In its “Report of the Special Committee on Professional Personnel (March 1973),” the Rothbaum Committee first recommended establishment of a Professional Advisory Committee. The report stated:

There are five basic sources against which the behavior of individuals or the circumstances of employment can be evaluated:

• The contract of employment;
• Overriding legal requirements, such as those prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or sex;*
• Generalized concepts of good management practice, such as those which would dictate that employees be adequately informed of their duties and of the quality of their performance;
• Generalized concepts of the traditional responsibilities of employment, such as those which would dictate that employees perform their assigned tasks in a conscientious and competent manner;
• Generalized concepts of appropriate and traditional reciprocal courtesies which would attend professional employment, such as those which, affirmatively, would dictate a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, and negatively, would proscribe conduct that would interfere with the effective performance of the duties and responsibilities of others.

* Current law and/or University policy prohibits discrimination or harassment by reason of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, unfavorable discharge from the military, or status as a disabled veteran or a veteran of the Vietnam era. The procedures for complaints and grievances based on these reasons are outlined in the Policy and Procedures for Addressing Discrimination and Harassment. Grievances or complaints alleging discrimination should be referred to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access.

For information concerning your contract of employment, go to the My UI Info login page. Login, then go to the FILE tab, and then Notification of Employment.

The Campus Conduct Policy and Procedures includes a retaliation clause. It states: “The University is committed to ensuring that its learning and working environments are free from all forms of discrimination and harassment. The University strictly prohibits and will not tolerate reprisals or retaliation against persons due to their assertion of their protected civil rights, including the filing of internal complaints of discrimination, filing complaints with Federal or State civil rights enforcement agencies, or participation in an investigation of such a complaint (e.g., serving as a witness).”

A retaliation policy is also stated on the Provost website regarding Unfavorable Discharge from the Military, Status as a Disabled Veteran or a Veteran of the Vietnam Era: “The University strictly prohibits and will not tolerate reprisals or retaliation against any person due to their assertion of their protected civil rights, including the filing of internal complaints of discrimination or complaints filed with Federal or State civil rights enforcement agencies.”

If an employee believes they have been retaliated against, they should contact Academic Human Resources.

For grievances arising from and involving Urbana-Champaign campus employees, final decisions rest with the Chancellor. For those arising within Central Administration units, final decisions rest with the President of the University.