December 9, 1998 / Revised September 2003

A student who perceives a problem or has a complaint about a course grade, evaluation, or other program status decision, may initiate an academic grievance. Grievances should be addressed first at the earliest possible point, closest to the problematic situation. There are both formal and informal procedures available within the Division of Educational Psychology and Methodology to students who perceive an injustice, when attempts to resolve it with the professor or other personnel involved have been unsuccessful or unfeasible. Informal methods include discussion with classmates, the advisor, other professors, or the division director.

The grounds upon which a formal academic grievance is based should be clearly identified.
The statement of grievance must be submitted in writing to the division director whose responsibility is to appoint an ad hoc committee of three faculty members, selected randomly from a list of all tenured faculty, excluding any who are named in the written grievance statement. The first committee member selected will be designated as chair with the responsibility to convene committee meetings. A copy of the student grievance will be provided to any faculty member named; such faculty members will be asked to respond in writing. After reading the submissions of the student and faculty members(s), and seeking any other information they deem appropriate, the members of the ad hoc committee must make written recommendations to address the problematic situation. Copies of the committee’s recommendations will be provided to the student, the professor(s), the division director and the department chair. Recommendations to resolve the problematic situation made by the division grievance committee will be advisory only. The student may therefore either accept the committee’s resolution procedures or appeal to a higher level, i.e. outside of the division.

The next step outside of the division is to submit the issue in writing to the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology Academic Standards Committee. The School of Education Academic Standards Council is the next level of review, followed by the appropriate university-wide committee. For graduate students this would be the Graduate Academic Council. The procedures for filing a formal grievance are outlined in the Graduate Bulletin. Undergraduate students should address grievances that have not been resolved at the school level to the Committee on Academic standing of the Undergraduate Academic Council, following procedures outlined in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Action on an academic grievance by the appropriate committee of the GAC or the UAC is final and not subject to further formal review within the University.

Note: Should the division director be named in the student grievance, the department chair will assume the above-described responsibilities of the division director.