Complaint and Appeal Forms - A Student Complaint/Appeal form, provided by the College District and located in The Pathfinder - Student Handbook, must be filed. Copies of any documents that support the complaint should be attached to the Student Complaint/Appeal form. If the student does not have copies of these documents, copies may be presented at the Level One conference. After the Level One conference, no new documents may be submitted by the student unless the student did not know the documents existed before the Level One conference.
A complaint or appeal form that is incomplete in any material aspect may be dismissed but may be refiled with all the required information if the refiling is within the designated time for filing.
Level One - A Student Complaint/Appeal form, provided by the College District and located in The Pathfinder - Student Handbook, must be filed within five business days of official grade posting. [see Academic Calendar]
A conference hearing the appeal will be held within three business days with the lowest level administrator who has the authority to remedy the alleged problem. This administrator may uphold or deny the complaint.
If the complaint is not filed with the appropriate administrator, the receiving administrator must note the date and time the complaint form was received and immediately forward the complaint form to the appropriate administrator.
The appropriate administrator shall investigate as necessary and schedule a conference with the student within three days after receipt of the written complaint. The administrator may set reasonable time limits for the conference.
Level Two - A student not satisfied at Level One may appeal to Level Two. Within three business days of the Level One disposition, the student shall sign and progress his or her Level One complaint/appeal by submitting his or her current Student Complaint/Appeal form to the Vice President of Student Services, director and/or dean of the department involved in the complaint/appeal issue.
After receiving progression of a Student Complaint/Appeal form, the Level One administrator shall prepare and forward a record of the Level One appeal to the Level Two administrator. The student may request a copy of the Level One record. The Level Two Administrator must hold a conference within three business days of receiving a signed appeal form.
The Level One record shall include:
- The original complaint form and any attachments.
- All other documents submitted by the student at Level One.
- The written response issued at Level One and any attachments.
- All other documents relied upon by the Level One administrator in reaching the Level One decision.
The Level Two Administrator shall provide a written response within three business days of holding the conference. The Level Two Administrator may uphold or deny the complaint.
Level Three - A student not satisfied at Level Two may appeal to Level Three. Within three business days of the Level Two disposition, the student shall sign and progress his or her Level One complaint/appeal by submitting his or her current Student Complaint/Appeal form to the Vice President of Instruction.
After receiving progression of a Student Complaint/Appeal form, the Level Two administrator shall prepare and forward a record of the Level Two appeal to the Level Three administrator. The student may request a copy of the Level Two record.
The Level Two record shall include:
- The original complaint form and any attachments.
- All other documents submitted by the student at Level One.
- The written response issued at Level One, Level Two, and attachments.
- All other documents relied upon by the Level Two administrator in reaching the Level Two decision.
Within three business days, the Vice President of Instruction shall then call together the academic appeals and student complaint committee.
Academic Appeals and Student Complaint Committee - The chairperson of the academic appeals and student complaint committee shall be given the written Student Complaint/Appeal form used at Levels One and Two and shall set the time for the committee to hear the appeal. The hearing shall be conducted on the College District campus.
The committee shall decide whether an error was made in calculating the grade or whether the student is guilty or innocent of a charge, after hearing the information presented by the student and the Level Two Administrator. The decision shall be determined by a majority vote of the committee. The chairperson of the appeals committee shall inform the student and the Vice President of Instruction in writing as to the decision of the committee within three business days of Level Three disposition.
Level Four - A student not satisfied at Level Three may appeal to Level Four. Within three business days of the Level Three disposition, the student shall sign and progress his or her Level One complaint/appeal by submitting his or her current Student Complaint/Appeal form to the College President.
After receiving progression of a Student Complaint/Appeal form, the Level Three administrator shall prepare and forward a record of the Level Three appeal to the Level Four administrator. The student may request a copy of the Level Three record.
The Level Three record shall include:
- The original complaint form and any attachments.
- All other documents submitted by the student at Level One.
- The written response issued at Level One, Level Two, Level Three, and attachments.
- All other documents relied upon by the Level Three administrator in reaching the Level Three decision.
Within three business days, the College President shall hold a conference with the involved parties to discuss the appeal if a student is not satisfied at Level Three.
Within three business days of the conference, the College President may act to affirm, modify, remand, or reverse the decision. If no action is taken within three business days, the committee’s decision shall thereby be affirmed and final.