Grievances Procedure

A grievance is any alleged unauthorized or unjustified act or decision by a member of the faculty, staff, and/or management employee that adversely impacts the status, rights, or privileges of a student. This process should be used to settle grievances that are not considered in the Handbook with respect to specific policies or investigations.  

 

Student appeals and grievances should be addressed to the Dean of the Graduate School within thirty days of the date of the action notice. Students will be entitled to a hearing, if an appropriate, timely request is made, as determined by the Dean. The request for a hearing should include the student's reasons for requesting the meeting and name parties, if any, who the student believes are pertinent to the grievance.  

 

Within thirty days, the Dean will constitute an ad hoc grievance committee comprising of at least two faculty members, two student members, and one Director who will chair the committee. None of the members of the committee should be personally involved in the subject matter of the grievance. Members of the grievance committee and the participants in the process must respect confidentially for students and faculty and conform to FERPA regulations. The grievance committee shall interview parties as they see fit, including those suggested by the student, and gather all materials from the Graduate School that allow them to make a fair and unbiased decision which they should submit to the Dean within thirty days after constitution of the committee. Due to the nature of the complaint and student confidentiality, a student may request the Dean to comprise the ad hoc grievance committee with no student members with the understanding that without student representatives the committee will not have a student’s perspective.  

 

The Dean shall inform the student of the committee's decision within fifteen days of receipt of the decision and indicate if the Dean supports the committee's decision. If the Dean does not support the committee's decision, the Dean shall indicate the reason in writing.

 

All cases for dismissal will be brought before the Graduate School Leadership who will make a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School.  

 

The Dean will make the final decision in all cases. The proceedings shall become part of the student's record.

 

For student complaints please contact the registrar email: registrar@coh.org or visit the Irell & Manella Graduate School Office.