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Student Complaints Related To Faculty Decisions About Student Course Work Procedure Guidelines
(Approved by VPASA, 10/27/05)
The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is committed to maintaining a learning environment which
promotes academic excellence and personal development. The following procedure guidelines assure
students the opportunity to register their complaints about what they believe to be unfair treatment involving
their academic work and to receive prompt resolution of matters related to the complaint.
“Unfair treatment” applies to any act which may be perceived as either prejudiced or arbitrary in the
evaluation of a student’s performance, or in the imposition of sanctions without regard for due process.
Students are to complete the following steps:
Informal Meeting with the Instructor to Resolve a Complaint
The student should seek resolution of a complaint by talking to the instructor as soon as an incident of
perceived unfair treatment occurs. After this step, the student may decide to initiate a Formal Conference for
the record.
Formal Conference with the Instructor to Resolve a Complaint
The student is responsible for initiating a Formal Conference by completing Part I of the Conference
Documentation Form obtained from the office of the dean in whose college/school the instructor resides.
a. The student completes Part 1 of the Documentation Form and then meets with the instructor
within 10 school days of the alleged unfair treatment, or in the case of a final grade, before the
beginning of the semester following the alleged unfair treatment. The student explains the
complaint and attempts to resolve the matter with the instructor.
b. The instructor will sign the form acknowledging that there was discussion with the student about
the complaint and indicate whether she/he is providing comments.
c. The instructor may provide written comments as an attachment to the complaint form. The
comments must be provided to the student within three days of meeting with thestudent.
d. After the conference, the student completes Part 2 of the Documentation Form and signs the
document.
e. The student delivers this form, and any written comments provided by the instructor, in a sealed
envelope to the dean of the college/school in which the instructor resides.
Appeal to the College/School Dean
If the complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student, the student shall have the right to appeal a
decision in writing to the dean or a person designated by the dean. The student completes the form called the
Appeal Form for Student Complaints about Faculty Decisions and delivers it in a sealed envelope to the
appropriate dean’s office within three school days of meeting with theinstructor.
1. To begin the appeal process, the student completes the Appeal Form for Student Complaints about
Faculty Decisions and attaches to the form a written statement a) of the complaint, b) the student’s
perception of the results of the conference with the instructor, and c) reasons why the meeting did
not resolve the matter of the alleged unfair treatment.