Grievance process: Students debate grades, resolve issues with faculty
By Charity Parker, May 2009
Assoc. Features Editor
You receive a grade you feel is unjust. Your shoulders tense as the stress begins to take hold. You feel yourself without options. Consulting your student handbook, you find a solution: grievance and complaint resolution process on pages 172-173. By following the process, you find the steps necessary to get your academic career back on track.
The grievance process is a Maricopa County Community College District process that assures that "students have due process and representation," says Denise Digianfilippo, PVCC’s interim dean of academic affairs. It assures a fair and balanced approach to students and academic affairs when students feel wronged.
 |
Photo by Charity Parker
Bill Hart, interim associate dean of student affairs; Mary Lou Mosley, vice president of academic affairs; and Denise Digianfilippo, PVCC's interim dean of academic affairs, address student grievances.
|
"The hardest part is that people think they're right," explains Mary Lou Mosley, vice president of academic affairs. The steps of the grievance process assure that the issue is addressed at the appropriate level and carried to the next level only if it is not resolved.
It is key to understand that there are two branches of the grievance process, the academic branch and the non-academic branch. The former deals with grades and tests. The latter addresses issues of academic misconduct, feelings of discrimination or any personal matter a student may have with an instructor.
The first step of the process, be it academic or personal, is to address the teacher within 15 business days of knowledge of the issue. In the event the issue cannot be resolved at that level, it should then be formally written and taken up with one of PVCC’s 11 department chairs. The department chairs’ names can be found on page 204 of the student handbook or on the employee directory of the PVCC Web site.
If that fails, the issue then moves to the dean or vice president of the division where the issue will be fully addressed and a resolution reached.
"Usually, the issue is resolved at the instructor level," states Mosley. In the event that the issue is not resolved, Mosley says it becomes Mosley’s and Digianfilippo's job to judge the assignment in question based on the criteria of the assignment and not on the specific content.
"We look at what was asked of the student and whether or not they followed that criteria," Mosley explained.
"The first step is to hear the story," Digianfilippo says, as she explains the basics of addressing a dispute. "What the events were and what happened."
When it comes to grade disputes, once the issue has reached Digianfilippo or Mosley it can go no further. However, in cases involving misconduct, handled by interim associate dean of student affairs, Bill Hart, the matter may go beyond his level depending on the severity of the issue.
"I deal with violations of code of conduct and just about anything outside of grades," said Hart. "I've only been with the school since December, but I see about three to four complaints a week."
At the level of the deans and vice presidents, it is a collaborative effort between all parties involved, "but I cannot think of a time when we have not been able to come to an agreement," states Mosley.
The grievance process is one that assures a fair hearing for all parties concerned. It should not be abused and should be respected to assure that the issue is worked out smoothly. Without this process, students are left without a voice, and for that reason alone, it should be respected and never abused. The grievance process is designed to accommodate students and teachers alike.
|
