Higher Education

We Help Wisconsin College and University Employees Protect & Defend Their Workplace Rights Hawks Quindel’s labor and employment attorneys have a long history representing clients in higher education. Professors, researchers and other academic faculty and staff of the University of Wisconsin System, as well as those of private Wisconsin colleges and universities like Marquette University, Beloit College, and Lawerence University, regularly turn to Hawks Quindel’s attorneys for assistance with a variety of matters unique to academic professions.

We Help Wisconsin Academic Employees Negotiate Work Issues

Academic staff experience unique and specific employment challenges unlike those found in other workplace arenas. These include:

Negotiating and reviewing Appointment Letters
Workload creep
Unclear or unfulfilled promises by a chair or supervisor
Evolving tenure rules
Unwarranted defamation, bullying, or sexual harassment from peers or supervisors
Delays in continuing or permanent appointments
Office / department politics
Hostile work environment
Academic freedom of speech and expression
Settlement/severance agreements

Wisconsin employment attorneys unfamiliar with academic procedures, rules, and norms have difficulty navigating the academic playing field. The employment attorneys at Hawks Quindel are well-versed in the laws, policies and procedures governing employees at institutions of higher learning.

We Help Professors Navigate Changes to Tenure Rules

The University of Wisconsin System is governed by a Board of Regents which sets policies and rules under the authority of State statute. It follows that these policies and rules are influenced by political forces, resulting in frequent updates on the law. While many believe tenure and tenured professionals are immune from these political whims, that is simply not the case.

We Understand Institutional Policies & Procedures

Faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison also participate in shared governance pursuant to Faculty Policies and Procedures. These policies and procedures govern appointments of faculty members as well as the granting of tenure, among other things. They set forth notice and appeal rights, as well as terms and conditions of employment such as leaves of absence and retirement procedures.

We Represent Academic Staff Before Governance Boards & Committees

Academic staff at our public institutions of higher learning are critical to the success of all UW campuses. They participate in “self governance” which includes extensive policies and procedures applicable to their employment and specific to their campus. For example, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Academic Staff Policies and Procedures provide for layoff, discipline and dismissal, complaints, and performance reviews, among other areas specific to this group of employees. The universities and colleges maintain committees of academic staff members which hears and adjudicates many of these issues. The attorneys of Hawks Quindel have extensive experience with representing academic staff members before these decision-makers and against university legal counsel.

Hawks Quindel Helps Academics Solve Critical Employment Legal Problems

The world of higher education is complex and filled with legal, technical, and political subtleties. We are attorneys expert in researching, navigating, and strategizing complex academic workplace legal problems to help you succeed. Contact us to begin a helpful conversation towards solving your challenges. Please call a Madison employment attorney directly at (608) 257-0040 or a Milwaukee employment contract attorney at (414) 271-8650, or email us via our Contact Page.