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Student Activities and Organizations
Notice of Student Appeals and Complaint Policy.................................... The College has established procedures for addressing written student appeals and is responsible for demonstrating that it follows those procedures when resolving student appeals. There are a number of policies for specific types of appeals, as listed below: 1. There is a policy for students who wish to appeal the level of their financial award. (Financial Aid Web Page)
5. There is a formal procedure for those students who wish to appeal a grade (Grade Appeal Policy, Academic Catalogue).
2. Students who believe they have been the subject of harassment or discrimination should specify their grievance under the Code of Student Conduct to the Dean of Students. (Harassment and Discrimination Policy, The Key)
6. There is a formal procedure for those students who wish to appeal a fire safety violation. (Housing Regulations, The Key)
3. There is a formal procedure for those students who wish to appeal a conviction by the Student Court for a violation of the Honor Code or the Code of Student Conduct resulting in suspension or expulsion. (The Judicial Process, The Key) 4. There is a formal procedure for those students who wish to appeal a parking ticket. (Motor Vehicle and Bicycle Regulations, The Key)
There are also procedures for filing complaints with the College on any other matter of concern. In addition, students may file complaints against the College with its accrediting organization, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC). Lastly, students may also file a complaint against the accrediting organization itself. The procedures for these types of complaints are found in the Student Complaint Policy.
Student Complaint Policy____________________________________ The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) requires its accredited institutions to have in place student complaint policies and procedures that are reasonable, fairly administered, and wellpublicized. The Commission also requires, in accord with federal regulations, that each institution maintains a record of complaints received by the institution. The record of complaints may be
reviewed and evaluated by the Commission as part of the institution’s decennial evaluation or when other SACSCOC Committees areon campus. Students may wish to file complaints against the College with SACSCOC and may also file complaints against the SACSCOC Board of Directors, staff and visiting teams. The three procedures for filing complaints are highlightedbelow:
Purpose of the Complaint Procedures....................................................... HSC is required to have adequate procedures for addressing student complaints and for maintaining records of student complaints by both SACSCOC and the Federal Department of Education.
Responsibility for Compiling and Responding to Complaints to HSC The Dean of Students has line accountability and responsibility for the process of reporting the results of the student complaints and makes regular reports, as appropriate to the President and the Senior Cabinet. Additionally, the office of the Dean of Student Affairs serves as the permanent repository for all student complaints regarding HSC.
A. Procedures for Writing Formal Student Complaint against H-SC 1.
HSC has several appeals processes delineated in the KEY (Student Handbook) consistent with best practices in private liberal arts educational institutions. In all cases, students are encouraged to complete these processes prior to lodging a formal writtencomplaint.
2.
In every case, students are encouraged to speak with appropriate faculty, administrators, or students in order to seek resolution prior to filing acomplaint.
3.
All formal written complaints must be filed using the document entitled, HampdenSydney College Student Complaint Form. The form and instructions are available on the College
website. Paper copies are available in the Office of Student Affairs at no cost to students. The Dean of Students in the Office of Student Affairs will be available to meet to assist in filing complaints. 4.
All completed HampdenSydney College Student Complaint Forms and supporting documentation are to be submitted to the Dean of Students who will review the documents for completeness. Complaints against the Office of Student Affairs are submitted to the Dean of Faculty, rather than the Dean ofStudents.
5.
The Dean of Students will review Student Complaints and all documentation and