Procedures
for Responding to Student UPPS
No. 07.10.06
Complaints Issue
No. 1
Effective
Date: 03/30/2009
Review:
June 1 E2Y
01.
POLICY
STATEMENTS
01.01
Texas
State seeks to maintain the highest standards of integrity and fairness in its
relationships with students. The Undergraduate Catalog (http://www.txstate.edu/curriculumservices/catalogs/undergraduate/catalogs.html)
and Graduate Catalog (http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/
Grad_Cats.html), the Student Code of Conduct (http://www.dos.txstate.
edu/TxState-Handbook/Rules-and-Policies/Code-of-Conduct.html), and
University Policy and Procedure Statements (UPPSs) (http://www.txstate.
edu/effective/upps/) set forth policies and requirements for Texas State
students. Texas State expects students to know and comply with these policies.
01.02
Texas
State employees are committed to providing students with quality service and strive
to implement these and other policies fairly and to treat students courteously
and professionally. This UPPS describes procedures for students seeking a
resolution or wishing to report a complaint with regard to a university-related
issue through informal processes or by making a complaint to the university.
01.03
Texas
State’s general policy regarding complaints, including student complaints, appears
as part of the university’s “Compact with Texans” that can be accessed at http://www.txstate.edu/about/compact.html.
The specific section regarding student complaints provides this information:
“A. University
policy indicates that student complaints should be directed to the specific
office(s) involved in the complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved at
that level, then the complainant is instructed to contact the next-higher
office in the chain of command. Currently enrolled Texas State students may
also address complaints to the Dean of Students Office, where ombudsman
services are provided by Mr. Vincent E. Morton, Assistant Dean of Students. The
Dean of Students Office provides ombudsman services for Texas State’s primary
customers, the students. The function of this service is to assist currently
enrolled students in achieving satisfactory resolutions to university related
problems. Additionally, the Dean of Students Office makes referrals to
appropriate campus departments/offices for various other customer complaints
which cannot be resolved within the Dean's Office.”
01.04
A
student who believes that specific actions, practices or decisions on academic or
non-academic matters have been made or carried out in an arbitrary,
discriminatory, inequitable or inconsistent manner as stated by appropriate
UPPS statements, can initiate a complaint.
02.
POLICIES
ADDRESSING STUDENT COMPLAINTS AND GRIEVANCES
02.01
There
are numerous policies that exist to address specific forms of student
complaints and grievances. Students should review and follow the procedures for
these specific policies in regard to student complaints and grievances.
02.02
Specific
procedures for some typical types of complaints are referenced as follows:
a.
Prohibition
of Discrimination or Harassment Based on Race, Color, National Origin, Age,
Sex, Religion, Disability, or Sexual Orientation (UPPS No.
04.04.46)
b.
Disability
Services for Students (UPPS No.
07.11.01)
c.
Excused
Absence Policy (UPPS No.
02.06.03)
d.
Honor
Code (UPPS
No.07.10.01)
e.
Housing
and Residential Life (www.reslife.txstate.edu)
f.
Parking
and Transportation Policy (UPPS No.
05.07.02)
g.
Satisfactory
Academic Progress for Undergraduates and Certification Seeking Students on
Financial Assistance (UPPS No.
07.07.01)
h.
Satisfactory
Academic Progress for Graduate Students on Financial Aid (UPPS No.
07.07.02)
i.
Prohibition
of Sexual Harassment (UPPS No.
04.04.42)
j.
Student
Absences for Religious Holy Days (UPPS No.
02.06.01)
k.
Student
Employment Procedures (UPPS No.
07.07.03)
l.
Tuition
and Fees Refund Appeal Policy (UPPS No. 02.01.12)
03.
PROCEDURES
FOR OTHER NON-ACADEMIC STUDENT COMPLAINTS
03.01
The
university encourages students to seek informal resolution of concerns through
consultation with the faculty or staff person directly responsible for the
initial action or decision before pursuing a more formal process. However, if a
student deems the informal efforts unsatisfactory, he or she may pursue a more formal
complaint.
03.02
Students
must make all complaints under this policy in writing unless the complaints
involve safety issues that require quick reaction time. The university will
evaluate all complaints made under this policy to determine whether a preponderance
of evidence shows that the decision in question was arbitrary, discriminatory, inequitable
or inconsistent with an appropriate UPPS statement.
03.03
As
noted in the “Compact with Texans,” students should direct complaints to the specific
office involved in the complaint. If necessary, the student may also report the
complaint to the office of the next level supervisor. If a student complaint is directed to a university
office not involved in the complaint, this policy limits the responsibility of
that office’s supervisor or the supervisor’s designee to acknowledging the
complaint immediately if made in person, or within ten business days of receipt
if made by mail or e-mail and to routing the complaint to the appropriate
office.
03.04
Upon
receipt of a student complaint directly or via referral from another office, the
designated representative of the specific office involved in the complaint will
complete the necessary review. The office will assure that the student receives
a direct response in writing (preferably), by telephone, or in person in a
reasonable and timely manner, normally within ten business days.
03.05
The
designated representative will keep a log of student complaints (Attachment
I).
04.
APPEALS
PROCEDURES
04.01
Students
may appeal the decision to the vice president responsible for the department
receiving the complaint, in writing, no later than five business days after the
decision.
04.02
The
only basis for an appeal is an allegation that the decision maker did
not follow university policy or that the procedures followed in providing
service to the student did not meet the normal standards of professional
conduct expected by a reasonable person. This policy does not permit
substantive review of a final decision.
04.03
The
vice president may approve, reject, or modify the decision. The vice president
will inform the student and the department of his or her decision in writing.
The vice president’s decision is final.
05.
REVIEWERS
OF THIS UPPS
05.01
Reviewers
of this UPPS include the following:
Position Date
Dean
of Students June
1 E2Y
University
Attorney June
1 E2Y
06.
CERTIFICATION
STATEMENT
This
UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official
capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of
this document until superseded.
Dean
of Students, senior reviewer of this UPPS
Vice
President for Student Affairs
President