Informal Resolution:
Each student who has a grievance shall make reasonable effort to resolve the
matter on an informal basis prior to requesting a grievance hearing, and shall
attempt to solve the problem with the person with whom the student has the
grievance, that person’s immediate supervisor, or the local College administration.
The superintendent/president or designated representative shall appoint an
employee who shall assist students in seeking resolution by informal means. This
person shall be called the Grievance Officer. The Grievance Officer and the student
may also seek the assistance of the Associated Student Organization in attempting
to resolve a grievance informally.
Informal meetings and discussion between persons directly involved in a grievance
are essential at the onset of a dispute and should be encouraged at all stages. An
equitable solution should be sought before persons directly involved in the case
have stated official or public positions that might tend to polarize the dispute and
render a solution more difficult.
At no time shall any of the persons directly or indirectly involved in the case use the
fact of such informal discussion for strengthening the case for or against persons
directly involved in the dispute or for any purpose other than the settlement of the
grievance.
In an attempt to resolve a complaint informally, the student shall first request a
meeting to discuss it with the Dean, Associate Dean or Director (hereinafter
Administrator) of the division in which the matter in question resides. Upon such a
request, the Administrator shall inform and confer with any staff members named
by the student. In turn, the Administrator shall schedule a meeting with the student
and, if requested, all involved parties not more than ten (10) business days from the
date of request.
An informal resolution of the complaint it not reached, which is satisfactory to the
student, the student shall have the right to request a grievance hearing.
This concludes the Informal Process.
Formal Resolution (Request for a Grievance Hearing)
The student may process any complaint not resolved by the Informal Process. As set
forth above, the student can process a grievance as follows:
The student shall submit his or her written grievance, on a form provided by the
College, to the Grievance Officer (dean of student services or designee) within
thirty (30) business days following the student’s first meeting with an Administrator.
The grievance shall be signed and dated by the student and shall incorporate a
statement that the student had first followed the provisions of the Informal Process.
Within fifteen (15) business days following receipt of the request for a grievance
hearing, the dean of student services or designee shall appoint a Grievance Hearing
Committee, as described above. The Grievance Hearing Committee shall meet in
private and, without the parties present, select a chair and determine based on the
Statement of the Grievance whether it presents sufficient grounds for a hearing.
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