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In accord with university policy, the English Department has three procedures for responding to student complaints about instructors.[1] Under ordinary circumstances, students should first attempt to resolve the issue with the instructor. In the event that no resolution is achieved, students should then address their complaints to the chair of the department in as timely a fashion as possible.

At the conclusion of each academic year, the Student Mediator shall report in writing to all faculty on the number, nature, and final disposition of contacts initiated by students during the year. These reports shall protect the anonymity of all students and instructors. 

• Informal Resolution: an informal process for addressing complaints about grades or alleged violations of instructor obligations listed in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s Statement of Good Teaching Practices, as well as unlisted obligations, such as issues involving competence or failure to fulfill contractual obligations.

• Letter of Complaint: a more formal process for addressing and resolving complaints about grades or alleged violations of instructor obligations listed in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s Statement of Good Teaching Practices, as well as unlisted obligations, such as issues involving competence or failure to fulfill contractual obligations.
• Grievance Procedure: a yet more formal process for adjudicating complaints about grades or adjudicating alleged violations of instructor obligations listed in the Statement of Good Teaching Practices.

A goal of all procedures is to effect reconciliation between instructor and student.

Informal Resolution

When a student approaches the chair with a complaint, the chair will inquire whether the student has conferred with the instructor to seek a resolution and, if not, under ordinary circumstances, the chair will request that the student do so. In accord with the university’s official academic grievance procedure, the department considers such a meeting to be a necessary first step in any resolution process.[2] At this time, the chair will also direct the student to the department’s Student Mediator, who will confer more fully with the student about her/his options, provide copies of both this departmental grievance policy and the grievance policy in the university Policy Library, and answer any questions the student may have about these policies. The mediator will also be available to facilitate the meeting between the student and the instructor, and will, if the student chooses, meet jointly with the student and instructor to help them reach a mutually satisfactory outcome. If such an outcome is achieved, the Student Mediator will report that fact, in writing, to the chair, and the case will be closed. 

Letter of Complaint

If the student is not satisfied with the result of a meeting with the instructor or with efforts of the student mediator to achieve resolution through the informal process outlined above, the student may file a letter of complaint or may choose to initiate the more formal grievance procedure outlined below.

The written, signed, and dated letter of complaint, filed with the department chair in timely fashion, must state the name of the instructor, identify the course, describe the incident(s) giving rise to the complaint, and cite, if appropriate, the provision(s) of the Statement of Good Teaching Practices, or other instructor obligations, alleged to have been violated. The letter should also describe the remedy requested, and it should be accompanied by any supporting documents. Anonymous or unsigned complaints must be disregarded and destroyed. The student may request advice from the student mediator on how to prepare a clear and coherent letter of complaint. The Student Mediator shall not be expected to write the student’s letter of complaint or to act as prosecutor on the student’s behalf.

After receiving a letter of complaint and before acting on it, the chair will promptly inform the instructor of the complaint and give him or her an opportunity to submit a written response that rebuts the allegations or explains the circumstances as viewed by the instructor; at a minimum, the instructor should forward to the chair the syllabus for the course and/or a statement of her/his course policies and procedures. If the instructor wishes to submit a response, s/he will have ten working days from the date of the chair’s letter to do so, not counting days when school is out of session (e.g., the weeks between the end of fall semester and the beginning of the winter term, or during the week of spring break). The chair then attempts to resolve the complaint.  

All signed and dated complaints written by students are filed in the departmental student complaint file. If an instructor submits a written response, it is also placed in the departmental student complaint file, as is the chair’s report on the actions s/he took to resolve the complaint. The chair will provide the student with the instructor’s written response and the chair’s report.  

Grievance Procedure

The department’s student grievance process is available for challenges of grades and/or allegations that an instructor has violated obligations listed in the Statement of Good Teaching Practices.

If the student has previously filed a letter of complaint but is dissatisfied with the results, that letter of complaint forms the basis of the grievance; the instructor’s response (if any) and the chair’s report on the resolution procedure are part of the grievance procedure’s record.

If the student did not previously file a letter of complaint, s/he must submit to the department chair a written, signed, and dated grievance letter in timely fashion. The letter must state the name of the instructor, identify the course, describe the incident(s) giving rise to the complaint, and cite, if appropriate, the provision(s) of the Statement of Good Teaching Practices alleged to have been violated. The letter should also describe the remedy requested, and it should be accompanied by any supporting documents. Anonymous or unsigned grievance letters must be disregarded and destroyed. The chair will inform the student that s/he may request advice from the student mediator on how to prepare a clear and coherent grievance letter. The Student Mediator shall not be expected to write the student’s grievance letter or to act as prosecutor on the student’s behalf. The chair will promptly forward a copy of the student’s grievance to the instructor, together with a request for information relevant to the review, including the syllabus for the course and/or a statement of the instructor’s policies and procedures. The instructor may also make a written reply to the student’s statement. The instructor shall have ten working days from the date of the chair’s letter in which to respond to the student’s charge, not counting days when school is out of session (e.g., the weeks between the end of fall semester and the beginning of the winter term, or during the week of spring break). Once all documents have been filed, a grievance committee will hold a hearing, and determine recommendations.

[1] Student Complaints About the Quality of Instruction

[2] Undergraduate | Academic Responsibilities and Academic Grievance Policy