Dear Academic Staff Member:

Guided by the Academic Staff Personnel Policies and Procedures, the UW-Milwaukee Academic Staff Hearing and Appeals Committee (ASHAC) serves as a neutral body for certain hearings and appeals involving academic staff members. The Committee will conduct a full and fair review of the circumstances surrounding the appeal/grievance/complaint in an attempt to substantiate the evidence needed to proceed with a hearing. The Committee’s foremost task is to protect the rights of all parties concerned to the best of our abilities and maintain the standards of the University.

Prior to submitting any documentation, please review the references listed below as they contain pertinent procedural information. The Committee calls your attention to due dates and maximum filing time limits within these documents correlating to your respective appeal, complaint or grievance.

ASHAC is the hearing committee for the following:

Non-renewal – termination of employment at the end of the person’s current term of appointment. ASHAC can only accept appeals of non-renewal from those in probationary appointments. Those on fixed-term appointments may request reconsideration of non-renewal, which does not involve a hearing by ASHAC (See Chapter 106.04).

Layoff – suspension of an academic staff member’s employment by the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee during the appointment period for reasons of budget or program.

Dismissal for cause – termination of employment for reasons of serious misconduct.

• Indefinite Status Appointments: Those with indefinite appointments may request a hearing by ASHAC before being dismissed.
• Fixed-term or Probationary Appointments: Those with fixed-term or probationary appointments may request a hearing “before the appropriate dean or director or their designee. Dismissal shall be effective immediately on receipt of written notification of the decision of the dean or director or designee unless a different dismissal date is specified by the dean or director.” ASHAC would hear appeals from those in fixed-term or probationary appointments following a dismissal decision of the dean/director/designee.

Grievances – allegations filed by an academic staff member in regard to a claim of unfair, employment-related treatment not related to non-renewal, layoff, or dismissal for cause.

Complaints – allegations by persons other than an academic staff member’s supervisor(s) concerning the conduct of an academic staff member that is not serious enough to warrant dismissal. These persons could include administrators, students, other academic staff, faculty, university staff, or members of the public.

The Office of the Secretary of the University is the designated contact for ASHAC.  Please direct questions to secofunv@uwm.edu.

Thank you,
Academic Staff Hearing and Appeals Committee