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02-026 Academic Grievance Procedure

I. SCOPE

Both faculty and students have joint responsibilities in maintaining academic integrity. Conducive to learning is a precept of fair evaluation of academic work and a concern for human dignity.  It is expected that all parties involved regarding issues related to individual course assignments or course concerns can resolve such issues respectfully at the student-faculty level or student-faculty-Director/Department Chairperson level. If the student is not satisfied with the individual grade resolution, they may reach out to their Academic Dean for further consideration.

 II. POLICY STATEMENT

The purpose of this procedure is to provide a prompt, equitable, and efficient method for resolution of student grievance related to a final course grade.

III. POLICY

An academic grievance is a complaint by a student:

1. That there has been a violation, misinterpretation, or inequitable application of the academic regulations of the College, faculty, School or Department as written in the Policies & Procedures Manual, Personnel Handbook for Faculty and Professional Staff, Academic Catalog, Student Handbook, the By-laws of the School and/or Department, and the respective faculty member’s class handouts; or
2. That the student has been treated unfairly or inequitably by reason of any act or condition which is contrary to the College’s established academic policy or practice governing or affecting students. 

Under no circumstances may a grade be grieved if the student simply disagrees with an instructor about the quality of the student’s work.  A final grade may be grieved only when the student alleges that the instructor was acting unrelated to the quality of the work in question.  

NOTE: In any grievance alleging discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction, the student should pursue the Discrimination and Harassment Complaint Procedure.

Responsibility

To substantiate the existence of an academic grievance:

1. The student must demonstrate the presence of an academic inequity or injustice;
2. The student must establish that the specified alleged incident(s) caused the academic inequity or injustice; and
3. The student must be able to recommend a resolution of the grievance.

IV. DEFINITIONS

None

V. OTHER RELATED INFORMATION

None

VI. PROCEDURES

All academic grievances will be initiated as soon as possible, but no later than ten class days after the subsequent semester begins. All grievances will proceed in accordance with the time limitations indicated in each step, except as follows:

An extension or delay at any step will be permitted provided there is mutual written agreement between the principal parties at the procedural step involved, e.g., at step two between the student, the Department Chairperson, and the Instructor.

Step One

The student initiating a complaint shall contact the faculty member involved and attempt to resolve the grievance. If the grievance is not satisfactorily resolved within five class days, the student shall inform the faculty member IN WRITING that the student will proceed to Step Two.

Step Two

The student shall have the right to appeal to the Director/Department Chairperson of the Department in which the faculty member involved is located.  The complaint must be submitted in writing to the Director/Department Chairperson and the faculty member within five class days after the exhaustion of Step One review. The written complaint must clearly and concisely state the facts that initiated the complaint and must also recommend a solution of the grievance.  The Director/Department Chairperson, in consultation with the faculty member and student involved, shall attempt to achieve a mutually acceptable resolution of the grievance, and shall prepare a written summary of the meeting for all parties concerned within five class days. If the grievance is not resolved within five class days following receipt of the appeal, the student shall have the right to proceed to Step Three.

Step Three

The student shall present the grievance in writing within five class days after the exhaustion of the Step Two review to the Academic Dean of the school in which the faculty member involved is located. The Dean, in consultation with the Director/Department Chairperson, faculty member and student involved, shall attempt to achieve a mutually acceptable resolution of the grievance. The Academic Dean shall prepare a written summary of the meeting and the resolution/outcome and make a final decision within 5 class days, which will be communicated to the student, the faculty member, and the Director/Department Chairperson.

Appeal Process

The student has the right to appeal the decision of the Academic Dean and may make this request by emailing the Provost's Office at provostoffice@canton.edu. The Academic Dean will be asked to provide their written summary and all supporting materials from Step Three to the Provost's Office. The Provost's Office will prepare all the documents and pull together a committee for a hearing.

The hearing shall be conducted by an Ad Hoc Academic Grievance Committee composed of:

1. One faculty member of the Academic Standards Committee. The faculty member may not be a member of the school in which the grieved faculty member resides. This faculty member will be appointed by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs and will serve as committee chairperson.
2. One student member of the Student Faculty Judicial Board appointed by the President of the Student Government Association.
3. One member of the Student Affairs Staff appointed by the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students.

The student is afforded the opportunity to select a support person to accompany them to the hearing. The support person is not anyone who has been or is currently involved with an academic grievance. The supporter may: (a) attend the formal hearing with the student; and (b) advise the student during the formal hearing in writing or quiet conversation. The supporter cannot: (a) present the student's case, or (b) ask questions or respond to the Academic Grievance Committee during the hearing. Any supporter who violates these rules may be asked to leave the formal hearing.

The Committee will convene within five class days following receipt of the appeal. The Provost's Office will send procedural information regarding the hearing to the committee, the faculty member, and the student involved. All written materials will be available to this body. The student and/or the faculty member involved may request or be requested by the Committee to provide further testimony in the conduct of its review. Each party shall have the opportunity to respond to new testimony.

In the event the student or the faculty member fails to appear at the hearing, the committee will proceed and reach a determination based on the information provided.

After review of all materials and final deliberation, the Committee will render a decision; the decision is final.

VII. FORMS

None

VIII. AUTHORITY

None

IX. HISTORY

None

X. APPENDICES

This information is copied and pasted into the body of an email which gets sent to everyone involved in the hearing. All materials from both the student and the faculty member are included in the email as well.

PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED DURING HEARING IF AN APPEAL IS FILED

The composition of the hearing committee for the appeal process to an academic grievance is established on pages XX-XX in the Student Handbook, as is the time frame and possible resolutions.  This memo will outline the procedure which will be followed.

Please note: If the student or the faculty member does not attend, this hearing will still be conducted in absentia.

The committee will convene on (Date, time and place) in brief executive session. All written materials affected in Steps 2 and 3 will be available to this body. The professor and student and if applicable, anyone who may be accompanying the student for support, will be invited to join the committee to commence the hearing.

The student will have five minutes to present their statement of facts. It is recommended that this be done from a prepared statement in order to be as efficient and cogent as possible.

The professor will have five minutes to present their statement of facts.

Following this, the student will have one minute to address points made by the professor, but not to ask any questions of them. Then the professor will have one minute to address the student’s statement, but not to ask any questions of them.

When the statements and rebuttals are complete, the student, the professor, and committee members may ask questions after being recognized by the Chair. The student and the professor are not permitted to ask questions of the committee.

At the conclusion the student has one minute to make a summary statement. Then the professor has one minute to make a summary statement. At that point both parties will leave the hearing and the committee will go into executive session to review the information provided.

The Academic Grievance Committee will render a decision; the decision is final. The Provost’s Office will inform all parties involved in writing within two business days.

All parties involved (faculty, staff, students, anyone else present during testimony) are reminded of the confidential nature of these proceedings. No data, details of deliberations, or personal student information may be released outside this committee.  The audiotape of these proceedings will be kept in the office of the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs for a period of three years, at which point it will be destroyed.

XI. FREQUENCY OF REVIEW AND UPDATE

Policies will have a normal review period of every five (5) years unless required otherwise.

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