1470                                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                                       Ch. 382

4

to five in § 13-1A-03 within the prescribed time limits] TWO AND

THREE OF THE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE.

(e) (1) If an employee is suspended without pay pending a
hearing on disposition of charges for removal, the Chancellor or
the Chancellor's designated representative shall notify the
employee in writing of the reasons for the suspension at the time
of the notice of the suspension.

(2)  Within 5 working days of the notice of
suspension, the employee may request in writing that the
[Chancellor] PRESIDENT or the [Chancellor's] PRESIDENT'S
designated representative, in addition to conducting a hearing on
the merits, conduct a preliminary hearing to determine whether or
not the employee may continue to work with pay pending the
disposition of the charges.

(3)  The [Chancellor] PRESIDENT or the [Chancellor's]
PRESIDENT'S designated representative shall conduct a preliminary
hearing within 5 working days after the [Chancellor] PRESIDENT or
the [Chancellor's] PRESIDENT'S designated representative receives
in writing the request from the suspended employee for the
preliminary hearing.

(4)  The preliminary hearing shall be limited to the
issues of:

(i) Whether suspension without pay is necessary
to protect the interests of the University of Maryland or the
employee pending final disposition of the charges; and

(ii) Whether other employment and status
alternatives should be considered.

including:

(5) At the preliminary hearing, the employee may:

(i) Rebut the reasons given for the suspension;

(ii) Allege mitigating circumstances; and
(iii) Offer alternatives to the suspension,

1.  Return to the position with pay;

2.  Transfer to another position with pay;

or

3. Suspension with pay.

(6) Within 5 days after the preliminary hearing is
completed, the [Chancellor] PRESIDENT or the [Chancellor's]
PRESIDENT'S designated representative shall render a written
decision that is conclusive as to the issue of whether or not the

i