A Standing Committee on Rights and Responsibilities (SCRR) comprised of voting members of the Faculty of Medicine of diverse experience is appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. Each member serves a three-year term, with the possibility of reappointment. These terms are staggered so that each year, approximately one-third of the Committee will retire, and new members will be appointed. The Chair and of the HMS Promotion and Review Board (PRB) and the Dean for Students serve as ex-officio members when student appeals are being considered by the SCRR. The remaining members comprise a diverse group drawn from the voting members of the Faculty who have demonstrated interest and involvement in training or teaching of medical students.
Members of the SCRR will be designated, as needed, to function as members of the following reviewing bodies:
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Appeals Panel under the Procedures for Consideration of Academic Performance (Section 4.07);
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Appeals Panels under the Procedures for Consideration of Unprofessional Conduct (Section 4.08); and
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Grievance and Appeals Panels under the Procedures for Resolving Complaints of Discrimination, Abusive or Intimidating Behavior, or Unprofessional Relations and Abuse of Authority (Section 7.16).
When additional or special expertise would be useful, the Dean may designate other members of the senior faculty of the University to serve on these Panels.
Note on cases involving allegations of sexual and gender-based harassment and other sexual misconduct.
As set forth in Section 7.16 of the Handbook, Harvard Medical School has adopted the University-wide Interim Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy and Interim Other Sexual Misconduct Policy. In addition, the University’s Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment policy addresses sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct alleged to have occurred between September 2, 2014 and August 14, 2020. Copies of all policies and their associated grievance procedures can be found here. In all such cases, the Harvard University Office for Dispute Resolution (“ODR”) and the Harvard University Title IX Office are responsible for implementing the University’s grievance procedures, which will determine whether a student committed a policy violation. Whenever a formal complaint of sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct is investigated, and the University’s grievance procedures result in a finding that a policy violation has occurred, the PRB must accept that finding as final and non-reviewable. The only opportunity to appeal the determination of a policy violation is provided within the grievance procedures implemented by the ODR and the Harvard University Title IX Office. Appeals within HMS pertain only to the decision of the PRB in determining discipline.
Updated 10/12/20