GRADUATE STUDENT GRIEVANCE
PROCEDURE
It
is the responsibility of the
1.
Students with
complaints should first discuss their grievance with the person against whom
the complaint is directed. The goal is
for the parties to be sure they understand each other before more formal steps
are taken, and to be sure that every opportunity has been taken for mutually
satisfactory resolution.
2.
In those
instances in which discussion with the faculty member involved does not resolve
a grievance to the student’s satisfaction, he or she should then present the
complaint in writing to the Department Chairperson. The Chairperson will subsequently take
responsibility for reviewing the complaint with the student and the faculty
member in order to arbitrate the issue on the basis of all available information
and the soundest judgment possible. In
this process the Chairperson may consult with other faculty in the Department,
submit the matter for deliberation to the Department’s tenured faculty, appoint
an ad hoc committee of faculty and/or graduate students to make a
recommendation, or employ other means of resolving disputes consistent with the
Department’s usual ways of operating. If
the complaint involves the Department Chairperson, the student may bring the
matter to the Faculty Dean (e.g., Engineering, Medicine, etc.) to whom the Chair
reports.
3.
In the event
that a decision still appears unfair to a student, the student may bring the
matter to the attention of the Dean of Graduate Studies. The Dean may ask the student to put the
complaint in writing for clarity and fairness to others involved. The Dean will then discuss the case with the
student and the Department Chairperson to evaluate the particulars and to make
a ruling on it. As the situation
warrants, the Dean may appoint a Grievance Committee to recommend what action
should be taken. In this event the Committee will be composed of two faculty
members selected from the Committee on Graduate Studies of the Faculty Senate
and two graduate students selected either from the Executive Committee of the
Graduate Student Senate or from the student members of the Committee on
Graduate Studies. The procedures for the
Committee will be determined by the Committee itself as the circumstances
warrant, but generally the student, the faculty member or department against
which the accusation is raised, and other members of the University community
familiar with the case will be asked to discuss the matter with the
Committee. The student may request the
participation of members of the University community who are familiar with his
or her circumstances, but representatives from outside the University community
will generally not be allowed to participate in the proceeding.
Responsibility for the final decision will be in the Dean’s hands, and
the ruling from the Dean’s Office will be considered final and binding on the
persons involved in the grievance.
It should be
understood that this grievance procedure relates solely to graduate student
complaints concerning academic issues.
The procedure for handling complaints about other matters is detailed in
the University’s Student Services Guide.
Approved,
Graduate Studies Committee, 9/24/92
Revised
and approved, Graduate Studies Committee, 3/11/93
Case Western Reserve University
School of Graduate Studies
Graduate students accused of violating
the University’s standards of conduct, which are detailed in the Bulletin
(see “Student Affairs” section), are entitled to adequate notice of all charges
and to a fair hearing and may subsequently be subject to disciplinary action.
The process outlined here applies to
academic infractions, e.g., cheating on examinations, plagiarism, and other
forms of dishonesty in academic activities.*
Procedures applicable in cases of other types of proscribed behavior are
explained in the University’s annual Student Services Guide.
For academic infractions by graduate
students, the following particular policies and procedures apply:
1.
If, in the judgment of a faculty member, a graduate student
improperly claims credit for part or all of a particular assignment or
examination, the faculty member may decide to assign whatever grade is deemed
appropriate, including failure, for the assignment or examination. If the faculty member takes such action, the
Dean of Graduate Studies is not necessarily informed. However, the faculty member must inform the
student of the decision and the basis for it, and retain documentation of the
basis for the decision, as well as submit written notification to the
department chairperson.
2.
If there are any procedural uncertainties, the faculty
member may choose to consult with the department chairperson prior to
disposition of the matter. The student
may choose to consult with his or her adviser, the department graduate affairs
committee chairperson or any other faculty member, as well as the Assistant
Dean of Graduate Studies, for assistance in clarifying the issues.
3.
If the faculty member proposes that a penalty more severe
than lowering the grade for the assignment or examination is warranted, the
case must be referred with the faculty member’s recommendation to the Dean of
Graduate Studies for sanctions, along with written notification to the
department chairperson.
4.
When a case is so referred, the Office of Graduate Studies
notifies the student in writing of the accusation of academic infraction, the
pending sanctions, and the “Graduate Student Grievance Procedure” in the event
the student wishes to appeal (Procedure appended).
One or more of the
following disciplinary actions may be imposed on a graduate student by the
University for academic infractions. The
action to be taken depends on the determined seriousness of the offense:
1.
Disciplinary Warning:
The student receives a written notice that continuation or repetition of
conduct that has been judged wrongful or inappropriate, within a period of time
stated in the warning, will be cause for more severe disciplinary action. This letter is placed in the student’s file
in the School of Graduate Studies until the student leaves the University by
graduation or transfer.
2.
Disciplinary Suspension:
The student must withdraw from the University for specified semester
periods. “Disciplinary suspension” is
permanently recorded on the student’s official transcript to explain the
student’s absence from the University.
3.
Disciplinary Separation:
An individual’s status as a graduate student of the University is
permanently terminated. “Disciplinary
separation” is recorded on the student’s official transcript.
*Allegations of student research misconduct will be subject to investigation by the University in accordance with procedures outlined in the Faculty Handbook. If found guilty of such misconduct in the performance of research that is receiving support from federal sources, the student’s identity and misconduct must be reported by the University to the funding agency.
Revised: March 1993