Allegations of Unprofessional Behavior or Conduct

"With compassion, equity, and support, our goal is to promote values-driven behavior in the workplace through tiered, standardized restorative action plans.”

The Office for Faculty Relations (OFR) receives allegations of unprofessional behavior or conduct through a variety of channels. OFR examines and manages all allegations, interprets policy, maintains a record of precedent, and ensures that the level assigned, and the performance improvement action, is appropriate.

The Process:

Individuals may complete the form or schedule an intake with OFR staff by sending an email to FacultyRelations@CUAnschutz.edu to report a concern related to unprofessional behavior or conduct of a School of Medicine faculty member.
Faculty Relations contacts individuals who make reports to gather additional information and determine if the concern is in scope, should be referred elsewhere, or does not meet criteria for School of Medicine action.
The Vanderbilt framework is used to determine the appropriate level of restorative action. An overview of the process is shown in the below table.

Level	Action
Level 1 Single incident, not egregious, not mandatory reporting	Meet with referring party: Obtain information, review for merit. Meet with responding party, explore stressors, set expectations. General communication back to referring party.
Level 2 >1 incident	Level 1 action plus: Inform supervisor, obtain additional information. Behavior acknowledged by respondent. – Conduct & Values Commitment Recommend respondent participate in training + timeline. Respondent e-mail agreed upon action plan + timeline w. supervisor, cc’d Office of Faculty Relations (OFR). Behavior refuted by respondent OFR vets allegation by meeting with at least one observing party (limited inquiry). Behavior confirmed: as per behavior acknowledged. Behavior not confirmed: Bad faith reporting explored
Level 3 Persistent pattern or Single egregious event	Level 1 action plus: Inform supervisor, obtain additional information. Behavior acknowledged – Conduct & Values Contract Action plan w/timeline co-created with respondent & OFR, approved by Personnel Affairs Committee (PAC), and sent to supervisor & chair. Behavior refuted – Expanded Inquiry. OFR vets allegation by meeting with ≥1 observing party and others who work with the respondent, provides summary of meetings to supervisor & PAC Behavior confirmed: Action plan w/timeline approved by PAC, sent to supervisor & chair, and Letter of Expectation (LOE) Behavior not confirmed: Bad faith reporting explored
Level 4 No change in behavior	Level 3 action plus, if behavior acknowledged/confirmed: Dept. Chair, Dean and relevant Senior Associate Dean informed. Letter of Discipline: LOE elements with termination or other disciplinary action

Data

No. of reports faculty acknowledge/confirmed and remediated.
No. of bad faith reporting by faculty
Actions taken
Recidivism

FAQ

The Personnel Affairs Committee (PAC), a small group that includes HR, University Counsel, Risk Management, and the Chief Medical Officers of Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado Hospital, is involved in verified allegations of unprofessional conduct at Level 3 and above.

All Office for Faculty Relations and Personnel Affairs Committee members participate in bi-annual implicit bias training. Referrals are deidentified prior to review by Personnel Affairs Committee and restorative action plans are analyzed yearly by available demographic data to help ensure equity.

Tools & Resources

CU Campuses

CU Anschutz Medical Campus

Offices for the Faculty Experience

School of Medicine

Allegations of Unprofessional Behavior or Conduct

"With compassion, equity, and support, our goal is to promote values-driven behavior in the workplace through tiered, standardized restorative action plans.”

FAQ

School of Medicine

Allegations of Unprofessional Behavior or Conduct

"With compassion, equity, and support, our goal is to promote values-driven behavior in the workplace through tiered, standardized restorative action plans.”

FAQ

Where does Faculty Relations fit into the organizational structure of the School of Medicine?

How is Office for Faculty Relations different from Ombuds Office?

Who else is involved in allegations of unprofessional conduct?

When are Department Chairs notified of divisional/section referrals?

What happens if a faculty member refuses to meet with Office for Faculty Relations staff?

What defines unprofessional conduct at Level 3 or above?

How can I make a report of unprofessional behavior?

What kind of information does a reporter of unprofessional behavior in a colleague receive?

What kinds of behaviors are reported to the Office for Faculty Relations?

How does the Office for Faculty Relations limit implicit bias in reviewing incidents?

What happens during an inquiry?

Does the Office for Faculty Relations address allegations of student unprofessional behavior?

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