Academic Grievance Process for School of STEM Graduate Programs
Graduate students must follow the grievance procedures established by The School of STEM, Office of Graduate Studies (OGS), to address such concerns. This Grievance Policy is aligned with UW Executive Order No. 58 Student Academic Grievance Procedures and the UW Graduate School Policy 3.8: Academic Grievance Procedure.
What is Academic Grievance?
An academic grievance is a formal concern raised by a graduate student who believes they have been subjected to unfair, arbitrary, or inconsistent treatment in the administration or application of academic policies or requirements. Retaliation against a student for raising grievance in good faith is prohibited.
Complaint Procedure for Graduate Student
Step 1: Student-Faculty/Staff Discussion
The student is encouraged, but not required, to attempt to resolve the complaint directly in conversation with the faculty or staff member. The student should make an appointment and state that the purpose is to discuss a complaint. Most conflicts can be resolved at this stage.
Either the student or faculty/staff member may request another person to be present during the discussion. If the student does not feel comfortable speaking directly to the faculty or staff member, they may choose to speak directly to their supervisor (Step 2).
Step 2: Supervisor meeting(s) with student and/or faculty/staff
If resolution is not achieved in Step 1, complaints should be brought to the appropriate supervisor (e.g., students attempting to resolve a complaint with a faculty member should go to the appropriate department chair), or, if the supervisor is the source of the conflict, then the student should go to the administrative head of the employing organization (e.g., students attempting to resolve a complaint with a department chair should contact the dean).
The student should request a meeting by email and include an explanation of the situation to date. The supervisor will first obtain information from all parties. If all parties are amenable to a joint discussion, then the supervisor will convene a joint meeting to discuss and achieve a resolution. If all parties are not amenable to a joint discussion (e.g., student wishes to remain anonymous), then the supervisor will meet with the parties separately in order to reach a resolution. Disputes resolved in Step 2 need no official reporting but should be documented at the unit level by the supervisor.
Step 3: Mediation by the Dean
If resolution is not achieved in Step 2 and the student wishes to continue to seek a resolution, complaints should be brought to the Dean of the School of STEM within 10 business days of their last meeting in Step 2. The student will submit a written summary of the grievance and request an appointment with the Dean by email. A copy of the summary should also be provided to the person concerned in the complaint and their supervisor. Receipt of the student’s complaint will be acknowledged in writing by the Dean, and the review process will commence within 10 business days of its receipt.
The Dean will meet with the student to understand the student’s ongoing concerns. The Dean will also gather additional information and may request a response to the issues raised in the grievance from any individuals believed to have information considered relevant to the situation, including faculty, staff, and students within appropriate university policies and applicable state and federal regulations.
The review by the Dean will usually be limited to the following considerations:
- Were the proper facts and criteria brought to bear the decision?
- Were improper or extraneous facts or criteria brought to bear that substantially affected the decision to the detriment of the student?
- Were there any procedural irregularities that substantially affected the outcome of the complaint to the detriment of the student?
Given the proper facts, criteria, and procedures, was the decision one which a person in the position of the decision maker might reasonably have made? The Dean will normally complete a review of the grievance and issue a decision on the situation in writing within 45 business days. The student will be informed what steps have been or will be taken to address the grievance, the outcome, the reasons for the decision, and further avenues for appeal if applicable. All reasonable measures will be taken to finalize the process as soon as practicable. If any part of the complaint resolution involves disciplinary action of a faculty or staff member, those actions shall remain confidential.
Step 4: Appeal Process (graduate students only)
Within 15 business days of the conclusion of the school or college-level grievance procedure, a graduate student may file an appeal with the dean of The Graduate School alleging a lack of procedural uniformity in the unit’s application of their grievance procedure. The complaint must be initiated by a written statement that indicates the exact nature of the non-uniformity including the date(s) the action(s) occurred; the deviation of the grievance procedure from the unit’s documented procedure, EO 58, or from other applications of grievance procedure within the unit; and the relief requested. The statement should also include a description of the results of the unit-level procedure, as well as any background information that the student deems pertinent to the complaint.
A designated representative (or representatives) of the Dean of the Graduate School will review the appeal, consult with the unit and allow a written response, and recommend to the Graduate School Dean whether further action is warranted. Evaluation criteria will be whether the unit-level grievance procedure is clearly articulated and available to all students, as well as whether it was uniformly applied in the student’s case. The Dean of the Graduate School or their designee will notify the student and academic unit leader within 15 business days during an academic quarter of submission of the formal complaint by the student of their determination and any recommended remediation.