COMPLAINT GUIDELINES
COMPLAINT GUIDELINES
Nonacademic Grievance Procedures
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide an opportunity for students at Freed-Hardeman University to have grievances addressed in a fair and professional manner. All parties involved in the grievance process are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Christian standards of the University.
Any grievance of a nonacademic nature may be discussed informally with a faculty member, staff member or administrator, as appropriate. If the grievance is not resolved in this fashion or if the student does not feel comfortable discussing the grievance informally, the following procedure must be followed:
1. The grievant will register the complain in writing using the Nonacademic Grievance Form, available in the Office of Student Services or online, within ten (10) school days of the alleged incident. The completed form should be submitted to the Vice President for Student Services, where it will be routed to the appropriate supervisor whose area the grievance has arisen. The supervisor will respond in writing within five (5) school days of receipt of the grievance. If the grievance directly involves the supervisor, then the student may request that the grievance be submitted directly to the Vice President in whose area the complaint has arisen.
2. If the supervisor’s response does not resolve the complaint or the grievance directly involves the supervisor, then the grievant may request that the written grievance be submitted to the Vice President in whose are the complaint has arisen. This request must be made through the Vice President for Student Services within five (5) school days from the time of the supervisor’s initial written response. The Vice President must respond in writing within five (5) school days of receipt of the grievance. If the grievance directly involves the Vice President, then the student may request that the grievance be submitted directly to the President.
3. If the Vice President’s response does not resolve the complaint or the grievance directly involves the Vice President, then the grievant may then request that the written grievance be submitted to the President. This request must be made through the Vice President for Student Services within five (5) school days from the time of the Vice President’s response. The President must respond in writing within five (5) school days of receipt of the grievance. The decision of the President is final.
Records of written grievances and responses will be maintained in the Office of the Vice President for Student Services. In the interest of all involved, if an appeal is submitted just prior to the end of the term, deadlines (for the submission of paperwork, etc. ) are subject to modification.
Complaint, Appeal and Grievance
The purpose of this policy is to provide an opportunity for students at Freed-Hardeman University to have grievances addressed in a fair and professional manner. All parties involved in the grievance process are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Christian standards of the University.
Freed-Hardeman University strives to provide educational opportunities, experiences, and services that are of the highest quality. Occasionally, there may be those who have complaints that they wish to share with the University. The University views such complaints as potential opportunities for improvements.
All complaints should first be routed through the appropriate complaint, appeal, or grievance procedures. Depending on the nature of complaint, the matter should be brought to the attention of the office directly responsible for that area of the University for informal resolution.
Any grievance concerning grades, competencies, course syllabi, class absences, or other academic matters should be discussed informally with the faculty member, as appropriate. If the grievance is not resolved in this fashion or if the student does not feel comfortable discussing the grievance informally, the grievant should follow procedures outlined in Policy 2.1A Student Academic Grievance Procedures.
Student Academic Grievance Procedures
Any grievance concerning grades, competencies, course syllabi, class absences or other academic matters should be discussed informally with the faculty member as appropriate. If the grievance is not resolved in this fashion or if the student does not feel comfortable discussing the grievance informally, the following procedure must be followed.
- The student will register the complaint in writing using the Academic Grievance Form, available on the FHU website, in the Dean’s Office, or in the Graduate Program Director’s office. The completed form should be submitted to the Associate Vice President for instruction within ten (10) school days of the alleged incident. The associate Vice President for instruction will route the form to the appropriate faculty member. The faculty member must respond in writing, using the Academic Grievance Form, within five (5) school days of receipt of the academic grievance. The Academic Grievance Form should be returned to the associate Vice President for instruction.
- If the faculty member’s response does not resolve the complaint, then the student may request to the Associate Vice President for instruction that the written grievance be submitted to the appropriate department chair (undergraduate students) or graduate director (graduate students). (Skip to Step 3 if there is no department chair.) This request must be made within five (5) school days of the faculty member’s written response. The department chair or graduate director must respond in writing within five (5) school days of receipt of the academic grievance. The Academic Grievance Form should be returned to the Associate Vice President for Instruction.
- If the response of the department chair or graduate director does not resolve the complaint, then the student may request to the Associate Vice President for instruction that the written grievance be submitted to the appropriate dean. This request must be made within five (5) school days from the time of the written response of the department chair or graduate director. The dean must respond in writing within five (5) school days of receipt of the grievance. The Academic Grievance Form should be returned to the associate Vice President for Instruction.
- If the dean’s response does not resolve the complaint, then the student may request that the written grievance be submitted to the Vice President for academics. This request must be made through the Associate Vice President for instruction within five (5) school days of the dean’s written response. The Vice President for Academics must respond in writing within five (5) school days of receipt of the academic grievance. The Academic Grievance Form should be returned to the Associate Vice President for Instruction. The Vice President for Academics’ ruling is final.
Records of written student complaints and responses will be kept in the Office of Academics. In the interest of all involved, if an Academic Grievance Form is submitted just prior to the end of a term, deadlines (for the submission of paperwork, etc.) are subject to modification as determined by the Associate Vice President for instruction at the point a written grievance is received.
Formal complaints, petitions, and grievances should be well documented and move through the appropriate campus process prior to appealing to any off-campus authority. Complaints to off-campus authorities may be routed as noted below:
- Quality Education or Accreditation Requirement Complaints: Complaints related to quality of education or accreditation requirements shall be referred to the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools (SACSCOC).
- State Laws and Rules Complaints: Complaints related to the application of state laws or rules related to approval to operate or licensure of a particular professional program within a post secondary institution shall be referred to the appropriate State Board (i.e., State Board of Health, State Board of Education, and so on) within the Tennessee State Government(search for the appropriate division) and shall be reviewed and handled by that licensing board
- Consumer Protection Law Complaints: Complaints related to consumer protection laws (e.g., laws related to fraud or false advertising) shall be referred to the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs and shall be reviewed and handled by that unit.
- Complaint Resolution Policies and Procedures for Non-Tennessee Resident Students in State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, commonly known as SARA: Complaints relating to consumer protection laws that involve distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), the student must first file a complaint with the institution to seek resolution. Complaints not satisfied with the outcome of the University’s internal process may be appealed, within two (2) years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. For purposes of this process, a complaint shall be defined as a formal assertion in writing that the terms of this agreement, or of laws, standards or regulations incorporated by the SARA Policies and Standards Manual have been violated by the institution operating under the terms of SARA. For a list of SARA member States, please visit the NC-SARA website. Students residing in non-SARA states should consult their respective state of residence for further instruction for filing a complaint.