Academic Grievance Policies & Procedures

Despite the well-meaning efforts of students and faculty alike, there may be occasions on which a student feels that her or his work has been evaluated unfairly or inadequately by an instructor. Such occasions can be frustrating for students, who may be unsure of the procedure for presenting their academic grievances. The following guidelines are meant to assist students in the successful resolution of such grievances.

 

1. The student first brings the grievance to the attention of the instructor involved, since the instructor is better acquainted with the situation than any other member of the faculty would be. In addition, instructors are anxious to work through differences with their students in a spirit of trust and regard. Rare is the instructor who will not consider a grievance in a sensitive and fair-minded manner. For this reason the resolution of grievances is best accomplished between student and instructor directly.

 

2. If the student brings the grievance to the attention of the instructor and it is not resolved to the student's satisfaction, or if the student feels strongly that the instructor will not deal with the grievance fairly, or if the instructor is no longer on campus, the student can choose to take the matter to the dean of the instructor's academic college or school. The grievance must be submitted to the dean in writing. The dean will consider the grievance, review the written grievance with the instructor and the student, and notify the student and instructor of the decision, in writing, within 30 days after the student first informs the dean of the grievance. The dean will also communicate the decision to the Vice President for Academics. The decision can include a recommended change of grade.

 

3. In the event the student is dissatisfied with the decision by the college or school dean, the student can make an appeal to the Vice President for Academics. The appeal should be made in writing no later than 30 days after the date of the dean's letter of decision. The written appeal should give the details of the grievance.

 

4. The Vice President for Academics will give the student the choice to have the grievance resolved directly by the Vice President or by a special three-member committee. If the student chooses the committee method, the Vice President will appoint a full-time member of the faculty as its chair. The other two members of the committee will be appointed by the student and the instructor, respectively. Each of these members must be either a full-time student or a full-time faculty member.

 

5. When the grievance is heard by the Vice President or the committee, both the student and the instructor will be free to call witnesses. The witnesses may be questioned by the other party and by the Vice President or committee members. The number of witnesses involved and the conduct of the hearing will be determined by the Vice President or the committee chair.

 

6. The decision of the Vice President or the committee (its majority vote) will be final and not subject to appeal. The decision can include a change of grade. The student and instructor will be notified of the decision in writing within 30 days of the date of the hearing.

 

7. The student should realize that the same process of appeal is available to the instructor. In other words, if the instructor is not satisfied with a college or school dean's decision, appeal to the Vice President for Academics (including the committee option) is possible.

 

8. The student must bring the grievance to the attention of the instructor or the college or school dean within six months from the last day of the examination period in the semester or term in which the grievance originated. Where military service or an LDS mission makes it difficult to bring the grievance to the attention of the instructor or college/school, a later consideration may be permitted.

 

Questions regarding these guidelines should be directed to the office of the Vice President for Academics.