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Grievance procedure:
In compliance with Title IX regulations, the College of
Engineering has a grievance procedure to handle student
complaints. Students should follow these steps until a resolution is
achieved:
- Attempt to resolve the grievance directly with the individual involved.
- If that approach seems unsatisfactory, and the grievance involves a teaching assistant (TA), consult the professor in charge of the course.
- If necessary, discuss the grievance with the appropriate department chair.
- The next level involves the academic dean. Students admitted to a degree-granting department should see Dean Farrell; pre-engineering students should see Dean Woolston, both at Engineering Student Services.
- All students have the right to appeal to the dean of the college, Paul S. Peercy, 608/262-3482, if they feel their cases have not been justly handled by another dean.
Only a few grievances are really serious and difficult to resolve. In
these instances, the dean seeks a solution that, as best as can be
determined, is appropriate, just, legal and in the best interests of
all concerned.
Authority limits on grades:
There are areas in which the dean does not have authority to
override an instructor, such as determination of a student's
grade. However, it has happened that the department chair has
intervened, for example, by having a grade determined by committee
rather than by the course instructor.
It has also occurred, by agreement between deans, department chairs
and faculty, that a misgraded course was dropped from the student's
record and credit given for the controversial course by having the
student pass the next higher course.
Grievance examples:
The following is a list of student grievances (in no particular
order of frequency or importance) that have occurred:
- Discrimination based on sex, religion or political views
- Course or exam grade disputes
- Required class or examination attendance at other than regularly scheduled (Timetable) times
- Changes in course content contrary to catalog description or division approval
- Difficulty in obtaining space in a critical course
- Personality conflicts between student and instructor
- Difficulty obtaining an appointment with instructor
- Unwillingness of instructor to estimate a grade before the course drop deadline date
- Teaching above the level of the class, which includes the assumption of an unlisted course prerequisite
- Intelligibility of instructors, especially those for whom English is a second language
- Excessive instructor class absences
- Rescheduled final exams by majority approval or apparent unanimity, to possible disadvantage of the minority
- Sexual harassment (Contact Sarah K.A. Pfatteicher, 608/265-5925; Jeanne Hendricks, 263-1603; or the Dean of Students Office, 75 Bascom Hall, 263-5700)
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