Code of Student Life

Sections

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1. Purpose
2. Initial Procedures
3. Student Grievance Committee
4. Grievance Hearing
5. Acceptance of the Student Grievance Committee's Report

APPENDIX IV-UNIVERSITY STUDENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

1. PURPOSE

   1. The following procedures are intended to provide a process for resolving student grievances in a prompt and equitable manner without prejudice, discrimination, or malice toward the person or persons initiating the complaint. Fundamental to the process is the principle that all parties have made a good-faith effort to resolve the grievance prior to initiating this process.
      Any student shall have the opportunity to have his/her grievance, regardless of its nature, heard according to the student grievance procedure. If a student formally initiates this process, he/she waives the right to have his/her grievance heard before any other University grievance channel (i.e. classified employee grievance procedure, faculty grievance procedure, etc.). Furthermore, if a student formally initiates the process before any other University grievance channel, he/she waives the right to utilize the student grievance procedure.

2. INITIAL PROCEDURES

   1. When a student believes there has been a violation as outlined above and contacts the vice president for student services (VPSS), who then directs students to communicate concerns with their department head. If the grievance is against the VPSS, students are to communicate concerns with the provost of the University.
   2. If the violation has not been resolved at this point, students may formally initiate this process by submitting the allegation in writing to the VPSS (provost) within 30 working days of the discovery of the alleged violation. The written allegation shall include a detailed description of the grievance and the names of the other parties involved.
   3. The VPSS (provost) then contacts the other party(ies) involved and requests written statements concerning the allegation to be received within seven (7) working days.
   4. The VPSS (provost) then forwards all written statements and any other relevant materials to the Student Grievance Committee within seven (7) working days.
   5. Note: Working days are as defined by the University. Summer session working days are not counted in this procedure unless agreed to by all parties.

3. STUDENT GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE

   1. The University Student Grievance Committee is appointed for an academic year (fall and spring). This committee is comprised of one (1) staff member appointed by the Staff Council with an alternate also named; two (2) faculty members appointed by the provost/vice president for academic affairs with alternates also named; and three (3) students appointed by the student body president with alternates also named. The secretary will be the VPSS’s secretary (assistant to the provost) and will be an ex-officio/non-voting member and legal counsel (ex-officio/non-voting on an “as needed” basis). There must be four (4) members of the committee present to establish a quorum.

4. GRIEVANCE HEARING

   1. The secretary of the committee shall inform both parties in writing of the time, day and place of the hearing at least seven (7) working days prior to the hearing. Each party will receive copies of all documents received by the committee at least two (2) working days prior to the hearing. The hearing shall be closed, and witnesses for either side may be called to testify. All present, for whatever length of time, shall consider the proceedings and deliberations to be confidential, both during and after the hearing. A confidential recording of the proceedings will be retained by the chairperson of the committee until the final report is written and said recording shall be deposited with the VPSS’s secretary (assistant to the provost).
   2. Each party of the disagreement may select one person to appear with him/her and offer support and advice. Each party shall have the right to present documentation, to call witnesses and to question witnesses including witnesses for the other side.
   3. Upon completion of the hearing, the chairperson shall, within seven (7) working days, submit a written report of the committee’s findings and recommendations to both parties and to the University president. Each member of the committee shall sign the report and indicate individual agreement or disagreement with it.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF THE STUDENT GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE'S REPORT

   1. If the University president accepts the committee’s report, the committee’s decisions become final and the president is charged with overseeing the implementation of any and all recommendations contained in the report.
   2. If the University president does not accept the committee’s report, he/she shall, within seven (7) working days, inform both parties in writing of his/her objections to the report and of his/her final decision in the case. In the event the University president is named as a principal party to the grievance, the chancellor of The Texas A&M University System or his/her designee shall substitute for the role of the University president in the grievance process.

Kay Hagar
Student Development
khagar@mail.wtamu.edu