Student Handbook: Complaints

Complaints

Student Grievance
DeKalb Tech maintains a grievance process available to all students that provides an open and meaningful forum for their complaints, the resolution of these complaints, and is subject to clear guidelines. This procedure does not address complaints related to the unlawful harassment, discrimination and/or retaliation for reporting harassment/discrimination against students. Those complaints are handled by the Unlawful Harassment and Discrimination of Students Procedure.

Complaint Procedure
Informal Complaint Procedure: Student complaints should be resolved on an informal basis without the filing of a formal grievance.
1. A student has 10 business days from the date of the incident being grieved to resolve their complaint informally by approaching their instructor, department chair or any other staff or faculty member directly involved in the grieved incident.
2. Where this process does not result in a resolution of the grievance, the student may proceed to the formal grievance procedure.
Formal Complaint Procedure: where a student cannot resolve their complaint informally, they may use the formal grievance procedure.
1. Within 15 business days of the incident being grieved, the student must file a formal grievance in the office of the Vice President of Student Affairs (VPSA) with the following information: Name, Date, Brief description of incident being grieved, Remedy requested Signed, and Informal remedy attempted by student and outcome statement.
2. If the grievance is against the VPSA, the student shall file the grievance in the Office of the President.
3. The VPSA, or his designee, will investigate the matter and supply a written response to the student within 15 business days.
4. If the grieved incident involves possible unlawful harassment, discrimination or retaliation for reporting unlawful harassment/discrimination, the investigation will be handled pursuant to the Procedure: Unlawful Harassment and Discrimination of Students.
5. If the grieved incident is closely related to an incident being processed through the disciplinary procedure, the disciplinary procedure will take precedence and the grievance will not be processed until the disciplinary procedure has run its course.
6. The VPSA, or his designee, shall be granted an additional 15 business days to investigate the grievance upon notice to the grieving student.
Appeal of Staff Response: If a student is unsatisfied with the response from the VPSA, the student may appeal the decision to the President of the college. The college staff has no right to appeal.
1. A student must file a written appeal within 5 business days of receiving the response from the VPSA or designee.
2. The appeal will be decided based entirely on documents provided by the student and the administration; therefore, the student must ensure that he has provided all relevant documents with his appeal.
3. At the President of the college’s sole discretion, grievance appeals at the institution may be held in one of the following two ways:
a. The President may review the information provided by the student and administration and make the final decision; or
b. The President may appoint a cross-functional committee comprised of 5 members, including one chair, to make the final decision.
4. Whichever process is chosen by the President, the decision of the grievance appeal is final.
Retaliation against a student for filing a grievance is strictly prohibited.

Student Handbook
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