The following
procedures will be employed to deal with grade appeals and academic grievances
other than matters of academic dishonesty brought by students against faculty
members or faculty members against students. These procedures will serve three
functions: (1) to safeguard the rights and academic freedom of both students
and faculty, (2) to assure due process, and (3) to provide for consistency in
handling undergraduate academic grievances throughout the University.
1.1
Grievances against faculty or administrators.
Unethical actions by
faculty or administrators should be reported as soon as possible so that
appropriate action can be taken. The grievance must be made within six months
of the alleged unethical action(s). Students should begin by contacting the
office of their dean. The dean, or a representative of the dean, will describe
the procedure to be followed and will aid the student in procedural matters.
Further, the dean or representative will appoint a faculty member as an
advocate for the student if the situation seems to warrant an advocate or if
the student requests an advocate. If a faculty advocate is appointed, the
student will participate in the selection of, and must agree to the appointment
of, the person selected. The advocate need not be in the same college as the
student.
1.2
Grievances involving student academic dishonesty.
The procedures for
handling charges of cheating or other academic dishonesty are given in the
policy on academic dishonesty (section II above).
1.3
Grievances involving change of grade (but not academic dishonesty).
a.
All efforts will be
made by the student and instructor involved in any grievance to settle all
disputes that may arise. Grade appeals must be initiated within six months
following the issue date of the grade in question.
b.
If a grade-change
grievance is not resolved by the student and instructor, the student may appeal
in writing to the department head concerned, who will act as a mediator in the
dispute. This appeal should be made within two weeks of the date of the
decision of the instructor. At this time, the student may petition the dean of
his college for an ombudsperson.
The duties of the ombudsperson are to arrange meetings of all concerned parties
and report actions taken at each level to the appropriate persons or groups.
The role of the ombudsperson is to expedite the process and to ensure a fair
hearing.
c.
If the grievance has
not been settled to the student's satisfaction at the department level, written
appeal may be made to the dean of the college in which the course is taken.
This appeal should be made within two weeks of the date of decision of the department
head.
d.
If the student does not
feel that an adequate solution has been reached in the grade appeal dispute, he
or she may appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Grievance Board which will
arbitrate the dispute. This appeal should be made within two weeks of the date
of decision of the dean. Appeals received during the summer will be heard the
following fall term. Appeals should be addressed to the Undergraduate
Grievance Board, c/o Chair (whose name is listed under Committee 3030 at
www.ksu.edu/uauc/univcomm/).
e.
The two-week time
limits given in the sections above are intended to move the grievance process
along at a reasonable rate. The limits may be modified for reasons such as
illness, scheduled academic holidays, or mutual consent of both parties.
2.1
Notice of hearings
. Notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be
given to all individuals involved with the complaint not less than two weeks
prior to the hearing.
a.
The notice shall
include a written statement of the complaint and the requested action.
b.
The notice shall be
accompanied by a copy of the rules describing procedures to be used at a
hearing. The notice shall state that the individual shall be permitted to
inspect any written evidence which has been submitted to the board by other
parties.
2.2 Hearings
c.
At the hearing, each
party may be accompanied by (1) a representative, who is not an attorney, to
serve as an advocate and/or assist in the presentation, and/or (2) an attorney,
who may advise but not participate in the hearing.
d.
All hearings shall be
closed except for parties to the grievance, their advisors, and witnesses.
However, upon request of the person against whom the grievance is lodged, the
board may open the hearing with the restriction that the number of observers
may not exceed that which the hearing room will comfortably accommodate. The
chair may exclude from the hearing any person whose conduct disrupts, disturbs,
or delays the proceedings. If the person charged fails to appear at the hearing
or engages in conduct which makes a fair hearing impossible, the board may
complete the hearing without the presence of the person charged.
e.
The evidence against
the student or faculty member shall be presented at the hearing. The person presenting
the case shall have the opportunity to question all witnesses and to present
witnesses and evidence in support of the charge specified in the notice of
hearing. The person charged is not required to testify.
f.
The student or faculty
charged, or advisor, shall have the opportunity to question all witnesses, to
present witnesses, and to present any other evidence. Formal rules of evidence
shall not apply, and any evidence relevant to a fair determination of the
charges may be admitted, except that a previous statement shall be admissible
only if the person who made the statement is present.
g.
All members of the
University community shall be obligated to cooperate with the board, and
failure to appear pursuant to a reasonable request of the board, or intimidation
or improper influencing of witnesses shall be grounds for disciplinary action
by the board under separate action.
3.1 Two
faculty members will be appointed by the Committee on Academic Affairs of the
Faculty Senate. The terms are to be two years, with one of the two original
appointees serving for a one-year term.
3.2 Two
students will be appointed yearly by a committee consisting of the president of
the student body, the chair of the student senate, and the vice chair of the
student senate.
3.3 A
faculty member will be appointed by the provost to serve as chair for a
two-year term.
3.4 A
quorum is defined as full board membership present and participating in any
hearing.
3.5 The
board will appoint an appropriate alternate member to serve at any hearing in
which a regular board member has disqualified himself or herself for any reason
whatsoever.
The Undergraduate
Grievance Board shall have final jurisdiction in all cases properly appealed to
it and in all cases requiring dismissal or suspension. The execution of its
decisions shall be supervised by the provost.
5.1 The
board will have the power to summon members of the university community to
present pertinent information and to supply expert counsel concerning any case
presented to the board.
5.2 The
board will have the power to dispose of grievances by one or more of the
following actions:
. Dismiss for want of jurisdiction or lack of
substantial evidence. As in courts of law, the board will not entertain
complaints of a trivial nature.
a.
Issue a warning. A
warning shall consist of a written or oral statement to the faculty member
and/or student.
b.
Censure. Censure shall
consist of a written statement to the faculty member and/or student. In
addition, copies of the statement will be sent to the head of the department
and the dean of the college in which the course is offered or the faculty
member is employed or the student is majoring, as appropriate, and to the
provost.
c.
Change of grade. In the
case the board decides a grade should be changed, the board may consult
appropriate faculty for a suggested grade. The student, the faculty member, and
the dean of the college in which the course was offered will be notified that
the board is ordering a change of grade through the Office of the Registrar.
d.
Suspension. Students
may be suspended for a specified period of time.
e.
Dismissal. Students may
be dismissed from the university for an indefinite period of time.
f.
Other equitable action.
In any case involving academic dishonesty, the board may take other equitable
action in addition to any of the penalties provided by the academic dishonesty
policy or any of the above actions