Procedure on Student Complaints

(A) INTRODUCTION

1. The College strives to provide every student with a successful and positive educational experience. As part of an effort to continuously improve the College while also resolving legitimate student concerns, the College maintains this student complaints and grade disputes procedure. This procedure does not apply to issues covered by the College policy on affirmative action, equal opportunity, discrimination and harassment (rule 3354:1-42-01 of the administrative code) or that policy’s associated procedures. It also does not apply to issues covered by the Student Conduct Code or student judicial system.
2. In this procedure, “days” means weekdays other than College holidays,winter leave days, or days the College is closed due to weather, emergency or other reason.
3. The student complaint and grade dispute processes are distinct and separate. A student who wishes to make a complaint and also to dispute a grade must follow both processes described in sections (B) and (C) below.

(B) STUDENT COMPLAINTS (TRI-C.EDU/CONCERNS)

1. The complaints process does not apply to grade disputes, which are addressed in section (C) below.
2. Any student or community member who is dissatisfied with an aspect of their collegiate experience involving a faculty member or other employee may seek resolution of the matter with the College, as follows:
   1. The student or community member must initiate the matter orally with the faculty member or other employee who is the focus of the complaint within a reasonable time frame.
   2. That individual will meet with the student or community member, listen to the facts and circumstances surrounding the complaint and provide a response to the student or community member.
   3. In the event the student or community member is not satisfied, he or she may appeal by explaining the complaint fully, in writing, using the online complaint system available at www.tri-c.edu/concerns.
   4. The associate dean of academic affairs will meet jointly or independently with the student or community member and faculty member (or the appropriate supervisor will meet jointly or independently with the student and individual who is the focus of the complaint) within 15 days following receipt of the complaint. The academic affairs associate dean or supervisor will review the facts and circumstances and provide the student with a written response. This decision will be final. The campus academic affairs dean or designee will send a copy of the decision to the campus president.
3. Any student or community member who is dissatisfied about an issue that does not involve a faculty member or other employee, or that involves an employee whose office or normal work location is not at a campus or Corporate College location, may seek resolution of the matter as follows:
   1. The student or community member must address these non-academic complaints in writing using the online complaint system available at www.tri-c.edu/concerns. The dean of student affairs or their designee shall receive the complaint and shall communicate the College’s decision regarding the complaint to the student within 15 days of receiving the written complaint.
   2. The decision communicated in prior paragraph (B)(3)(a) will not be subject to student appeal.

Effective date: May 17, 2021
Prior effective dates: Sept. 3, 2010; March 25, 2019
Procedure amplifies: 3354:1-30-03