Student Complaint Policy

To file a complaint against another university student, service or department, follow the steps below to determine your next role in reporting a complaint/grievance to the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Read completely the Procedures for Complaint Resolutions, posted in the Student Policy Manual before continuing with the process.

If you are filing a complaint…

Procedures for Complaint Resolution:

In this policy a complaint or grievance is an allegation by a student that there has been, in an individual case, an arbitrary or discriminatory application of, or failure to act pursuant to the policies of the University of Louisiana at Monroe in relation to students. The on-line complaint form is located at the ULM website (www.ulm.edu). Go to the Students tab under Resources & Offices and click on the Student Complaint Reporting Form (online). This policy applies to student complaints about any aspect of the learning process and the broad provision made by the university to support that process. This policy may not be used where the complaint can be dealt with under polices that provide a specific process for resolution of complaints, such as Registered Student Organization constitutions, Sexual Harassment Policy, the Grade Appeal Process and other general grievance procedures as summarized in the Student Policy Manual and Catalog.

Rights and Responsibilities of Parties to a Student Complaint:

Parties to a student complaint have the right to:

• be treated with courtesy at all times;
• a fair and timely investigation process;
• express their points of view without fear of recrimination;
• receive full information at all stages of the complaint process;
• be advised in writing of all decisions made in relation to the complaint; and
• appeal the outcome as outlined in this policy.

Parties to a student complaint have a responsibility to:

• treat all parties with courtesy at all times;
• respect the point of view of others;
• respect the rights of all parties to the complaint with the respect to confidentiality
• in the case of the complainant, ensure that the complainant is made in good faith and complies with the Student Complaint Policy;
• provide full and accurate information to the person investigating the complaint; and
• not take any action that may be regarded as an act of recrimination against any other party.

Informal Complaints:

Before making written complaints, students are encouraged to seek resolutions by discussing them informally with the relevant faculty or staff member who is most associated with the matter. A faculty or staff member with whom a concern is raised by a student is expected to deal with the matter in an open and professional manner and to take reasonable and prompt action to try to resolve it informally. A student who is uncertain about how to seek informal resolution of a concern is encouraged to seek advice from the Office of Student Services located in the Student Center 239.

Formal Complaints:

Where it has not been possible to resolve a concern informally, a student may make a formal complaint. A student who wishes to make a formal complaint must submit it in writing on the prescribed incident form located on the Student Affairs website at: https://publicdocs.maxient.com/incidentreport.php?UnivofLouisianaMonroe. The written complaint must be submitted within thirty (30) calendar days after the occurrence of the action or matter.

The Division Vice President, Dean or Director who receives a complaint must acknowledge it in writing within three (3) working days to the complainant. He or she must also report the complaint to the relevant college, department, or division office and must maintain a file of all documentation in relation to the consideration of the complaint. The Division Vice President, Dean or Director must ensure that any staff member named in the complaint receives a copy as soon as practicable. The Division Vice President, Dean or Director must consider the complaint in accordance with the principles of fair play and must ensure that all parties to the complaint are accorded the full benefit of those principles. The process may include meetings with relevant staff and/or the complainant. The parties may, if they wish, be accompanied by a peer support person at the meeting. The Department Head’s or Dean’s decision/resolution must be submitted in writing to the complainant within ten (10) working days.

If the complaint is in regard to a Division Vice President or a Division Vice President’s office, it should be directed to the President’s Office to be addressed by the President’s designee and/or a committee appointed by the President. The decision or course of action taken by the President’s designee and/or the appointed committee is final.

Steps of Complaint Resolution:

• Complainant submits grievance/complaint online (student to student, student to faculty, student to staff or other) within thirty (30) calendar days of alleged incident.
• The Office of Student Services receives the complaints and forwards to the appropriate Administrator/Supervisor.
• If the complaint is directed toward a Division Vice President or the Division Vice President’s Office, the complaint or grievance will be forwarded to the Office of the President for resolution by the President’s designee and/or committee. The President’s decision is final.
• Department Head/Supervisor, Director or Dean must acknowledge to the complainant in writing, within three (3) working days that the complaint has been received from the Office of Student Services.
• Within ten (10) days the Supervisor, Director or Dean must make a decision and inform the complainant of the decision/resolution in writing.
• If the student wishes to appeal the decision of the Supervisor, Director or Dean, he/she has five (5) working days to submit his/her appeal in writing to the Division Vice President. The decision of the Division Vice President is final.
• The Division Vice President will communicate his or her decision in writing within ten (10) working days to the parties involved.

Resolutions of Complaints:

The Supervisor/Department Head or Dean who receives the complaint shall acknowledge it in writing to the complainant within three (3) working days and communicate his or her decision/resolution within ten (10) days of receiving the complaint. If the complaint involves a university policy or procedure and if, in the opinion of the relevant Supervisor/Department Head, or Dean, the complaint has substance, the Supervisor/Department Head or Dean must arrange for the relevant policy or procedure to be reviewed. If the resolution of the complaint involves a potential grievance for an employee, the Supervisor/Department Head or Dean must follow the appropriate procedures as outlined in the Employee or Faculty Handbook. If the Supervisor/Department Head or Dean does not have authority over the employee, then he or she may forward the complaint to the appropriate Supervisor.

Appeals:

Any party to a student complaint who is dissatisfied with a decision under this policy may appeal to the Division Vice President most directly related to the complaint. This appeal must be submitted in writing within five (5) working days of the letter communicating the decision. The Division Vice President, will consider the relevant documentation and may, at his or her discretion, consult the Dean or Director who made the decision. The Division Vice President may also interview any parties to the complaint to determine that the complaint process has been conducted in accordance with this policy and the outcome is appropriate; the Division Vice President may dismiss the appeal. Otherwise, he or she will decide the appeal in consultation with the relevant Dean or Director and any other parties. The Division Vice President will communicate his or her appeal decision in writing to the parties. The Division Vice President’s decision is final. Faculty or staff members may confirm with the Office of Human Resources for any other steps available to them under university policy.

Confidentiality:

All student related information will be considered confidential and protected under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). Records relating to employees and other records that do no include student information are not confidential.

Report to the Office of Student Services (Student Conduct):

The Office of Student Services (Student Conduct) is the custodian of all disciplinary actions on campus. Therefore, all documentation involving student complaints or grievances must be forwarded to this office located in the Student Center, 239.