The Charges Committee conducts investigations regarding complaints made against members of the faculty charging violation of the Faculty Code of Conduct including the Sexual Harassment and the Scientific Integrity Policies of other University policy regulating individual conduct, in order to determine whether there is probable cause to warrant a disciplinary proceeding before the Committee on Privilege and Tenure.   Investigations by the Charges Committee and related procedures are to be conducted in accordance with the statement titled "Campus Procedures for Implementation of Policies on Faculty Conduct and the Administration of Discipline" (Appendix XII).  The Committee meets two hours every week as needed.

To initiate a complaint against a faculty member, the complainant must file a written charge with the Charges Committee (Formal Charge Informational Packet).  The Chair of the Committee will discuss the charge with the complainant in order to determine whether all other administrative remedies have been exhausted and that no satisfactory resolution can be implemented at the departmental or college level.   Potential complainants wishing to discuss their situation with a Grievance Advisory Committee counselor for assistance are encouraged to contact Dayna Baker in the Academic Senate Office at 310-206-2469 or by email at dsbaker@senate.ucla.edu. 

The Charges Committee will hold an informal hearing with an independent presentation of the accusing and accused parties.  If the Committee determines that there is probable cause to proceed further on the charge, and if the matter cannot be resolved at this level, the charge will be transmitted to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel, who will then transmit it to the Committee on Privilege and Tenure, noting the specific provisions of the Faculty Code of Conduct which seem to have been violated.  The Committee on Privilege and Tenure will then summon the implicated faculty member to a formal hearing.

The types of charges which the Committee hears are varied and include complaints regarding faculty teaching, research misconduct, personal discrimination complaints about salary, space or workload, and, increasingly, sexual discrimination.  Because of the sensitivity associated with sexual discrimination cases, we encourage the Committee on Committees to maintain a diverse structure in the Charges Committee’s composition, with a minimum of two female faculty and a balance between north and south campus.

Membership

The Charges Committee consists of eight faculty members appointed by Committee on Committees and confirmed by the Legislative Assembly for up to 3 years.  Committee on Committees appoints and Legislative Assembly confirms the Chair.

Interactions with Administration

The Committee mainly interacts with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel.

Issues, Concerns, Goals

The number of complaints facing the Committee annually totals about 10 written charges which is quite small for a campus of this size. Additional verbal inquiries are made which are typically resolved without the need for a formal complaint process. The Charges process is one of the few mechanisms for students, staff, or faculty to complain against our faculty and occasionally the mechanism can be used to revenge a perceived slight. Thus, the Committee serves an important function of sifting out those charges which appear to have merit.

COMMITTEE MANUAL

Committee Service: If you are an Academic Senate member and have an interest in serving on this, or any other Academic Senate committee, please take a moment to indicate your preferences for service on our Committee Volunteer Form.

By actively participating in Senate Committees, we ensure that academic and administrative decisions are informed and enriched by broad faculty input. Thank you for your interest in shared Faculty Governance.