Academic Senate - University of California, Santa Barbara

At UCSB, we pride ourselves on being an academic community characterized by respect, civility, and collegiality. Nonetheless, conflicts occur and may arise over the interpretation of regulations, policies or procedures, interpersonal disagreements, a grievance or academic differences.

All Senate faculty are responsible for honoring the UC Faculty Code of Conduct, codified in the Academic Personnel Manual (APM-015). The UC Faculty Code of Conduct contains three sections: Part 1 - The Professional Rights of Faculty, Part II - Professional Responsibilities, Ethical Principles, and Unacceptable Faculty Conduct, Part III - Enforcement and Sanctions.

While the University administration has formal complaint or grievance procedures, please consider using informal conflict resolution as a first step to addressing differences. There are a number of resources on campus to assist faculty in the resolution of conflicts.

The Academic Senate provides guidance to individuals who believe that a faculty member has violated the UC Faculty Code of Conduct. The Charges Officer and the Charges Advisory Committee receive all such complaints about possible violations and make a determination about next steps using the guidelines described in the Campus Procedures for the Enforcement of the Faculty Code of Conduct.

The Office of the Ombuds, supported by the campus administration, is a confidential, impartial, and informal, and independent resource for concerns or conflict management that serves all members of the UCSB community. The Office of the Ombuds assists those who seek guidance to resolve academic or administrative issues and disputes. The Office of the Ombuds does not have the authority to discipline any member of the campus community. It is, mainly, a place where grievances may be aired and advice sought on how to best resolve a conflict. A Faculty Ombudsperson, appointed by the administration, is available to discuss issues with Academic Senate members.

The mission of the Office of Title IX Compliance and Discrimination and Harassment Prevention is to ensure all UCSB community members fulfill the campus' commitment to create and maintain a work and academic environment free of discrimination and harassment.