JILA Grievance Procedure

Informal Process

JILA wants everyone to have a positive, productive experience here. Therefore, the Institute encourages professional and civil conduct and mutual respect between all JILAns at all times, whether faculty, associates, staff, or students.

If you have an issue of any kind, JILA has two volunteer counselors who are prepared to provide informal confidential advice about your options; they can also tell you where you can obtain other counseling. Neither person has any power to intervene or take action on your behalf, but if you ask them to talk to someone such as the JILA Chair, then they can do that. CU also provides an Ombuds office, which offers additional resources for helping resolve disputes informally and confidentially, but which has no power to take any formal action.

Generally, you should try to resolve a problem with the people involved. If you need help, ask an advisor, a mentor, a colleague, or immediate supervisor to assist you. If you conclude that you have a grievance requiring more formal action within JILA, then you should follow the process described below.

Please be aware that JILAns have the right to file a grievance without fear of retaliation or any other adverse consequence. Grievances for which there are established protocols, such as for discrimination or sexual harassment, will be routed directly through those channels required by University policy. A grievance process for CU classifed staff is in place.

Formal Process

JILA is committed to resolving grievances in a manner that is expeditious and fair. As a joint institute, JILA’s policies must be consistent with the policies of CU and NIST and the departments of Physics, Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. In most cases, a formal grievance process will be carried out in collaboration with the appropriate authority.

If you are considering initiating a formal grievance, then your first step is to contact the JILA Chair or other senior JILA person. This person will discuss your issue with you and help you determine the next steps, which may include referral to entities outside JILA. At this stage, your conversation with the JILA Chair or senior person is still informal and confidential, and does not commit you to proceeding formally.

If you decide to go forward with your grievance, then you will be asked to write a formal letter to the JILA Chair, who will send a copy of this letter to the chair of your academic department, if you are a CU student, researcher, or faculty; to the JILA executive officer, if you are a staff member; or to the NIST Quantum Physics Division chief, if you are a NIST employee. If the JILA Chair is the object of grievance, then the Associate JILA Chair, or if necessary another uninvolved senior JILA person, will direct the grievance process; the term “JILA Chair” hereafter refers to this person. The JILA Chair will also inform your direct supervisor(s) and any person(s) named in the complaint that an investigation has begun. For CU faculty, supervisors would include the Provost and the appropriate Dean. The JILA Chair will appoint an Investigation Committee of neutral and unbiased people who are not personally involved in the issue, including at least one person from outside JILA, to consider the grievance.

The Investigation Committee will be authorized to interview you, the people named in the complaint, and anyone who has information about the situation, including people who are not students or employees of the University of Colorado. The committee may interview these people separately or together. The committee will keep a record of each interview, which could include a digital or taped record. Please be aware that information gathered by the committee may be shared among other University units, such as CU's Standing Committee on Research Misconduct, that are investigating complaints involving the same individual(s).

Any person may accompany and support you during the grievance process. The person may participate and speak for you; however, you are expected to participate in the discussion during the process.

The Investigation Committee will submit a written summary of its findings and a recommendation to the JILA Chair within 60 days of receipt of a formal letter of complaint. The JILA Chair will then decide an appropriate course of action and, within the constraints of confidentiality, inform you and any respondents regarding his or her decision. The JILA Chair will also communicate the outcome of the investigation to the direct supervisors of those directly involved in the grievance.

If you wish to appeal the JILA Chair's decision, you may request a formal review by the JILA Executive Committee.