David Massey, former chair of the math department and popular math professor, has filed a grievance with the Faculty Senate to reverse his suspension from the university, said his attorney Dahlia Rudavsky.

Massey was suspended March 3, for undisclosed reasons relating to the university’s equal opportunity policy. The suspension is scheduled to be lifted in Spring 2009. During the suspension, he is not permitted to speak to current students.

Students, staff, faculty and parents have questioned whether the administration followed appropriate procedure when making the decision to suspend him.

“He would like to be put back to his job with full rights and reversal of the discipline,” Rudavsky said.

According to the Faculty Handbook, a grievance is a complaint made by a faculty member arguing that he or she has been treated unfairly or not in accordance with university documents and rules.

Through the regular grievance process, a formal grievance must first be filed in writing with the Senate Agenda Committee who sends copies to various administrators. The grievance must be filed within three months of the incident and it must detail the nature of the grievance, who it is against and the remedy sought, according to the handbook.

The committee then appoints an ad hoc Mediation Committee composed of three faculty members not involved with the grievance or the grievant’s department. The committee determines whether the grievance fits the definition given by the handbook and tries to resolve the issue.

If the grievant is not satisfied or no decision is made, the grievant may request the grievance be submitted to arbitration. If the ad hoc Mediation Committee votes in favor of it, an arbitrator is chosen: he or she then makes the final decision.

The process, described by Rudavsky as lengthy and fairly confidential, includes various time limits and options for the committee and grievant, including the possibility for university policy improvements.

Though the Faculty Handbook stresses the importance of expediting the process, it states the summer months are harder for such a process to be carried out. Therefore, the summer allows for more time to carry out the various steps than is permitted during the regular school year. The actual filing of the grievance, however, is excluded from this time extension.

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Jim Stellar said that while faculty members can file grievances on any number of issues ranging in relative importance, it sends a clear message to the administration.

“It’s certainly a statement that the person who has filed the grievance does not agree with a decision that has been made,” Stellar said. “That is very clear.”

Student Government Association President Joey Fiore, who met with university officials earlier in the year to discuss Massey’s suspension, said he is happy Massey filed a grievance.

“Now the process can move on,” he said.