Policies and Procedures

POLICY 5430C:
NON-ACADEMIC GRIEVANCE
The College has a grievance procedure available to hear students' complaints about unfair treatment, including suspension and dismissal from the College. This non-academic grievance procedure seeks to ensure that students are treated fairly with due process.

Due process ensures the student that the College is not arbitrary in its actions. In all cases, due process requires that students know the charges against them, have the opportunity to refute these charges, and have the right to appeal. Once confronted with the charges and the College's decision, students may appeal this decision to the Student Affairs Appeals Board. This board serves to safe-guard these rights and also strives to fairly and reasonably interpret various college policies relating to student conduct.

Adopted may 26, 1988

PROCEDURE 5430C:
NON-ACADEMIC GRIEVANCE

When students have a grievance about unfair treatment, including suspension or dismissal from the College, they may follow the procedure described below to resolve the conflict. This procedure ensures that students are treated fairly according to established procedures of due process.

Initial Steps

Students who are being sanctioned for some non-academic violation of College policy or procedure may appeal through the non-academic procedure. The following procedures apply to all sanctions except eviction from on-campus housing.

1. The student must first meet with the instructor or head of the department where the sanction has occurred and discuss the concerns and actions that are being recommended.  The instructor or department head will inform the student verbally and in writing of the charges and will forward the recommended action to the Vice President for Student Success Services.

2. Within forty-eight (48) work hours after the student has been notified of the charges, the Vice President will review them, determine a course of action, and inform the student in writing.  The Vice President may also visit with the involved parties during this time to recommend and facilitate a compromise.

3. Within forty-eight (48) work hours after the student receives the final decision from the Vice President of Student Success Services, the student may appeal to the Student Affairs Appeals Board by submitting a written appeal request to the Vice President for Student Success Services.

Students who are evicted from on-campus housing should follow the following process.

1. The Director of Housing in consultation with the Vice President for Administrative Services will determine that the student should be evicted from on-campus housing for a violation of housing policy.

2. The Director of Housing will notify the student in writing of the eviction.

3. Within forty-eight (48) work hours after the student receives the eviction notification, he/she may appeal to the Student Affairs Appeals Board by submitting a written appeal request to the Vice President for Administrative Services.

In the case of violations that are considered to be
harmful to the student or others, the student will be required to appeal the ruling from an off-campus location.

Student Affairs Appeal Board

The Student Affairs Appeals Board is an ad hoc standing board, convened by the Vice President of Student Success Services, to provide an informal but fair forum for hearing students’ complaints about their unfair treatment, including suspension or dismissal from school.

It is composed of

1 ASG Officer
1 Residence Hall Association Officer
2 Students at large appointed by the ASG (1 on-campus student and 1 off-campus student).

NOTE: One of these 4 student positions should be filled by a minority student.

2 faculty or professional staff members, appointed by the Faculty Association, and
1 administrator appointed by the President.

Board members will be appointed annually at the beginning of the fall semester.  At the first meeting, the members will elect a chairperson and a secretary.  Each member will have 1 vote.

Presentation of a Grievance to the Board

If a student feels the Administrative decision is unfair, he or she may appeal to the Student Affairs Appeal Board. The Vice President for Student Success Services will convene the board within 5 work days after receiving the student’s written request.

The board will conduct a formal public hearing of the charges and the appeal. The student may present his or her case and present witnesses. A student may select a member of the College community to assist him or her. The department/staff member will present his/her information. Detailed procedures are established in the Student Affairs Appeals Board handbook. No legal counsel is permitted during this process.


To sustain the Vice President's decision,
To sustain the student's appeal, or
To recommend a compromise.

The secretary will record the minutes of the hearing.

Appeal to the President

If the board upholds the Administrative decision, the student may appeal to the President within forty-eight (48) work hours after receiving the decision.

Similarly, if the board upholds the student’s appeal, the Administrator may appeal to the President within forty-eight (48) work hours after receiving the board’s decision.

In either case, the President will decide within forty-eight (48) work hours.

Appeal to the Board of Trustees

In cases involving suspension or dismissal of the student from the College, either party may appeal the President’s decision to the Board of Trustees. The appeal must be made within forty-eight (48) work hours after receiving the President’s decision.

Approved May 26, 1988
Revised July 26, 1990
Revised June 18, 2009
Cross Reference Student Affairs Appeals Handbook