Academic Grievance Procedure
If a student believes that he or she has reason to question the decision of a faculty member with regard to the final grade received in a course or the unreasonable denial of academic progression, a procedure has been established to resolve the grievance. Please note that the following academic grievance policies and procedures do not include matters of academic misconduct. These matters are covered in the section titled “Academic Integrity Policy.”
I. Academic Grievance Procedure
This student-initiated procedure is as follows:
- The student must register his or her complaint in writing to the faculty member within seven business days following the alleged incident, except that if the grievance involves a final grade, it must be filed within ten business days after final grades are posted by the Registrar. Within the written complaint, the student must set forth reasons and grounds for the grievance.
- Upon receipt of the complaint, within three business days the faculty member must meet with the student (in person, by telephone, or by email) and strive to resolve the problem.
- If a resolution cannot be reached within five business days, then it is the student’s responsibility to register the complaint in writing with the department chairman or dean of the program.
- Upon receipt of the complaint, the department chairman or dean of the program must meet with the faculty member and the student (in person or by telephone) within three business days and strive to resolve the problem.
- If resolution cannot be reached during this meeting, then the faculty member must document in writing the efforts made to seek resolution and that a resolution has not been achieved. This document must be shared with the student and the department chairman or dean of the program within two business days of the failure to reach a resolution.
- If the student remains dissatisfied, then within three business days of being notified that a resolution has not been met, it is the student’s responsibility to initiate the grievance appeal procedure (below).
NOTE: A file of all written documents must be maintained by the dean or department chairman. The faculty member must forward copies of all written documents to the dean or department chairman at each step of this process.
II. Grievance Appeal Process
- If, after completion of the procedure set forth above, the student believes that the grievance has not been equitably resolved, he or she may file an appeal in writing with the appropriate dean. This document must set forth the grounds and reasons of the appeal. It must be submitted to the dean within three business days of notification that a resolution has not been achieved.
- The dean must immediately notify the involved faculty member of the student’s appeal and, upon notification, the faculty member will have three business days to respond in writing to the allegations.
- Additionally, within five business days of receipt of the student’s appeal, the involved dean must appoint an ad hoc Grievance Committee consisting of three faculty members and notify the faculty member and the student of the date and time at which they must appear before the committee for a formal review of the allegations and issues.
- The review must be held within 14 business days of the receipt of the appeal. (An exception may be made for extenuating circumstances. For example, the student may be out of state or out of the country, necessitating that the review be conducted upon his or her return.)
- The dean shall chair the appeals session but shall not have a vote.
- The session must be conducted in a manner ensuring substantial fairness, and it will not be restricted by the rules of evidence common to court proceedings.
- A document outlining the required order of the process is available from the Office of the Provost and must be used during the session.
- All witnesses will be required to attest to a statement regarding the accuracy of the information to be given.
- The session will be open only to the faculty member, the student and eyewitnesses. Neither the student’s parents, spouse, guardian, nor legal counsel will be permitted to appear before the Grievance Committee except as eyewitnesses.
- Review proceedings (excluding the deliberations of the committee) will be tape-recorded.
- Each party will make a brief opening statement.
- The faculty member will then present support of the grade assigned or the denial of academic progression. Then the student will be permitted to present information in support of the alleged grievance.
- Thereafter, both sides will be permitted to present rebuttal information. Throughout the session, the faculty member and the student will have reasonable opportunity for orderly questioning of the eyewitnesses. Support may be presented in the form of eyewitnesses or documents relevant to the issues to be determined by the committee.
- At the conclusion of the presentations, both sides will be permitted to make closing statements.
- Once the session is adjourned, the committee will have three business days to reach a final decision. The decision of the committee will be by majority vote.
- The dean must submit the decision, in writing, to the faculty member, the student, and the Associate Provost.
NOTE: The dean must submit a file of all written documents related to the Grievance Appeal meeting to the Office of the Provost.
III. Final Appeal Option
- Within three business days of its receipt, the decision of the Grievance Committee may be appealed by the faculty member or the student to the Provost.
- Upon receipt of the appeal and within three business days, the Provost will (a) order preparation of a transcript of the Grievance Committee meeting, and (b) appoint an ad hoc Appeal Committee composed of three persons, none of whom served on the initial Grievance Committee.
- Written documentation, including the transcript of the Grievance Committee meeting, must be distributed to the ad hoc committee members at least two business days before the final appeal session.
- The final appeal session must be held within seven business days of receipt of the final appeal.
- The Provost will serve as the chairman for the committee. The responsibility of the Appeal Committee will be to review the record (transcript and all documents) of the Grievance Committee and to render a decision, based on a review of the record, whether procedures have been followed appropriately.
- There will be no opportunity for presentation of new or additional support before the ad hoc Appeal Committee.
- The Appeal Committee may take one of the following actions:
a. Affirm the decision made by the Grievance Committee, in which case the decision is final.
b. Remand the decision of the Grievance Committee for additional support, reconsideration and redetermination. The redetermined decision of the Grievance Committee is subject to further appeal to the Provost.
c. Reverse the decision of the Grievance Committee and render their own decision, in which case their decision will be final.
Upon final decision of the Appeal Committee, the student will have exhausted his or her right of appeal within the University.
IV. Official Records of Academic Grievance Proceedings
The Office of the Provost shall ensure maintenance of the official records related to academic grievance proceedings.
V. Note
As in the case of any policy and policy guidelines, Harding reserves the right to change them or to make appropriate revision, additions, amendments or corrections. Faculty and students will be notified of any substantial changes.
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