Employees and students who do not feel safe in their work or study, or who (have) experience(d) undesirable behavior, can amongst others contact a confidential advisor. A confidential advisor listens to your story and discusses with you what options are available to do something about the situation. Additionally, the confidential advisor can help you with any follow-up steps. One of the follow-up steps may be to involve the external Complaints Committee for Undesirable Behaviour.
Complaints Committee
Does the situation remain unchanged? Or is the perceived undesirable behaviour serious? Then you can submit a complaint with the aforementioned Complaints Committee. The Complaints Committee consists of experts in the field of undesirable behaviour and these experts are not affiliated to Radboud University. The Complaints Committee is also not affiliated to Radboud University and is therefore external.
A complaint about undesirable behaviour can be submitted directly to this external Complaints Committee or to the Executive Board (it will forward the complaint).
How does the Complaints Committee work?
The procedure of the Complaints Committee is laid down in the Radboud University Undesirable Behaviour Complaints Procedure. This includes how to file a complaint, what the complaint should contain as a minimum and how the complaint will be handled. For example, a complaint must be submitted in writing. The complaint must include your name, the name of the staff member or student concerned, and a description of the undesirable behavior. If you want to share something that helps clarify the situation—such as emails, notes, or reports—you may include them. The confidential advisor can assist you in drafting the complaint.
The hearings of the Complaint Committee are closed (not public) and takes place behind closed doors. The accused will have the opportunity to respond to the complaint in writing, and the complainant and the accused are heard (separately) at a hearing. Generally, the investigation is completed within eight weeks after receiving the complaint, and the Complaints Committee issues its report to the Executive Board.
The Executive Board takes a decision in response to the report by the Complaint Committee on the agenda of the next possible meeting of the Executive Board. Within seven days after this decision the Executive Boards sends its decision in writing to the complainant and the accused and the Complaints Committee.
When?
You can submit a complaint if you experience(d) undesirable behaviour in your study or working environment. This includes activities organized by the university (inside or outside the campus), such as conferences, meetings, or a team event outside the campus.
In principle, a complaint can be submitted within 5 years of the occurrence of the undesirable behaviour, unless it is a complaint about sexual harassment (in which case more time may have passed). Also in other situations, the Complaints Committee is allowed to decide that a complaint should still be dealt with after the 5-year period.
Where?
A complaint can be submitted by sending an email to klachtencommissie [at] gimd.nl (klachtencommissie[at]gimd[dot]nl). The Complaints Committee can also be contacted by post:
Gimd
Attn: Radboud University Complaints Committee
Sixmastraat 66
8932 PA Leeuwarden
Complaints can also be submitted to the Executive Board by sending an email to bestuurssecretariaat [at] cvb.ru.nl (bestuurssecretariaat[at]cvb[dot]ru[dot]nl) or by post: PO Box 9102, 6500 HC Nijmegen. The Executive Board will forward the complaint to the Complaints Committee.
If the complaint is submitted by post, please indicate on the envelope 'Personal and confidential'.