b. Informal Proceedings
When an advisory request has been delivered, and the matter does not involve the faculty member’s department chair, director, or dean, the department chair, director, or dean shall informally inquire into the matter and make a recommendation for its resolution to the faculty member and to the person(s) involved. The department chair, director, or dean shall make his/her recommendation for the resolution of the matter to the faculty member and to the person(s) involved within 14 calendar days of the date the department chair, director, or dean received the advisory request from the provost, unless the faculty member and the person(s) involved agree to a longer time period. If the recommendation of the department chair, director, or dean is accepted by the faculty member and the person(s) involved, the matter may be resolved by mutual consent. Any such inquiry and resolution shall be confidential.
When an advisory request has been delivered, and the matter involves the department chair, director, or dean, the provost shall informally inquire into the matter and make a recommendation for its resolution to the faculty member and the department chair, director, or dean within 14 calendar days of the date the provost received the advisory request from the faculty member, unless the faculty member and the department chair, director, or dean agree to a longer time period. If the recommendation of the provost is accepted by the faculty member and the department chair, director, or dean, the matter may be resolved by mutual consent. Any such inquiry and resolution shall be confidential.
Except where there is disagreement, a statement shall be jointly prepared by the faculty member and the department chair, director, or dean which sets forth with reasonable particularity the basis(es) of the problem ("statement of cause"). If there is a disagreement between the faculty member and the department chair, director, or dean, the faculty member and the department chair, director, or dean shall each prepare a separate statement of cause.
The statement(s) of cause shall be delivered by the department chair, director, or dean to the provost within 14 calendar days of the date that the department chair, director, or dean (or, if the matter involves the department chair, director, or dean, the provost) made his or her recommendation for the resolution of the matter to the faculty member and to the person(s) involved (or, if the matter involves the department chair, director, or dean, then to the department chair, director, or dean).