1. The student discusses his or her concern directly with the faculty member or college official involved. The complaint may be made in person or by written contact no later than 10 instructional days following the incident. The appropriate faculty member or college official will have 5 instructional days to attempt to informally reach an agreeable solution.
2. If an agreeable solution is not reached within 5 instructional days as noted above, the student will have 3 instructional days to appeal the issue and report it in writing to the appropriate division director. The division director will have 5 instructional days to investigate the issue and attempt to reach an agreeable solution.
3. If an agreeable solution is not reached within 5 instructional days from receipt of the appeal as noted in step 2, the student will have 3 instructional days to appeal the issue and report it in writing to the appropriate Associate Dean. The Associate Dean will have 5 instructional days to investigate the issue and attempt to reach an agreeable solution.
4. If an agreeable solution is not reached within 5 instructional days from receipt of the appeal as noted in step 3, the student will have 3 instructional days to report the issue to the Dean, Instructional Affairs. The Dean, Instructional Affairs, will have 5 instructional days to investigate the issue and attempt to reach an agreeable solution.
5. If an agreeable solution is not reached within 5 instructional days from receipt of the appeal as noted in step 4, the student will have 3 instructional days to report the issue to the President or the President’s designee. The President or the President’s designee will have 10 instructional days from receipt of the appeal to appoint a fact-finding committee to investigate the issue and attempt to reach an agreeable solution. The decision reached at this level in the process is the final step in the College’s process; however, any student wishing to appeal beyond this point may utilize the State Student Complaint process.

The College has established policies and procedures to resolve student academic grievances that result from the acts or omissions of faculty members or administrators. This resolution should be achieved at the lowest level and in the most equitable way possible. The burden of proof rests with the complainant.

When students believe they have an academic grievance, they should first seek to resolve it by discussions with the faculty member or administrator involved. If these discussions are not satisfactory, the complaint should be taken to the next highest level listed in the following procedures. If the grievance arises from a classroom situation, students should take the following steps in seeking redress:

1. Consult with the instructor involved, in person or by written contact, no later than 12 calendar days following the incident.
2. If agreement on or compromise of the problem is not achieved within 3 instructional days, take the grievance to the appropriate Division Director.
3. If agreement on or compromise of the problem is not achieved within 3 instructional days, take the grievance to the appropriate Associate Dean.
4. If still not satisfied that a fair and equitable solution has been found within 3 instructional days, take academic grievances to the Dean, Instructional Affairs. The Dean will have 5 instructional days to review the case and attempt to find an equitable solution. If still not satisfied, move to step 5.
5. The student should read the Judgments section of this policy carefully before contacting the Director, Student and Campus Services for a hearing before the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee.
6. As a last resort and only after steps 1-5 have been carried out or conscientiously attempted, a student may take a grievance in writing to the Director, Student and Campus Services and the chairperson of the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee. The grievance must be filed within 20 instructional class days of the term following that in which the grievance occurred.

No instructor or administrator shall be allowed to delay resolution of an academic grievance by failing to hold a consultation with a student within a reasonable length of time of the initial request. Normally, such consultation should occur immediately after receipt of the student request, unless bona fide reasons, such as illness, personal emergency, or campus absences for professional reasons make the time limit unreasonable.

In some instances when the personalities or problem involved would make starting at the level of the complaint too awkward or embarrassing, students may initiate a complaint at the next higher level listed.

Types of Grievances

The role of the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee shall be to hear academic grievances, to hear academic appeals for students who have been suspended from the College for academic reasons, and to provide input on College policies.

The chairperson shall be the administrative officer of the committee. The chairperson’s duties shall include arranging appropriate times and places for committee meetings and hearings; informing committee members of the times and places of committee meetings and hearings; informing, in writing, all interested parties of the times and places of committee hearings that they are requested to attend and supplying them with a statement of alleged grievances; informing all other interested parties that a grievance is pending; securing and distributing to the committee written material appropriate for its consideration; arranging for recording of committee proceedings; maintaining committee records that are to be kept in a permanent file in the Office of the Director, Student and Campus Services; and informing, in writing, appropriate individuals of the decisions of the committee.

Members of the committee may at any time disqualify themselves from consideration of any given case(s) because of personal bias. A simple majority of members present may rule on any request or issue before the committee.

Either party to the hearing may request of the chairperson, in writing, that any member or members of the committee be excluded from consideration of the case. Such a request must be for just cause and be brought to the chairperson’s attention as the first step in the hearing.

Judgments

Each Admissions and Academic Standards Committee may establish and publish its own procedures in accordance with provisions for academic due process and in accordance with the stipulation stated below.

The only people present at meetings of the committee shall be committee members, parties to the action being considered by the committee and their representatives (not to exceed 2), witnesses actually testifying before the committee, and 2 representatives of the Student Affairs Division. The College and the complainant may have an attorney present during the hearing. The attorneys may only advise. They may not cross examine, question, or address the committee in any way.

The committee, as a whole, shall arrange for a swift and comprehensive investigation of the matter under consideration. It will then decide, on the basis of written statements and discussions presented by the complainant and respondent, and review of evidence, whether or not sufficient grounds exist to hear a case and whether or not the committee will accept written statements in lieu of personal appearances by witnesses. If the committee decides that no sufficient grounds exist to hear a case and subsequently closes the case, it shall notify the complainant and respondent in writing as to the reasons for its actions.

If the committee determines that the case merits further consideration, the parties involved shall be informed in writing; consulted as to the possibility of correcting the situation; and, if a hearing is still required, be advised in writing of the scheduled time and place of the hearing.

At the hearing, the complainant, individuals directly involved, and witnesses may testify and be questioned by the opposite party and committee members. Only evidence presented in the hearings may be considered in the final judgment. Written statements by witnesses in lieu of personal appearance shall not be allowed except in rare instances. A record of the hearing, tape recorded or otherwise preserved, shall be reserved for reference and review until the case has been resolved finally.

1. The student discusses his or her concern directly with the college official involved. The complaint may be made in person or by written contact no later than 10 instructional days following the incident. The college official will have 5 instructional days to attempt to informally reach an agreeable solution.
2. If an agreeable solution is not reached within 5 instructional days as noted above, the student will have 3 instructional days to appeal the issue and report it in writing to the appropriate immediate supervisor. The immediate supervisor will have 5 instructional days to investigate the issue and attempt to reach an agreeable solution.
3. If an agreeable solution is not reached within 5 instructional days from receipt of the appeal as noted in step 2, the student will have 3 instructional days to appeal and report the issue in writing to the dean of the division. The dean of the division will have 5 instructional days to investigate the issue and attempt to reach an agreeable solution.
4. If an agreeable solution is not reached within 5 instructional days from receipt of the appeal as noted in step 3, the student will have 3 instructional days to appeal the issue and report it in writing to the President or the President’s designee. The President or President’s designee will have 10 instructional days from receipt of the appeal to appoint a fact-finding committee to investigate the issue and attempt to reach an agreeable solution. The decision reached at this level in the process is the final step in the College’s process; however, any student wishing to appeal beyond this point may utilize the State Student Complaint process on page 240.

Any student who is uncertain of which college official to report a complaint under this section should seek guidance from the Director, Student and Campus Services.