Students and others who wish to file a complaint about the university may do so with one of the following procedures:
Formal Student Complaint Process
UJ is dedicated to providing students with resources that will better equip them to have the best possible college experience in positive and empowering ways. This policy and procedure is available to students who have a complaint regarding a process or person of the university community not covered by existing policies (academic grade policy, discrimination/harassment, grade appeal and resident life conflict). The objective of the complaint policy is to resolve issues as quickly and efficiently as possible at the level closest to the student.
Complaint: A statement that a situation is unsatisfactory or unacceptable.
Procedure:
- The student will submit the complaint utilizing the online form on the UJ website. The submission will be received by the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students.
- Complaints will be forwarded to the appropriate academic or nonacademic area for follow up as noted below.
- Academic complaints to the Office of the Provost or their designee.
- Athletics complaints to the Director of Athletics or their designee.
- Student Affairs complaints to the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students or their designee.
- Business Office complaints to the Chief Financial Officer or their designee.
- Financial Aid complaints to the Chief Financial Officer or their designee.
- Records and Registration complaints to the Office of the Provost or their designee.
- Unlawful Discrimination and Harassment complaints to the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students or their designee.
- A complaint against a member of the President's Cabinet will be directed to the President.
- A complaint against the President is submitted to the Chair of the Board of Trustees.
- Complaints not fitting into categories a - i will be directed to the appropriate member of the President's Cabinet.
Level 1 Complaint Process
Absent extraordinary circumstances, the person to whom the complaint has been submitted conducts, within fifteen (15) business days of receiving the complaint, a formal conference with the student, permitting her or him to provide any necessary relevant information. The interviewer confers with the other person or persons involved and conducts an additional investigation as he or she deems necessary. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a written recommendation is sent within fifteen (15) business days of the first formal conference. The recommendation is sent to the student and the other involved person or persons. The written recommendation states the background information, the rationale for the recommendation, and the recommended remedy, if any. Copies of the original complaint and the written recommendation are kept in the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students for a minimum of five years.
Level 2 Complaint Process
The student or one of the other involved parties may, with fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the level 1 recommendation, appeal to the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students in writing via email. The Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students and/or the Director of Human Resources and/or the Executive Vice President, will hear the appeal. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a meeting will be held within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the appeal or complaint. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a written recommendation is sent to the student and others within fifteen (15) business days of such meeting. In cases of appeals to level 2, copies of the original complaint and the level 1 and 2 written recommendations are kept in the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students for a minimum of five years.
Level 3 Complaint Process
The student or one of the other involved parties may, with fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the level 2 recommendation, appeal to the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students in writing via email. Except in the case of a complaint against the President, where the Board of Trustees has final authority, appeals of the level 2 recommendation will be heard by the President. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a meeting will be held within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the level 2 recommendation. The President makes the final decision. Absent extraordinary circumstances, the President’s written decision is sent to the student and other parties within fifteen (15) business days of receiving the level 3 appeal. In cases of appeals to level 3, copies of the original complaint, the previous written recommendations, and the final decision are kept in the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students for a minimum of five years.
Appeals
The student or one of the other involved parties may, within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the level 1 or level 2 recommendation, appeal to the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students in writing via email. Failure to appeal within the allotted time will render the original decision final and conclusive. Grounds for an appeal shall be based upon either of the following:
- Specified procedural errors or errors in interpretation of University regulations were so substantial as to effectively deny the student a fair hearing.
- New and significant evidence became available which could not have been discovered by a properly diligent student before or during the original hearing.
All requests for appeals shall be reviewed by the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, who shall notify, in writing via official university email, all parties involved of the results of that review. If the request for an appeal is denied, the original decision becomes final. If an appeal is granted, all parties involved shall be informed, in writing via official university email, that a review of the original decision is being conducted through the level 2 or level 3 processes.
Documentation
Student Complaints will be recorded with outcomes in the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students office. Quarterly reports will be submitted to the President’s Cabinet with the following information:
- Total number of complaints
- Nature of complaints received by generic category
- Summary record of each complaint received and action taken
- Total number or appeals and percentage of decisions which were either upheld or overturned
- An annual analysis of any trends in complaints noticed and steps already taken or recommended courses of action to address these trends.
Complaints outside the Realm of Due Process
Any complaint that would fall out of the realm of due process regarding the Program and/or University may be addressed to the Program Director. If an individual has concerns about sending the complaint to Program personnel, he or she may send it to the Provost, University of Jamestown. The Program and University take all complaints seriously and will review any complaint in an expedient manner and take any appropriate action that is warranted.
Once a complaint is made, the Program Director or the Provost will be directly involved in contacting the complainant and gathering any available information (within fifteen (15) business days). The Provost will be notified of all complaints. If the matter is resolved, the Program Director or the Provost will write a letter to the complainant acknowledging resolution of the matter. A copy of the letter will be kept on file in the Program Director’s office and the Provost’s office for five (5) years.
If the matter is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant or the complaint is about the Program Director, the complainant may submit a written complaint directly to the Provost, University of Jamestown. The Provost will meet with each party separately and may schedule a combined meeting with the two parties in order to resolve the complaint. A letter outlining the resolution by the Provost will be filed with the complaint in the Provost’s office. A copy of the resolution may be sent to the complainant at the discretion of the Provost. A copy of the letter will be kept on file in the Provost’s office for five (5) years.
Filing a Complaint with CAPTE
Any complaint regarding the University of Jamestown Physical Therapy Program may also be filed with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE):
Department of Accreditation
APTA
3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22305-3085
Telephone: 703-684-2782/800-999-2782
Fax: 703-684-7343
Email: accreditation@apta.org
Website: http://www.capteonline.org
Filing a Complaint with NC-SARA
A student complaint not resolved through the University’s procedures as described in this handbook may be filed with the National Council for State Authorization and Reciprocity Agreements. These complaints can be mailed or emailed to the following individuals:
Claire Gunwall
Director of Academic Affairs
North Dakota University System
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 215
Bismarck, ND 58505-0230
Phone: 701-328-4140
Email: claire.gunwall@ndus.edu
Information about the NC-SARA complaint process can be found online at https://ndus.edu/state-authorization-sara
Filing a Complaint with the Arizona State Board for Private Post-Secondary Education (AZPPSE)
If the student complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the Institution’s grievance procedure, the student may file a complaint with the Arizona State Board for Private Post-Secondary Education. The student must Contact the State Board for further details. The State Board address is:
1740 W. Adams Street, #3008
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-542-5709
Website: https://ppse.az.gov/