Grade and Other Academic Appeals

A student may appeal a final grade or other academic decision. The student may appeal to the faculty member who awarded the grade or made the academic decision. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a written appeal to the faculty member must be filed within two weeks from the date the student learned or reasonably should have learned of the grade. The faculty member will provide the student with a written decision.
If the consultation with the faculty member does not resolve the appeal, a student may submit a written request for review of the appeal to the Dean for Academic Affairs. Absent extraordinary circumstances, the request for review must be filed within two weeks from the date the student learned or reasonably should have learned of the written decision by the faculty member. The Dean for Academic Affairs will provide the student with a written decision.

If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the Dean, the student may submit a written request for review to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Absent extraordinary circumstances, this request for review must be filed within two weeks from the date the student learned or reasonably should have learned of the written decision by the Dean for Academic Affairs. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will provide the student with a written decision. The decision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall be final.

Academic Misconduct

Academic Misconduct includes, but is not limited to: (1) aiding and abetting academic misconduct; (2) cheating; (3) fabrication; and/or (4) plagiarism. Incidents involving Academic Misconduct are handled by Academic Affairs but follow the same judicial process as the Student Disciplinary Procedure

Student Grievances

Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) maintains a grievance process available to all students that provides an open and meaningful forum for their grievances, the resolution of these grievances, and is subject to clear guidelines. This procedure does not address grievances related to the unlawful harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation for reporting harassment/discrimination against students. Those complaints are handled by the State Board Procedure: Unlawful Harassment and Discrimination of Students.

For all timelines established herein, if a student will need additional time, an extension may be granted at the Vice President for Student Affairs’ discretion.

• Informal Grievance Procedure. Students with grievable issues should resolve those issues, if possible, on an informal basis without the filing of a formal grievance.

1. A student has 10 business days from the date of the incident being grieved to resolve the matter informally by approaching their instructor, department chair, or any other staff or faculty member directly involved in the grieved incident.
2. Where this process does not result in a resolution of the grievable issue, the student may proceed to the formal grievance procedure below.

• Formal Grievance Procedure. Where a student cannot resolve his or her grievance informally, he or she may use this formal grievance procedure.

1. Within 15 business days of the incident being grieved, the student must file a formal grievance in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA) with the following information:

• Name,
• Date,
• Brief description of incident being grieved,
• Remedy requested,
• Signed, and
• Informal remedy attempted by student and outcome.

2. If the grievance is against the VPSA, the student shall file the grievance with the President.
3. The VPSA or the College President’s designee will investigate the matter and supply a written response to the student within 15 business days.
4. If the grieved incident involves possible unlawful harassment, discrimination, or retaliation for reporting unlawful harassment/discrimination, the investigation will be handled pursuant to the State Board Procedure: Unlawful Harassment and Discrimination of Students.
5. If the grieved incident is closely related to an incident being processed through the harassment/discrimination or disciplinary procedures, the proceedings under the Unlawful Harassment and Discrimination of Students procedure will take precedence, then the disciplinary procedure, and then the student’s grievance will be addressed. The grievance will not be processed until after the other procedures have run their course.
6. The VPSA or College President’s designee shall be granted an additional 15 business days to investigate the grievance upon notice to the aggrieved student.

• Appeal: The student may appeal the decision from the VPSA or the College President’s designee to the President. Only the student has the right to appeal.

1. A student shall file a written appeal to the President within 5 business days of receiving the response referenced above.
2. The appeal will be decided based entirely on documents provided by the student and the administration; therefore, the student must ensure that he or she has provided all relevant documents with his or her appeal.
3. At the sole discretion of the President, grievance appeals may be held in one of the following two ways:

• The President may review the information provided by the student and administration and make the final decision; or
• The President may appoint a cross-functional committee to make the final decision.

4. The decision of President or the cross-functional committee shall be made within 10 business days of receipt of the appeal. The decision of the President or committee for the grievance appeal is final.

• Retaliation: Retaliation against a student for filing a grievance is strictly prohibited.
  
• Record Retention: Documents relating to formal grievances including investigations, dispositions and the grievance itself shall be held for five (5) years after the graduation of the student or the date of the student’s last attendance.