Part 5: Student Grievance & Procedures

If the student’s complaint is not satisfactorily resolved as a result of submitting the University complaint form, he/she may initiate the formal grievance process. Any student shall have the opportunity to have his/her grievance, regardless of its nature, heard according to the student grievance procedure. This includes Section 504 (law that prohibits discrimination based on disability) grievances. For more information on Section 504, go to http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for- individuals/disability.

If a student formally initiates this student grievance 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 this student grievance procedure.

The Student Grievance Committee is comprised of a pool of members drawn from two tenured faculty appointed by Faculty Senate; two students appointed by the Student Government; two staff members appointed by Staff Council. Upon receipt of a grievance complaint, the EVPP and VPSEES will consult and appoint an appropriate committee from this pool. All grievance committees will have at least one student, but may or may not have a faculty or staff members, depending on the nature of the grievance. The chair will be a faculty or staff member from the committee, elected by the membership. The secretary will be the VPSEES executive secretary and will be an ex-officio/non-voting member. Quorum will be established when at least three appointed members are present, with at least one of those members being a student. Legal counsel may also be present in an ex-officio role as needed.

Fundamental to this process is the principle that all parties have made a good-faith effort to resolve the complaint prior to initiating the formal grievance procedure. The following procedures are intended to provide a process for resolving formal student grievances in a prompt and equitable manner without prejudice, discrimination, or malice toward the person or persons initiating the complaint.

Types of Grievances

1. Discrimination
2. Disability Accommodation
3. Title IX, Sex-Based Misconduct
4. Academic (Grades, Suspensions/Expulsions, and/or Holds)
5. Student Conduct Separation and Appeals
6. Parking Citations

* Working days are defined by the University. Summer session working days are not counted in this procedure unless agreed to by all parties.

The student must submit a written notice of the allegation to the VPSEES office within 30 working days of the discovery of the alleged complaint issue or must provide reasonable justification for any delay. The written allegation must include the following:

• Documentation and explanation of the student’s attempt to resolve the conflict and the events leading up to the
• Detailed description of the grievance including the names of the other parties (Include all information at this time, as new documentation or materials will not be accepted after the initial grievance is submitted).
• The result/action

Upon receipt of the written formal grievance, the VPSEES office will then contact other party(ies), as soon as practicable, and will request written statements concerning the allegation to be received within seven (7) working days. Once these written statements are received, they will be forwarded to the party(ies) initiating the grievance. If no other statements are received, the University Student Grievance Committee will move forward with the information submitted. The VPSEES office will then forward all written statements and any other materials to the Student Grievance Committee within seven (7) working days. The VPSEES shall inform both parties, in writing, of the day, time and place of the hearing.

• The formal grievance hearing shall be
• All present, for whatever length of time, shall consider the proceedings and deliberations to be confidential, both during and after the
• 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 vice president for student enrollment, engagement, and success executive
• Each party is responsible for notifying their witnesses of the day, time and place of the Witnesses not having information directly pertaining to the grievance may not be called to testify. The maximum number of witnesses for each party is three (3) without prior approval of the chair.
• Each party may select one person to appear with him/her and offer support and This person cannot be a witness.
• Each party may seek advice of legal counsel/adviser, at their own Counsel/adviser may advise the party but may not present the grievance.
• Each party shall have the right to call witnesses and to question witnesses including witnesses for the other
• 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 participating member of the committee shall sign the report and indicate individual agreement or disagreement with

• If the University president accepts the committee’s recommendation, it becomes final and the president is charged with overseeing the implementation of any and all Details of the implementation will be provided, in writing, to both parties within seven (7) working days via certified mail or deliver confirmation.
• If the University president does not accept the committee’s recommendation, he/she shall, within seven (7) working days, inform both parties in writing of his/her final decision in the case via certified mail or deliver
• The original file and recording, along with the president’s final implementation, will be deposited with the vice president for student affair’s executive

In the event the University president is named as a principal party to the grievance, the chancellor of The A&M System or his/her designee shall substitute for the role of the University president in the grievance process.