, he or she may seek redress of the grievance by making a complaint in writing to the Vice-Chancellor.

4. If it appears to the Vice-Chancellor that the complaint is trivial or unjustified, he or she may dismiss it summarily or take no action upon it.

5. If the Vice-Chancellor is satisfied that the subject matter of a grievance could properly be considered with, or could form the whole or any part of, proceedings under Chapter III, Chapter IV, or Chapter V, any action upon it under this Chapter shall be deferred until such proceedings have been completed or the time for instituting them has passed, and the member shall be notified accordingly.

6. If the Vice-Chancellor does not dismiss the complaint and does not defer action upon it, he or she shall decide whether it would be appropriate, having regard to the interests of justice and fairness, to seek to dispose of it informally. The Vice-Chancellor shall notify the member concerned of his or her decision under this section and shall proceed accordingly.

7. If the complaint has not been disposed of informally, the Vice-Chancellor shall refer the matter to a Grievance Committee for consideration.

8. A Grievance Committee shall be appointed by the Council and shall consist of a Chairman, one person nominated by the Council, and one person nominated by the General Board.

9. The procedure to be followed in considering grievances shall be prescribed by Ordinance in such a way as to ensure that the aggrieved person and any person against whom the grievance lies shall have an opportunity to be heard and to be accompanied at the hearing by a friend or representative.

10. If the Committee decides that a grievance is justified, it shall make such proposals for the redress of the grievance as it sees fit.