Procedures

Any member of the DePaul community may bring an issue regarding working conditions or human rights issues related to DePaul's contracts and contractors to the Fair Business Practices Committee.  Individual members of the Committee also have standing to present an issue to the committee. The committee will not grant standing to individuals or groups that are not part of the DePaul community.

The individual or group bears the burden to present an argument that the working conditions or human rights issues in question violates DePaul's mission and values and, where applicable, DePaul's Code of Conduct for Licensees Policy. The presenting group must provide initial evidence in support of its claims.

The committee will accept cases related to working conditions or human rights issues at DePaul's licensees or contractors that either involves DePaul in a systemic violation of the mission and/or violation of the Code of Conduct for Licensees Policy.  The committee reserves the right to determine which cases will and will not be accepted. The Committee will not deal with individual cases of mistreatment or criminal activity within the University, with internal conflicts within units of the university and other cases which, according to DePaul policies, are referred to such persons/offices as the Ombudsperson, the Sexual Harassment officer, Public Safety, Internal Audit, Office of Compliance, Office of Institutional Diversity, Human Resources, or the Student Judicial Board.

Cases will be accepted for examination if they are deemed by a vote of the committee as within the charge of the committee, significantly affecting or involving the University because it: Potentially is in violation of the DePaul Code of Conduct for Licensees Policy, or Potentially is in clear contradiction to the University's mission, or Potentially offers an opportunity to enhance the University's pursuit of its mission without compromising other vital interests, or Is presented with enough evidence in the judgment of the committee to warrant further examination

In cases that are not accepted for examination, the presenter has the option of returning to the committee with a request for a rehearing if the presenter can substantiate that it has accumulated further evidence of an alleged violation.

The committee reserves the right to reject cases brought before it, prioritize cases that it accepts for examination, set a timeline for the investigation, and cease an examination. In cases that are accepted, the committee will inform the affected areas and seek their feedback and comments before the examination process begins.

In examinations, the committee generally will (a) designate a case manager for each case that is accepted for examination, (b) invite the presenting individual or group to present a "white paper" substantiating its position (the committee will provide guidelines for this paper derived from the nature of the case), (c) consult with the leadership in the University unit directly affected by or involved with the business practice in question, (d) research relevant local, regional or national organization that focuses on the ethics of the business practice in question if such a body exists, (e) with the consent of the President, solicit input from community stakeholders, and (d) make recommendations to the President when deemed appropriate.

This section is a summary overview of the official policy and does not fully describe the steps of the investigation process. With the consent of the President, the Committee reserves the right to amend, modify, or truncate the examination process in response to the demands of a particular case.

If you have questions about the Committee or would like to submit a case for consideration, please email the Chair of the Committee at fbpc@depaul.edu