Concern and Grievance Pathways for Clinical (MD) Faculty

• For urgent safety concerns, faculty members should contact 9-1-1 immediately or contact Campus Safety.

• Campus Safety – Special Constable service at the University which responds to emergency situations and offers pro-active safety services, including “Work Alone” and TravelSafe programs.

  • St. George
  • Mississauga
  • Scarborough
• Community Safety Office – offers support and assistance to students, staff and faculty members who have personal safety concerns. 
• Clinical Site - Clinical (MD) Faculty may also wish to apprise their clinical site security service.

• If faculty wish, and feel comfortable, they can start by having an informal conversation with their Department Chair
• Full Time and Part Time Clinical Faculty can move to Stage 2 of the Clinical Faculty Grievance Procedure as outlined in the Procedure Manual for the Policy for Clinical (MD) Faculty (see Section 5 and Section 6)
• Adjunct faculty are advised to contact their Department Chair, or the Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs and Professional Values

• Full Time Clinical Faculty can initiate Stage 1 of the Clinical Faculty Grievance Procedure as outlined in the Procedure Manual for the Policy for Clinical (MD) Faculty (see Section 5 and Section 6).
• For Part Time Clinical Faculty, the Dean may extend access to the (Clinical Faculty) Academic Clinical Tribunal if the clinical faculty member can provide written evidence that the clinical faculty member’s circumstances meet the criteria for access set out in Sections 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.2.1 of the Procedures Manual.

• If faculty wish, and feel comfortable, they can start by having an informal conversation with their Department Chair
• Faculty are also encouraged to contact the Division of the Vice President, Research and Innovation through the General Inquiries: Research Integrity Pathway at research.integrity@utoronto.ca

• If faculty wish, and feel comfortable, they can start by having an informal conversation with their Department Chair
• If faculty choose to proceed with further disclosure or making a formal report, they can do so in accordance with the process outlined in the Standards of Professional Behaviour for Clinical (MD) Faculty.

• All concerns related to practice plans are to follow the dispute resolution processed outlined within the plan.
• For concerns regarding conformity that are not resolved through the practice plan dispute resolution process, section 4.3 of the Procedure Manual for the Policy for Clinical (MD) Faculty states:
  • The Department Chair will advise the Dean annually on the compliance with core principles of all the conforming academic practice plans involving members of their University Department.
  • Where the Department Chair is also the head of a conforming academic practice plan or a member of the plan’s Executive, the Chair must recuse them self and arrange for the review to be done by another Department Chair approved by the Dean. Department Chairs have a responsibility to work with colleagues in developing a consensus on the interpretation of the principles for the specific contexts in which faculty members work. 
  • Where concerns about conformity with the principles arise from review of documentation, the reviewing Chair will first seek to resolve non-compliance by collegial consultation with the practice plan leaders and participants. 
  • Where these concerns cannot be resolved by consultation, the Chair will proceed to notify the Dean in writing about the points of non-conformity. The notification will be copied to the relevant conforming academic practice plan leaders, Medical Staff Association Presidents, and hospital administration. 
  • If the points of contention cannot be resolved in 30 working days (six weeks) from the date of notice, the Dean will meet promptly with the conforming academic practice plan Executive to address the matter. 
  • In the event of continued disagreement about compliance, potential steps to be taken will include, in order, the Dean meeting jointly with the hospital administration and practice plan leaders, and the Vice-Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions meeting with the hospital board. It is understood that participation in a conforming academic practice plan (or equivalent) is necessary for maintenance of appointment status. 

• If faculty wish, and feel comfortable, they can explore options in an informal conversation with their Department Chair.
• Faculty are also encouraged to contact the Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office at antiracism@utoronto.ca or 416-978-1259.
• The Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID) within the Temerty Faculty of Medicine is also available to provide support and discuss options. Please note that OID is not an intake office for lodging and investigating complaints.

• For concerns regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment, faculty are encouraged to contact the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre at svpscentre@utoronto.ca or 416-978-2266.

The Office of the University Ombudsperson (OUO) is devoted to ensuring procedural fairness and just and reasonable outcomes at the University of Toronto. The OUO offers impartial, confidential advice and assistance to students, faculty, and staff on all three campuses who believe they are being treated unfairly by the University or who need information on processes or policies related to their concern. The OUO typically cannot start an inquiry until all existing University processes have been exhausted, but can offer advice and referrals to appropriate resources and processes. Matters are dealt with in strict confidence and will not be discussed with anyone without your written approval. For more information about our services and how to contact the office visit the U of T Ombudsperson webpage.