ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MANUAL
SECTION TITLE
STUDENT APPEALS AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
BASED ON BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ RULE AND TITLE
6Hx7-11.1 Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
NUMBER
11-0602
PAGE
1 OF 7
DATE REVISED
August 11, 2015
Purpose
The purpose of this procedure is to outline all processes relating to the student appeals and complaints
process.
Procedure
A. Definitions and Explanations - The following is a list of the definitions and explanations of the terms
used in student appeals.
1. Student Appeals
a. A student appeal is defined as a formal request by an enrolled or former student for
reconsideration of a College rule or regulation, including the assignment of a final grade with
the exception of Financial Aid appeals. The student initiates all formal appeals through the
Campus Dean of Student Success or the appropriate center administrator’s office who is
responsible for the general management of appeals processes.
2. Appeals Deadline
a. The deadline for all appeal forms and documentation is the longest session (e.g., A16, A14,
etc.) withdrawal deadline of the following term. Appeals will not be accepted after the
deadline. Incomplete appeals will not be accepted. All appeals are listed on the appeal form.
3. Student Appeals Committee
a. Where applicable, a Student Appeals Committee is defined as including at least one of each of
the following from the campus/center appointed by the Campus President:
i. an administrator,
ii. a full-time faculty member, and
iii. a student representative.
The administrator and faculty should be from an academic area different from the student’s
appeal request. Each Campus President will identify up to five (5) faculty members annually
who agree to serve on a Student Appeals Committee for that year. The list is subject to
approval from the President of the Faculty Senate and will constitute the group from which the
required faculty member(s) may be chosen for an appeal.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MANUAL
SECTION TITLE
STUDENT APPEALS AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
BASED ON BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ RULE AND TITLE
6Hx7-11.1 Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
B.
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Campus Non-Academic Appeals
1. Limited and Selective Access Program Admissions Appeal
a. Informal Appeal - The student may appeal a limited selective access program decision
informally by meeting with the Associate Dean or Instructional Program Manager who has
integrative management responsibility for that program. If the student is not satisfied with the
decision of the Associate Dean or Instructional Program Manager, the student may enter a
formal appeal.
b. Formal Appeal - Step 1. Campus Dean of Student Success
i. The student submits the completed appeal form and supporting documentation to the
Campus Dean of Student Success Office or the authorized center administrator’s office by
the deadline.
ii. All documentation must be presented before the appeal request is accepted.
iii. The campus or center representative for the Dean of Student Success may solicit feedback
from the faculty member(s) and/or Academic Department before forwarding the appeal to
the appropriate supervising dean of the limited or selective access program.
c. Step 2. - Supervising Dean of the limited or selective access program
i. The supervising dean of the limited or selective access program will meet with the student
who has filed the program appeal within ten (10) college business days of receipt of the
appeal form and supporting documentation.
ii. The supervising dean of the program reviews the information submitted by the student and
the notes of the meeting and renders a decision.
iii. If approved, the student will be admitted to the degree program at the next available
program start date and the supervising dean will communicate the decision to the student in
writing and the completed/signed appeal form will be transmitted to the Student Success
Dean for imaging.
iv. If disapproved, written notification is provided to the student of the decision. The student
has fifteen (15) college business days from the date of the notification of denial from the
supervising dean to submit additional relevant evidential documentation and request an
appointment by written appeal with the Campus President for final review. If no request is
made, the disapproved appeal and supporting documentation is forwarded to the campus
Student Success Office and imaged to the student’s academic record.
d. Step 3. - Campus President
i. The Campus President will meet with the student who has filed the limited or selective
access program appeal within approximately ten (10) college business days of receipt of the
formal request.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MANUAL
SECTION TITLE
STUDENT APPEALS AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
BASED ON BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ RULE AND TITLE
6Hx7-11.1 Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
NUMBER
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DATE REVISED
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ii. The Campus President reviews the information submitted by the student as well as his or
her notes from their meeting.
iii. The Campus President provides written notification to the student of his/her decision.
iv. If approved, the student will be admitted to the degree program at the next available
program start date. In all cases, the decision of the Campus President is final.
v. The Campus President forwards the appeal form and documentation to the campus Student
Success Office for imaging and the program leader for the impacted program.
2. Other Campus Non-Academic Appeals
a. Step 1. - Student’s Submission of the Request
i. The student submits the completed appeal form and supporting documentation to the
campus Dean of Student Success Office or authorized center administrator’s office by the
deadline. Documentation must be presented before the appeal request is accepted.
b. Step 2. - Campus Administrator Review
i. The Campus Dean of Student Success or center administrator reviews the information
submitted by the student and indicates approval or disapproval.
ii. If approved, the Campus Dean of Student Success/center administrator provides the student
written notification of the decision and forwards relevant information to the Office of the
Registrar for processing and imaging.
iii. If disapproved, the Dean of Student Success/center administrator provides the student
written notification of the decision.
iv. The student has fifteen (15) College business days from the date of the notification to
submit additional relevant evidential documentation and request in writing a meeting with
the Campus President.
v. If no request is made, the disapproved appeal and supporting documentation is forwarded
to the Office of the Registrar and imaged to the student’s academic record.
c. Step 3. - Campus President’s Review
i. The Campus President reviews the recommendation of the Dean of Student Success.
ii. The meeting between the Campus President and the student will occur within
approximately ten (10) college business days of receipt of the student’s written request for
a meeting.
iii. The Campus President will send a written decision to the student within the (10) college
business days of the meeting with the student. The decision of the Campus President is
final and may not be appealed further. The decision and signed appeal form is forwarded
back to the Student Success Office for imaging into the student’s academic record.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MANUAL
SECTION TITLE
STUDENT APPEALS AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
BASED ON BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ RULE AND TITLE
6Hx7-11.1 Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
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DATE REVISED
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C. Campus Academic Appeal
1. Informal Procedure
a. A student’s request for a grade change should be directed initially to the course instructor. If
the instructor of record approves the grade change, the request is sent to the appropriate
academic administrator for final approval. Once approved by the instructor and the academic
administrator, the grade change form is forwarded to the Office of the Registrar to record in the
student system.
b. If the course instructor is no longer employed by the College or is unable to be reached after
the Dean’s attempts to contact the instructor without success, the student may submit the grade
change request to the appropriate academic administrator. If the academic administer approves
the grade change, the request is sent to the Campus President for approval. Once approved by
the academic administrator and the Campus President, the grade change form is forwarded to
the Office of the Registrar to record in the student system.
c. If the student’s informal request is not approved, the student can initiate a grade appeal request
through the appropriate authorized campus/center administrator.
2. Formal Procedure - Step 1. - Student’s Submission of the Request
a. A course grade appeal must be submitted to the Campus Dean of Student Success or the
authorized center administrator by the deadline. The student has the responsibility of
demonstrating that the grade being challenged was administered in a manner inconsistent with
criteria set forth on the instructor’s course syllabus and that the evaluation process used
uniquely discredits the student’s grade.
3.
Step 2. - Campus Administrator Review
a. The Dean of Student Success or authorized center administrator forwards the grade change
appeal to the appropriate academic administrator, who has the initial responsibility for
reviewing and forwarding the student appeal to the instructor of record for response
(approval/denial).
b. If the instructor of record is no longer employed by the College or is unable to be reached after
the Dean’s attempts to contact the instructor without success, the appropriate academic
administrator makes a decision. If the academic administrator approves appeal, the approval is
sent to the Campus President for final review.
c. If approved by the instructor of record and the appropriate academic administrator (or by the
academic administrator and the Campus President), a grade change is submitted to the Office
of the Registrar for processing. The appropriate academic administrator notifies the student of
the decision in writing.
d. If disapproved, the appropriate academic administrator provides the student written
notification of the decision. The student has fifteen (15) College business days from the date
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MANUAL
SECTION TITLE
STUDENT APPEALS AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
BASED ON BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ RULE AND TITLE
6Hx7-11.1 Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
NUMBER
11-0602
PAGE
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DATE REVISED
August 11, 2015
of the notification to submit additional relevant evidential documentation and request that the
Student Appeals Committee review the disapproval. If no request is made, the disapproved
appeal and supporting documentation is forwarded to the Office of the Registrar and imaged to
the student’s academic record.
4. Step 3. - Student Appeals Committee Review
a. If the student is granted a hearing, the Dean of Student Success or the appropriate center
administrator will convene the Student Appeals Committee. The instructor of record must be
invited to present to the committee. If the instructor of record is not available, the instructor
may elect to send a representative. The instructor of record may also decline to participate. If
the instructor of record cannot be reached, the committee review may proceed in the absence
of the instructor of record.
b. The Campus Student Appeals Committee hears the case and forwards its recommendation to
the Campus President. The committee will meet within one month of receiving the request
from the student, except in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
5. Step 4. - Campus President’s Review
a. The Campus President shall review the recommendation of the Student Appeals Committee.
The Campus President may accept, repeal or amend the decision according to his/her best
judgment. If the Campus President anticipates that he/she may decide to repeal or amend the
decision of the Student Appeals Committee, he/she will meet with the Committee and discuss
his/her concerns with the Committee’s recommendation. In all cases, the actions of the
Campus President shall occur within ten (10) working days of receipt of the decision of the
Student Appeals Committee. The Campus President will send a written decision to the
student. The decision of the Campus President cannot be appealed and is final. A copy of the
final decision is transmitted to the campus student success office to be imaged to the student’s
academic record. In the event the Campus President's decision is to change the original grade
of the faculty member, the Campus President will notify the faculty member and provide
justification for the change.
D. District Non-Academic Appeals
1. The student making the appeal concerning admissions, residency and graduation should request a
District Non-Academic Appeals Form from the Campus Dean of Student Success or appropriate
Center administrator. The form should be completed in full and returned to the Campus Dean of
Students Success or appropriate center administrator with supporting documentation by the
deadline.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MANUAL
SECTION TITLE
STUDENT APPEALS AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
NUMBER
11-0602
BASED ON BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ RULE AND TITLE
6Hx7-11.1 Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
PAGE
6 OF 7
DATE REVISED
August 11, 2015
2. Step 1. - Campus Dean of Student Success or Center Administrator Review
a. The Campus Dean of Student Success or appropriate center administrator reviews the
information submitted by the student and indicates support or non-support within ten (10)
working days and forwards appeal to the Vice President of Student Services.
3. Step 2. - Vice President of Student Services
a. The Vice President for Student Services reviews the appeal form and documentation within ten
(10) College business days of receipt. The Vice President will review the appeal with other
administrators as appropriate.
b. If the appeal is a residency appeal, a residency appeal review committee will be called in
accordance with state law. The residency appeal committee shall consist of the Vice President
for Student Services, the Registrar, the Dean of Enrollment Management and a Campus Dean
of Student Success.
c. The Vice President for Student Services will send a written decision to the student. The
decision of the Vice President for Student Services is final and may not be appealed further.
The decision is imaged into the student’s academic record.
E.
Complaints
1. Students who have general complaints regarding their college experience may express those
complaints verbally or in writing to the College’s Ombudsman or to any college administrator.
2. It is expected that most general complaints will be resolved informally through normal operational
discourse. Students who are unable to resolve complaints informally may make a formal
complaint in writing to the appropriate Campus President.
3. In making a formal complaint, the student should express that the complaint is formal and
summarize any informal actions that the student has taken to attempt to resolve the complaint.
4. The Campus President, or designee, will ensure that all formal complaints receive an initial
response within ten (10) College business days.
5. If the complaint involves a faculty member or class issue, the Campus President, or designee,
managing the complaint will notify the faculty member and involve the faculty member
appropriately in the resolution of the complaint.
6. The Campus President, or designee, will forward the formal complaint to the appropriate College
or campus resource for appropriate action.
7. The Campus President, or designee, will provide final notification to the student.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MANUAL
SECTION TITLE
STUDENT APPEALS AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
BASED ON BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ RULE AND TITLE
6Hx7-11.1 Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
NUMBER
11-0602
PAGE
7 OF 7
DATE REVISED
August 11, 2015
8.
It will be the College’s general practice to resolve formal complaints within twenty (20) College
business days; however, certain complaints may take longer to resolve.
9.
Once action has been taken on the formal complaint, the Campus President, or designee, will
submit a copy of the complaint and a narrative summary of the resolution or the communication to
the student and to the Office of the Registrar. The Registrar maintains a file of complaints for
periodic review as deemed appropriate for quality improvement efforts.
REFERENCES: F.S. 1001.64, SBE Rule 6A-14.0261
Adopted Date: September 19, 1990
Revision Date: May 20, 2003, January 23, 2013, August 11, 2015