American University of Sharjah
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

CHAPTER B: FACULTY RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES POLICY

B.2.a Non-Discrimination Policy

No officer or employee of the American University of Sharjah shall discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, non-disqualifying handicapping condition, ethnic group, or gender, in any of its programs, activities, contracts, personnel administration practices or any other actions it undertakes. Furthermore, the University will maintain and advance those practices, processes, and circumstances that afford equal opportunity to all individuals. Without limiting this nondiscrimination policy, the American University of Sharjah is committed to complying with all laws that apply to a faculty member’s employment at the University. 

Link to Faculty Handbook

Please see below an excerpt from the AUS Faculty Handbook for further details regarding the faculty grievance procedure.

CHAPTER I: GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

I.1 Purpose

This chapter provides the procedure of the Grievance Code, under which a faculty member who has a complaint against an administrative action or individual(s) at the level of the academic unit, the unit or the central administration is able to seek a remedy within the University. A grievance procedure is a very serious matter and should not be entered into lightly. As responsible citizens of the University community, faculty members should proceed with good faith and should make a sincere effort to resolve conflicts before resorting to the grievance process. Furthermore, resort to the grievance process should occur only for those cases stated within Chapter I (Policy)-Section I.3. A grievance procedure is not a formal judicial proceeding and therefore is not required to comply with rules of evidence that are applicable in a court of law. To the extent that any provision of this code conflicts with any applicable law, the applicable law prevails. Before pursuing remedies outside the University, a faculty member is obligated to exhaust the procedures outlined in this code.

I.2 Outline of Grievance Process

 For the purpose this code, the word “day” refers to working days during Fall and Spring semesters.  The order in which adversarial parties should attempt to solve their disputes is outlined as follows: i. informal attempts at Conflict Resolution  ii. the Notice of Grievance iii. the grievance hearing iv. the report of the Grievance Committee v. the final decision of the Chancellor 

I.3 Formation of the Senate Executive Subcommittee (SES)

As soon as a Notice of Grievance is filed, the Senate Executive Committee shall form a subcommittee (hereinafter SES) of itself. If the grievance notice is filed after the end of week 10 of the Spring semester, the SES may defer, for practical reasons, some or all of its duties until the first day of the following regular semester. The SES will consist of all members of the Senate Executive Committee who are not from the same unit as parties to the grievance. The Chair of the SES shall be the highest-ranking member of the SES.  The SES fulfills the following duties: i. determines within ten (10) days whether or not the complaint is a grievable matter and sends its report in this regard to the Chancellor, to the Provost and Chief Academic Officer and to the grievant The chair of the SES may request additional information from the grievant only to assist the SES in determining whether the complaint is grievable. ii. if the SES determines that the complaint is a grievable matter, with concurrence of the Chancellor and the Provost and Chief Academic Officer, informs the person against whom the grievance is filed and includes a copy of the Notice of Grievance.  If the Chancellor and Provost and Chief Academic Officer do not concur that the complaint is grievable, then the matter ends. iii. selects the members of the Grievance Committee  iv. determines what evidence provided by the grievant is admissible v. provides guidance and direction for the Grievance Committee  vi. reviews the findings and recommendations of the Grievance Committee and identifies any flaws in the grievance procedure vii. ensures the integrity of the grievance process

I.4 Formation of the Grievance Committee

The SES shall by majority vote select a Grievance Committee of five (5) members from the eligible pool of faculty members. The eligible pool of faculty members shall consist of all faculty members who have at least two years of service at the American University of Sharjah and are neither part of the current Faculty Senate Executive Committee nor are members of any unit that is involved in the grievance.  Individuals in the following positions may not serve on a Grievance Committee under this code: all administrators, including the Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Vice Provosts, Deans, Associate Deans, Directors and Department Heads. The committee will elect its own chair. The SES must exercise due diligence that appointees are free of reasonable perceived bias, conflict of interest, or such previous association with the issues that are raised by the grievance and/or close association with the parties to the grievance as would recommend that the appointee not serve.  No person must be involved in the pending grievance process who has rendered a previous judgment on any of the parties to the grievance in the case at hand. The Grievance Committee shall receive a copy of the Notice of Grievance and any supporting documents filed by the parties to the grievance. The Grievance Committee shall also receive the report of the SES stating which matters are grievable. Non-grievable matters as determined by the SES should not be investigated. 

Link to Faculty Handbook

Through its Achievement Academy, AUS recruits and supports students with limited English skills, helping them maximize success in their university, personal and professional experiences. The highly experienced faculty and staff use their professional and pedagogical expertise and their passion for education to create an environment which is both supportive and student-centered. This program was designed to recruit students with a family background that would typically limit their admission to and success at a leading academic institution like AUS. For further information, visit https://www.aus.edu/achievement-academy For faculty and staff hiring, AUS routinely recruits for Emirati Nationals on Emirates Job Bank (EJB), a government-facilitated job portal that enables UAE nationals to apply directly to targeted jobs offered by government entities and the private sector. Emirates Job Bank was launched by H. H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs as part of the implementation of the Cabinet Resolution 10/1 of 2019 that obliges all government entities and private sector to prioritise the employment of UAE nationals in 160 targeted professions to support Emiratisation. To overcome the structural division in the labour market, the UAE Government launched the Emiratisation (Tawteen in Arabic) campaign which mandates the inclusion of Emiratis in the job sector, particularly in the private sector. Emiratisation aims to increase the number of Emiratis in the job market and their contribution to the economy. The UAE encourages the public and private sectors to implement Emiratisation policies at all levels through the establishment of a special department, quota and incentives. For further information please visit https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/vision-2021-and-emiratisation/emiratisation-

In addition to this AUS has appointed a director of Emiratisation considering Emiratisation as an institutional priority. Please refer to the press release below through this link: https://www.aus.edu/media/news/aus-board-of-trustees-approves-new-programs-and-research-centers-sets-emiratization-as-institutional-priority

The Academic Support Center (ASC) assists students with learning disabilities in achieving academic success. The ASC supports first-year students with their transition to AUS and students who are facing academic challenges. The ASC will facilitate academic progression by providing opportunities for advising, skills enhancement, and connections to AUS resources and services. The ASC also coordinates Academic Accommodations for students with documented disabilities that are impacting their academic performance, to the extent permissible by available resources.

For more information visit https://www.aus.edu/academics/asc

The University Counseling Services (UCS) at American University of Sharjah provides free-of-charge psychological support to students, faculty, staff and their families by promoting positive mental health for the community through counseling, crisis intervention, consulting, assessment and referral that are responsive to the individual, cultural and demographic diversity of our community. The AUS counselors are prepared to deal with identity concerns, relationship conflicts, eating issues, anxiety, depression or dealing with grief and loss.

For more information visit https://www.aus.edu/life-at-aus/health-and-wellness/university-health-services/counseling-services