XVIII. STUDENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

Should a student have a complaint with the Institution, then the following steps shall be taken by him/her:

1. Verbal Complaint: A student should first attempt to address the grievance informally and verbally with the instructor or applicable staff member and try to resolve it. If unsuccessful, proceed to a written grievance.

2. Written Complaint: Student may state the grievance in writing to the Academic Dean (or Provost if the Dean is unavailable). The Academic Dean, or designated college official, shall have fifteen (15) business days in which to investigate and address the grievance.

3. Appeal: Students may appeal the decision of the Dean if the student has new or additional information to share that would help to inform and address the grievance. The appeal will be handled by the Provost.

4. Complaint to State Board: Should the Dean fail to or unacceptably address the grievance; the Student may file a complaint with the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. The Student must contact the State Board for further details.

 

If the complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the institution’s grievance procedure, the student may file a complaint with the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. The student must contact the State Board for further details. The State Board address is 1740 W. Adams, Ste. 3008, Phoenix, AZ 85007, Phoenix, AZ 85007, phone # 602-542-5709, website address: www.azppse.gov The student may also file a complaint with The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) if he or she wishes to do so. The TRACS complaint process and documents are available at https://tracs.org/resources/.

 

Students are encouraged to make efforts to resolve misunderstandings and conflicts with College staff or faculty members before serious problems develop. Students are encouraged, when possible, to seek resolution through informal means as a first approach to resolving the issue at hand. If normal channels of communication breakdown and/or a situation does not permit or lend itself to informal resolution or does not seem to be resolving itself, students may seek recourse through the institutional grievance process.

 

Students who submit their grievance in writing to the Dean should include the following information:

• Description of situation and any facts crucial to fully understanding the issue

• Explanation of previous steps you have already taken to resolve the problem

• Names of individuals you believe are responsible and why

• Date situation occurred

• Any individuals who witnessed or have knowledge of the incident/event/issue

 

All grievances should be submitted within twenty-one (21) days of the incident, event, or issue. The appropriate University official will be assigned to investigate the grievance, and communicate with the appropriate students, staff, or faculty to address the problem, as is warranted. Resolution of the grievance will occur once the final response or outcome is determined. The student filing the grievance will be notified of the action or non‐action that will be taken in response to the grievance.

 

1. ACADEMIC GRIEVANCE PROCESS:

If a student has a query in his or her grade the student should consult that instructor. If the issue has not been resolved by the instructor, the student should bring the issue to the Dean. If the Dean did not resolve the issue, the student should bring the issue to the academic office. Below is a detailed process for the student and staff to follow.

 

Step 1: The student must first discuss the issue first with the faculty member involved. The student shall request this conference within thirty (30) working days from the time the student knew or reasonably should have known about the unfair or unjust treatment.

 

Step 2: If, within ten (10) working days of the request for the conference with the faculty member, the problem is not resolved or the faculty member has been unable to meet with the student, the student may continue the process by filing a written grievance with the Dean at Justice College. This written grievance must be filed within ten (10) working days following the previous deadline.

 

Step 3: Upon receipt of a written grievance, the Dean will work with the parties in an attempt to resolve the conflict. Every attempt will be made to maintain confidentiality during this process. A faculty member will not be required to respond to a grievance which is not in writing and when appropriate, did not have specific documentation including dates, times, materials, etc. The written grievance will be made available to the faculty member.

 

Step 4: If the grievance is not resolved at this level within ten (10) working days, the student should forward copies to the Registrar’s Office; a copy of the original written grievance with an explanation regarding action taken at each prior level. The Grievance Committee will meet with the student, faculty member, and dean in attempt to resolve the issue(s). This level will be the final step in any grievance process regarding grades and all decisions are final.