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Grievances

Grievance Statement Form

A “grievance” shall be defined as an actual or supposed circumstance that is regarded as just cause for complaint. 

The “griever” shall be the complainant.
The “respondent” shall be the defendant.

• The expression of a grievance may be verbal or written using an approved format issued by the Office of Student Services.
• The process of execution of a grievance may be of a formal resolution procedure or an informal resolution procedure with a contingency of transposition.
• A grievance may also be co-authored if there is a circumstance that affects more than one student. 

General Grievance
A grievance issued by a student against any member of the College
Community that violates the statues expressed in the Grievance Policy
Statement.

Grade Discrepancy
A grievance issued by a student whose intention is to dispute a grade
given in any course that he believe was given in an arbitrary or
capricious manner by a professor.

Sexual Harassment
Issued by a student, a grievance’s nature is explicitly sexual.  The foundation of this grievance is infringement (in any manner) of the College’s Sexual Assault/ Harassment Policy outlined in the Student Handbook against a student.

Discrimination
A grievance issued by a student who has experienced treatment or
consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit;
partiality or prejudice founded in that of ethnicity, gender, age, religion
sexual orientation or disability.

Informal Resolution Procedure
The Informal Resolution Procedure invites all parties (the grieved and the respondent), utilizing effective communication, to discuss the grieved circumstance and deduce a viable solution that is agreed upon by all parties involved.  Students should take proactive measures to resolve their grievance with the respondent and make notations of such measures.   Students are also encouraged to employ the use of a third-party mediator who is agreed to by all parties, in the event that effective communication warrants such an intermediary.  

If a student finds his issue unsatisfactorily resolved, the respondent uncooperative, or evasive, then he may appeal to the respondent’s superior to obtain a desirable resolution.

Formal Resolution Procedure
The Formal Resolution Procedure may be used if, and only if, the Informal Resolution Procedure has failed to yield a satisfactory result for the student, based on irreconcilable differences.  The Formal Resolution Procedure begins with the filing of a written grievance (using a format published by the Office of Student Services) with the Office of Student Services.

• Written grievances must be filed within thirty (30) days of occurrence.  Grievances filed after the 30-day deadline will be considered at the discretion of the College Judiciary Committee or the Honor and Conduct Review Board.
• Grievances filed using the Formal Resolution Procedure that are discovered to have been filed under false pretenses will be dismissed immediately, and the filer may be subject to corrective action.
• Formal grievances must not conflict with any other policy expressly stated by the College. 
• All formal grievances will be kept confidential except for the privilege of those parties involved and authorized members of the College. This Confidentiality Agreement may be voided with the consent of all parties involved in the grievance.
• The Formal Resolution Procedure may not be used as a medium for retaliation, intimidation or coercion.  Such cases shall be expelled indefinitely.

The Process:

1.	File formal grievance Formal grievance is filed with the Office of Student Services through the Attorney General (appointed by the Student Government Association president) a. Copy of grievance sent to the designated superiors (Designated superior who has the authority to enforce resolution ruled by the College Student conduct Committee or Honor and Conduct Review Board.  Should the superior find the resolution unenforceable, he may offer an alternate solution within three (3) business days.  The grieved and the student conduct officer must approve alternate resolution.)
2.	Preliminary mediation hearing The appointed student conduct officer will determine the grievability of all cases. Cases found to be incredulously based and/or in violation of the statues of the Formal Resolution Procedure will be dismissed. Dismissed cases are incontestable and may not be appealed. a. A written notice will be issued by the Office of Student Services to all parties involved (griever and respondent) informing them of the date, time and location of the hearing. Hearings of both parties will be held separately, and the grieveability will be determined thereafter. b. The student conduct officer, after discussing the position of both parties and a possible resolution, will submit a written recommendation to the College Judiciary Committee or the Honor and Conduct Review Board. c. The student conduct officer will refer cases to either the College Judiciary Committee or the Honor and Conduct Review Board at his/her discretion.
3.	College Judiciary Committee Hearing/ Honor and Conduct Review Board The CJC/ HCRB will hear the case with all parties present and deliver an equitable and unbiased resolution. a. The attorney general may represent the student griever. b. The CJC/ HCRB has 24 hours to make a ruling. In extenuating circumstances that require longer deliberation, the CJC/ HCRB must inform all parties of the extension.
4.	Resolution Resolutions given by the CJC/ HCRB are forwarded to the Respondents superior to execute, and a copy of the grievance will be retained in the employee’s file with the Office of Human Resources. In the cases of students, the superior shall be the Office of Student Conduct, who will execute the decision of the CJC/ HCRB.
5.	Appeals Appeals must be filed within seven (7) days of receiving decision from CJC/ HCRB. Appeals may only be filed if there is any new evidence/testimony that could sway the CJC/ HCRB to overturn their decision. a. File appeal with the Office of Student Services and the appointed student conduct officer through the attorney general. The Student Conduct Officer will deny or grant the appeal and decide a viable resolution to the case. b. If the student conduct officer does not find substantial basis for appeal, the case is thereby closed.