Student Complaint and Grievance Procedures

Situations may arise in which a student believes that he or she has not received fair treatment by a representative of the University or has a complaint about the performance, action, or inaction of a member of the staff or faculty affecting the student. A student who wishes to have a complaint addressed by the University should first use the following Complaint Procedure and then utilize the Grievance Procedure if the Complaint Procedure proves unsatisfactory. Students are encouraged to seek assistance from the Office of the Provost, their adviser, another member of the faculty or staff, or, in regard to complaints of unlawful discrimination, the Opportunity Development Center.

Complaint Procedure

A complaint should be directed as soon as possible to the person or persons whose actions or inactions have given rise to the complaint and not later than six months after the event. For example, if the complaint concerns a grade, the student should first confer with the course instructor. Every effort should be made to resolve the problem fairly and promptly at this level. If the complaint involves allegations of sexual harassment, this step may not be appropriate. (See Sexual Harassment.) In addition, in a complaint alleging unlawful discrimination, the Opportunity Development Center should be consulted. The Opportunity Development Center will conduct an in-depth investigation of the allegations, will issue a finding to the appropriate University official, and will seek to resolve the matter. If the student is not able to resolve the complaint satisfactorily at this level, he or she should process the complaint in a timely manner through the appropriate administrative channels of the academic or administrative unit, through the level of the provost or appropriate vice chancellor. Students uncertain about the proper channels or process are encouraged to seek advice from the Office of the Provost, the office of the Dean of Students, the office of the dean of their school, and/or their faculty advisers.

Grievance Procedure

A student who believes that he or she has not received fair treatment, or who has a complaint about the performance, action, or inaction of a member of the faculty or staff, and believes that he or she has not received appropriate redress through the complaint procedure in the preceding section within a reasonable period of time, including for complaints of unlawful discrimination, may file a written grievance with the Office of the Chancellor. Upon ascertaining that the complaint procedure has been exhausted, the Chancellor's office shall refer the grievance to the Faculty Senate Committee on Student Affairs. For this purpose, the membership of the committee shall be augmented by three student members appointed by the Chancellor at the beginning of each academic year. The Undergraduate Student Government Association will nominate students for the one undergraduate position, and student governing bodies of the professional/graduate schools will nominate students for the other two student positions on a rotating basis. Upon receiving the grievance referral from the Office of the Chancellor, the Student Affairs Committee shall inform, in writing, both parties to the grievance that an investigation will take place. If, after this preliminary investigation, the committee decides that the grievance is not frivolous, it shall follow procedures necessary to ensure a fair hearing of the matter, including the opportunity for the student to present adverse evidence, and to have the complaint heard by an impartial committee. Committee members may recuse themselves if they feel their objectivity is subject to question, and the grievant may request any committee member recuse himself or herself if the grievant feels a committee member will not view the grievance with sufficient objectivity. If vacancies occur, the chair of the Faculty Senate shall appoint Senate members to fill faculty vacancies and the Chancellor shall appoint students to fill student vacancies. The student filing the grievance may be assisted during the hearing by a member of the University community (faculty, staff, or student) not trained in the law and is encouraged to seek such assistance. While all parties to the grievance are free to consult with and receive advice from attorneys concerning the grievance, no party shall be represented by an attorney at the hearing. For hearings or complaints of unlawful discrimination, a representative from the Opportunity Development Center shall be present in an advisory capacity. The committee may call upon any individuals that it believes may be helpful in resolving the grievance. The grievant and the person or persons against whom the grievance was filed shall be present during the hearing until such time as the committee is ready to begin deliberations. The student may withdraw the grievance, with the consent of the other party, at any time prior to the decision of the committee. After each case the committee shall write its report. The report should be completed within three weeks and it shall include a statement of the committee's findings, the basis for those findings, and, if necessary, recommendations for any corrective action that should be taken. If any disciplinary action is anticipated, the appropriate University disciplinary procedures shall be followed. The report, including the vote and any dissenting statements, shall be sent to the Chancellor. Except as disclosures are reasonably necessary in the investigation, hearing, and final disposition of a grievance, the grievant, members of the hearing bodies, and others having knowledge of a grievance are expected to preserve the confidentiality of the grievance. The Chancellor shall communicate his decision to the committee. In any case in which the Chancellor does not follow the decision or the recommendation of the committee, the Chancellor shall report to the committee his reasons for so doing. The Office of the Chancellor shall then promptly notify the student and the other affected persons, in writing, of the final decision.

Allegations of Unlawful Discrimination If a student believes that he or she has been discriminated against on the basis of race, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or military service, that student should report the matter to the Opportunity Development Center, which will seek to assist the student with the resolution of the complaint as described above in the Complaint Procedure.

State Postsecondary Review Entity (SPRE) Grievance Procedure

Students should be aware that, should they have complaints about their program or their financial aid, this institution has a complaint procedure. To the extent possible, students should seek a resolution of such matters through the institution's complaint procedure before involving others. Should the institution not be able to resolve the problem, the student should contact the State Postsecondary Review Program office at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission at (615) 532-8276.

Opportunity Development Center
P.O. Box 1809, Station B
Nashville, TN 37235
(615) 322-4705 (V/TDD)

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