2024-2025 Graduate Catalog


Academic Grievance Procedure

The academic grievance procedure shall be used in all cases involving grievances by students involving faculty or other students concerning alleged academic injustices relating to grades, or unprofessional conduct.

Step 1
The student shall take a complaint to the instructor within two weeks into the following term (mid-February for Fall or Interim issues; mid-September for Summer or Spring issues.) If the student feels unable to approach the instructor, the grievance may be taken to the Program Director of the program in which the student is enrolled (if the instructor is the Program Director, the grievance should be taken to the Dean of the School associated with the program the student is enrolled in). If the grievance is redressed or the student is satisfied in this meeting with the instructor or the Program Director/Dean, the matter is settled.

Step 2
If the student is dissatisfied with the instructor's response to the grievance the student may take the grievance to the Program Director of the program in which the student is enrolled or to the Dean of the School associated with the program the student is enrolled in if the instructor is the program director. This appeal must be brought within one week of the unsatisfactory response to the initial statement of grievance. The program director (or the dean) shall require the student to submit the grievance in written form and shall ask for a written response from the instructor involved. On the basis of this information and any other that the program director (or dean) shall judge pertinent, they shall render a decision. This decision shall be given to the student in writing and a written record of the decision and its basis must be kept by the program director and shared with the instructor. If the student and the instructor are satisfied, the matter is settled.

Step 3
If the student or the instructor feels dissatisfied with the decision regarding the grievance rendered by the program director (or dean), either may appeal the decision to the Dean of the School (or Provost if the dean rendered the decision) within one week of the unsatisfactory decision. This appeal must be in writing and must indicate why an appeal should be heard. The Dean (or Provost) shall ask the program director (or dean) for the written record of the grievance procedure to that point. Through consultation with the Provost (or Registrar if the Dean initiated the prior decision), the grievance shall be reviewed and the appeal considered. The decision of this appeal body shall be final.