Student Appeals and Grievances

Institutions of higher education are constantly making judgments and decisions about students and the policies that affect students. Sometimes a student feels that a judgment, policy, or process is mistaken or unfair. For such students, there are several ways to request that the College modify its decision.

The simplest way is always to approach the professor or official most directly involved with making the decision. Often, issues can be resolved on that level. If the nature of the issue gives a student reason to be afraid to approach that person, the student may always go to that person’s program chair or director, and so on all the way up to the dean or the president. KCMA is committed to supporting students’ learning experiences and growth, and even when the person the student approaches is obliged to send him or her to someone else, the student should find that the faculty, staff, and administration all want to be supportive and to help students with their issues. Students may contact the college diversity office in situations involving perceived discriminating practices.

For some issues, however, more formal channels are useful. At KCMA, students are able to use either the appeals process, to request adjustments to or exceptions from school policies and their applications, or the grievance process, to request relief from unjust or otherwise inappropriate actions.

STUDENT APPEALS

The appeals process exists to provide students who believe that special circumstances mean that normally appropriate College policies ought not to apply to their specific case. Examples of issues appropriate for the appeals process include (but are not limited to) a refund of a deposit requested after the normal deadline has passed, or granting an incomplete under circumstances that would not normally justify one.

Appeals process

If a student wishes to appeal a College decision or request an exception from the policy, the student must either fill out an appeals form (available at the records, student finance or Residence Hall offices) or write a letter that both specifies the action the student requests and details the need or justification that applies. The more information a student provides, the more quickly the appeals committee will be able to act.

The student should submit the form or letter to the dean of academic affairs, the dean of student services, registrar, student finance office, or Residence Hall dean(s). Any one of these individuals can receive the request; however, the office most closely connected to the area the student is appealing can often help frame the appeal in a useful way. In some cases, that office can answer the appeal immediately. Usually, however, the person to whom the appeal is submitted takes it to the appeals committee for consideration.

The decision reached by the appeals committee is the final decision.

STUDENT GRIEVANCES

The grievance process exists to provide students who feel treated in an unfair, unethical, or discriminatory manner the opportunity to present their grievances for redress without fear of censure or reprisal. Examples of issues appropriate for grievance include but are not limited to discontinuance from a program or sexual harassment.

It is required that any student with a grievance will make an honest attempt to resolve any complaint before appealing to the grievance committee. It is also understood that an appeal to the grievance committee in no way casts reflection on either the student or any person charged in the complaint.

Grievance process

If a student believes he or she has a serious grievance against a person or group within Kettering College of Medical Arts, the student should first make a serious attempt to resolve the problem with the party with whom there may be a grievance. Unless there are unusual mitigating circumstances, the grievance committee will not process a grievance if this step has not been carefully followed. However, to help students, the grievance committee may provide advice, support, or mediation during this process, especially in cases when privacy is an issue.

If step No. 1 fails, the student should prepare a written statement precisely indicating the concern and a request for resolution. The student should submit copies of that statement to the party with whom the student has a grievance and to that party’s most appropriate superior. Again, the grievance committee provides advice and support during this process.

If step No. 2 fails, the student should submit the same paper, plus a detailed description of the procedures taken in steps No. 1 and 2 on the form provided by the grievance committee, and approach any grievance committee member to ask for an arbitration panel to be formed. The student should include a list of two to three KCMA full-time employees requested for inclusion on the panel. The grievance committee will then form an arbitration panel that will decide on your grievance.

The decision reached by the arbitration panel is the final decision.