Responses
When composing replies to your peers, compare and contrast your answers with those of your peers as you discuss the arguments for a separate system that is more appealing to institutions than a single system.
Respond 2 classmates discussion
speak in first person. Speak as you are talking to each classmate directly
Julia Discussion:
The grievance policy that I have decided to look at was for the undergraduate program at the college that I work for, William James College. It is their policy that the student must bring their grievance forth to one of three administrators: 1) Their advisor, 2) the Undergraduate Program Director, or 3) the Dean of Students. I will note for everyone that the Dean of Students at William James College is a former lawyer and law professor that decided to get a Master’s in Higher Education Administration. I know personally that he is a prolific reader and that although he had already earned his Juris Doctorate, he earned his Master’s in higher education to demonstrate his true commitment to the field.
The policy states that they would like to initially attempt to come to some information resolution of the grievance. If the informal resolution cannot be agreed upon, it is incumbent upon the student to submit a formal grievance to the Vice President of Academic Affairs within 21 days of when the incident occurs. This would imply that the informal resolution process takes much less than 21 days to attempt to achieve.
The Vice President of Academic Affairs is going to attempt, again, to come to some kind of informal resolution, however if they are unable to, they will convene a special committee. The Dean of Students will be the chair, or they can appoint someone to be the chair, and then three faculty members will review the complaint. They will recommend a decision to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
William James College is a private institution and so I don’t find that the procedure is overly favorable to the student, however there is a due process, so it is not totally unfair and inequitable. In terms of pro’s and con’s, I believe that if faculty have a differing opinion than their department chair, then that is a limitation of having the same policy system for academic or disciplinary issues. We saw that when it comes to cheating, they overlap both an academic and disciplinary issue. I also think that timing needs to be different. I think that 21 days is very generous and would protect William James College in the event of litigation. I even think that that 21 days is generous for underrepresented populations, as well.
References
Office of Academic Affairs at William James College. (2020). Retrieved August 06, 2020, from https://www.williamjames.edu/academics/academic-affairs/index.cfm
Nicholis Discussion:
I decided to use Stanford as my institution of choice. When looking at their academic and non-academic grievance policies, there is heavy emphasis put on equity for students while upholding institutional policy. In the academic grievance policy at Stanford, the grievant must first attempt to discuss the issue, either through writing or in person, with the party/individual that the grievance would affect. Then, if the grievant is unsatisfied with the result, he/she must submit a grievance detailing the issue within 30 days of the quarter’s end. The non-academic policy is similar in that the individual must file a grievance detailing the issue at hand but it is then submitted to the Director of the Diversity and Access Office (Stanford University 2020). The students’ rights are safeguarded in that the issue will reviewed thoroughly by another party to assess if any unfair treatment, sexual harassment or discrimination was present. The University also gives contact information of Bureau of Post-secondary Education as a resource where a third party can review the complaint.
Kapli & Lee (2009) discuss the importance of having grievance procedures in place that provide safeguards to both the students and the institution. Having clear procedures allows students to go through process for academic or non-academic purposes. Having a system where procedures are the same for both academic and non-academic grievances makes for an efficient way to go through the process. This is beneficial to students because they don’t have to worry about two separate processes and can get familiar with a single process. It also helps the institution be efficient with handling grievances. It is vital to create a procedure that can be clearly communicated and understood by all members of the postsecondary institution and especially those who have underrepresented needs. Having a single process can help eliminate some confusion for those who are already overwhelmed with classes, work, and other policies and procedures that exist.
References:
Kaplin, W. A., & Lee, B. A. (2009). A legal guide for student affairs professionals. John Wiley & Sons.
Stanford University. (2020). Grievances. Retrieved from:
https://exploredegrees.stanford.edu/nonacademicregulations/grievances/