C. Determine Whether There Have Been Procedural Errors

Read your university's policies and procedures manual carefully to determine whether proper procedures were consistently followed. If there was bias in evaluating your case, this subjectivity may have affected how the evaluation process was handled. A failure to follow documented procedures exposes an institution to liability. If your analysis uncovers procedural discrepancies, promptly document which procedures were not followed and how. Common types of procedural infractions include:

1.	Refusal of a department chair to provide a written summary of the department's evaluation when the policy manual states that the candidate has the opportunity to receive a written summary of the substance of his or her review
2.	Not being informed of an initial negative decision and thus being prevented from exercising your stated right to submit a written response,
3.	Denial of a timely review when the policy manual calls for the committee to conduct the review in a timely manner,
4.	Prevention from obtaining your confidential personnel file if the policy manual entitles you to receive it,
5.	Failure on the part of the review committee to determine your role in published work of joint authorship when the policy manual states that it is the responsibility of the department chairperson to establish this as clearly as possible, and
6.	Failure on the part of the review committee to exercise reasonable flexibility in balancing heavier commitments and responsibilities in one area against lighter commitments and responsibilities in another when the policy manual states that such flexibility must be applied.

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