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Academic Grievance Procedure for Graduate Students

Graduate students are associated in various ways with both the University of Iowa and the Iowa City communities, and therefore may share characteristics and responsibilities of many other groups. Within the University, graduate students are first and foremost students, but many will, at some time in their graduate career, be employed as Teaching Assistants (TAs) or Research Assistants (RAs). A TA or RA works under the supervision of a faculty member and may be assigned duties such as teaching classes, supervising laboratories or studios, advising and counseling undergraduate students, grading course work, obtaining and analyzing data, etc. Other graduate students find employment in a surprisingly large array of university programs and offices (not always related to their academic programs or goals) or in the community. Still other graduate students may not be employed nor have responsibilities aside from those required by their department and degree program.

As members of the University of Iowa community, the University of Iowa Code of Student Life, available on the University of Iowa website, governs personal behavior of students (including graduate students). The Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College contains general rules and procedures governing graduate education. Each graduate program has more detailed Departmental or Program Guidelines which specify how that degree program operates within general Graduate College policies, and what graduate students can expect during their graduate career. There may also be College Academic Policies/Handbooks with information concerning the role of graduate students, particularly the instructional roles they may play.

The University has a collegial system of governance. This implies a shared interest among faculty, staff, and students (the University community) which is manifested in common interests and ways of debating issues and of internally resolving differences. The Collegial system attempts to resolve issues at the lowest possible level and in a manner most consistent with the shared interests of all members of the community. Open and free communication is a hallmark of this system, which is meant to prevent issues from evolving into conflict or dispute. However, conflicts and disputes may develop, and students are encouraged to seek advice as soon as they occur. The collegial system of resolving difficulties and conflicts includes a set of informal steps: discourse between the involved individuals, followed, if necessary, by consideration by the department(s), the college(s), and finally an appropriate administrative officer. A complainant also may elect to proceed by one of several formal procedures, generally by filing a written grievance alleging a specific violation, misinterpretation, or improper application of specific rules, regulations, or procedures.

Although most students proceed without difficulty through their graduate degree program, others may experience difficulties with another student, faculty, staff member, supervisor; or with departmental rules or procedures. Because graduate students may serve in several possible roles, several different University rules and regulations, each with its own set of procedures for resolving complaints or grievances, may at times apply. It is important to note that those various formal procedures may have different time frames within which they must be filed.

The University of Iowa Operations Manual contains University rules, regulations, policies, and procedures, along with references to some of the procedures established by the Board of Regents which govern all the Regents' institutions. Procedures for handling violations of the Operations Manual rules are codified under Section II, Ch. 29. Some of these rules are directly applicable to graduate students: For example, Section III, Ch. 30 contains the Student Employee Grievance Procedure governing non-academic employment of students (including graduate students); Section III, Ch. 15 governs Professional Ethics and Academic Responsibility of Faculty (this section applies to graduate students both as students and as teachers. Conflicts between graduate students and faculty under this section are administered by the Office of the Provost); and Section III, Ch. 12.4 includes the Graduate Assistant Dismissal Procedure. In addition, the Office of Affirmative Action maintains procedures for handling complaints and grievances related to sexual harassment or discrimination. The Graduate College maintains the Graduate Academic Grievance Procedure (AGP) for resolving complaints and grievances relating to general academic issues.

For a graduate student, the particular grievance procedure to employ for a complaint will depend upon the area involved (student life, academic difficulties, employment, etc.) Generally, graduate students first explore how to pursue a grievance with their advisor or with an appropriate departmental administrator (department head or graduate coordinator). However, if students are uncomfortable or dissatisfied using this route, the Associate Dean of the Graduate College will counsel them on the options available. In addition, the Counseling Service, the Office of the Ombudsperson, and the Office of Affirmative Action will counsel graduate students on a confidential basis and will assist them in selecting an appropriate grievance procedure.

The Graduate College administers the Academic Grievance Procedure (AGP) for pursuing resolution of complaints and grievances for most academic aspects of a graduate student's program. This includes issues related to the program of study and research, scholarship, or artistic production which comprise the core of graduate degree programs. The objective of the AGP is to achieve a fair and equitable resolution of complaints or grievances at the earliest possible time and at the lowest possible level. A graduate student who elects to pursue a complaint or grievance through the Graduate College AGP is first advised by the Associate Dean of the different possible ways to proceed. The student then elects whether first to pursue a complaint using an informal process or whether to file a grievance and to proceed by a more formal process.

Informal Academic Complaint Procedure of the Graduate College

Academic complaints generally involve students experiencing difficulty in their academic program, or a dispute concerning students' status or progress in their academic program. Generally, graduate students should bring complaints to the Graduate College only after attempts have been made to resolve them in a collegial manner at the department level. However, if for any reason a graduate student feels uncomfortable pursuing a complaint through his/her department, the complaint may be brought directly to the Graduate College.

In the case of students who elect to begin with an informal process, the Associate Dean serves as mediator and attempts to help the parties reach an agreement which resolves the complaint. This process may take an indeterminate time. Generally, the Associate Dean provides to the parties information on progress at intervals of about ten working days.

If the student decides to file a grievance, a formal procedure is used to obtain information and to reach a decision.

Formal Academic Grievance Procedure (AGP) of the Graduate College

A grievance is a written allegation that there has been a violation, misinterpretation, or improper application of University, Graduate College, or Department/Program rules, regulations, or policies governing a graduate academic program. No grievance may be filed later than two years from the event which gave rise to the complaint.

Step 1: The AGP is initiated by a statement of allegations submitted to the appropriate department/program, with a copy to the Associate Dean of the Graduate College. This statement should clearly and completely state the allegation(s), including times, places, and individuals concerned, and must be signed and dated by the complainant. The information provided should form the basis for a thorough investigation of the allegation(s). The statement may also contain a preferred remedy. The Department will be asked to respond to the allegations within ten working days (excluding break periods between academic sessions). If the complainant is dissatisfied with the response of the Department, he/she can appeal the decision to the Graduate College. The appeal should be a written statement to the Associate Dean indicating the basis on which the student believes the Departmental response is unsatisfactory, and must be filed within 25 working days of the Department response.

Step 2: The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, or an appropriate designee, will undertake an investigation to determine whether there is a sufficient basis to support the allegation(s). Discussions with the student, the statement of allegations, the response of the department, and information from other sources which may be obtained, will be considered in reaching a decision. The Associate Dean will make progress reports to the parties at intervals of about ten working days, and submit a final report to the Dean and to the parties as soon as possible, generally within twenty-five working days (excluding break periods between academic sessions).

If the investigation reveals a sufficient basis to support the allegation(s), the Associate Dean will render a decision or recommend that the Dean consider the grievance (Step 3). If the investigation indicates an insufficient basis to support the allegation(s), the Associate Dean will conclude the grievance process, although either party may be required to take certain actions to prevent future problems. Either party may appeal the decision of the Associate Dean by submitting within twenty working days a statement disputing the conclusions of the Investigation and the basis for an appeal.

Step 3: The Dean will review the results of the investigation and, within ten days, either render a decision or initiate an inquiry (Step 4). If the Dean renders a decision, the student may appeal within twenty days and request an inquiry (Step 4).

Step 4: The Dean appoints an Inquiry Committee composed of at least two faculty members and at least one graduate student (often members of the Graduate Council). The Inquiry Committee will review the report of the investigation, request any additional documents the Committee believes germane to the inquiry and conduct a hearing to receive any additional testimony the student may wish to present or the Committee may wish to solicit. The student may have the assistance of another person while presenting to the Committee. If the student is assisted by counsel, the Office of the General Counsel will assist the Committee in the conduct of the hearing.

The Committee may rule on the relevance of information or testimony and otherwise conduct the hearing. The Committee may close part or all of the hearing, so as to (1) ascertain the truth, (2) conserve time, and (3) protect confidentiality and privacy of members of the University community. The Committee will make a record of the hearing. The Inquiry Committee will report to the Dean on progress at intervals of about ten working days, and will ordinarily make a recommendation to the Dean within twenty-five working days (excluding break periods between academic sessions).

The Dean may accept or reject the recommendation, or may request the Inquiry Committee to explore other issues surrounding the grievance.

The decision of the Dean is final unless appealed to the Provost within twenty working days.

Dismissal procedures

In the event that a student is dismissed from the graduate program for academic reasons, he or she may request a formal review of the dismissal.  The departmental grievance committee as defined above will also serve as an academic dismissal review committee, again with the proviso that a particular member of the committee may be replaced by the DEO to avoid conflicts of interest when these arise.  To initiate a formal review of the dismissal, the student shall send written request for this review to the DEO.  The steps for convening the committee, considering the dismissal, and making a final recommendation shall be the same as those outlined above.  As with other formal grievance procedures, the student may appeal the departmental recommendation to the Graduate College.

Professional Ethics & Academic Responsibility: Responsibilities to Students
(section III-15.2, UI Operations Manual;
        http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/faculty/rights_resp/prof_ethics.shtml)

As a teacher, the faculty member has the responsibility for creating in his or her classroom or laboratory a climate that encourages the student to learn. The faculty member should exemplify high scholarly standards and respect and foster the student's right to choose and pursue his or her own educational goals.

(a) The faculty member must make clear the objectives of the course or program, establish requirements, set standards of achievement, and evaluate the student's performance.

(b) The faculty member has the responsibility to meet classes as scheduled and, when circumstances prevent this, to arrange equivalent alternate instruction.

(c) The faculty member has the responsibility to teach courses in a manner that is consistent with the course description and credit published in the catalogue and with the announced objectives of the course. He or she must not intentionally interject into classes material or personal views that have no pedagogical relationship to the subject matter of the course.

(d) In order to facilitate student learning, faculty members should present the appropriate context for course content. While challenge is essential to good teaching, challenge is ordinarily most effective when students are adequately prepared to deal with course materials. On controversial issues within the scope of the course a reasonable range of opinion should be presented. When the faculty member presents his or her own views on such issues, they should always be identified as such. Wherever values, judgments, or speculative opinions constitute part of the subject matter, they should be identified as such and should not be offered as fact.

(e) The faculty member owes to the student and the University a fair and impartial evaluation of the student's work. Such evaluation should be consistent with recognized standards and must not be influenced by irrelevancies such as religion, race, sex, or political views, or be based on the student's agreement with the teacher's opinion pertaining to matters of controversy within the discipline.

(f) Every student is entitled to the same intellectual freedom which the faculty member enjoys. The faculty member must respect that freedom. Restraint must not be imposed upon the student's search for or consideration of diverse or contrary opinion. More positively, the faculty member has an obligation to protect the student's freedom to learn, especially when that freedom is threatened by repressive or disruptive action.

The classroom must remain a place where free and open discussion of all content and issues relevant to a course can take place. While students remain responsible for learning class material and completion of course requirements, faculty should respect reasonable decisions by students, based on their exercise of their own intellectual freedom, to not attend part or all of a particular class session.

(g) The faculty member has obligations as an intellectual guide and counselor to students. He or she has a responsibility to be available to students for private conferences. In advising students, every reasonable effort should be made to see that information given to them is accurate. The progress of students in achieving their academic goals should not be thwarted or retarded unreasonably because a faculty member has neglected his or her obligation as adviser and counselor.

(h) The faculty member should conduct himself or herself at all times so as to demonstrate respect for the student. He or she should always respect the confidence deriving from the faculty-student relationship.

(i) The faculty member must avoid exploitation of students for personal advantage. For example, in writings and oral presentations due acknowledgment of their contributions to the work should be made.

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