Non-Academic Grievance Procedures
Introduction
The grievance procedure is designed to assist students who have perception of unfair and/or unlawful treatment. A student is defined as any person enrolled full or part-time in credit or non-credit courses at the College. A grievance of unfair and/or unlawful treatment formally charged by a student against a College employee, in regard to the application of College rules, policies, procedures, and regulations, should be resolved without initiating the formal procedure, if at all possible. This procedure does not supersede the policies set forth for grievances of discrimination, harassment, or grade appeals. Access to these policies can be found at the bottom of this webpage.
Please note that it is generally beneficial to the student to discuss the problem with College personnel prior to filing a formal grievance. College personnel are available to advise students. Students should not hesitate to contact a faculty member, counselor, or any other College staff person.
Procedure
LEVEL 1
A grievance should be raised and resolved as quickly as possible. Within fifteen (15) business days following either the event which preceded the grievance, or within fifteen (15) business days of the time when the student reasonably should have gained knowledge of the issue, the College employee involved should be contacted by the student. A business day is defined as a Monday through Friday when the College is open. An attempt should be made to resolve the grievance informally.
The first step is for the student to meet with the College employee involved. If the matter cannot be resolved, the student may file a written grievance within ten (10) business days following the verbal response from the College employee involved. The written grievance should be presented to the employee with notification of grievance being forwarded to the employee's supervisor. The written grievance should contain the following:
- A complete description of the grievance;
- any supporting documents; and,
- the redress (desired outcome) sought.
An entire set of records should be assembled and maintained by the student. The person receiving the written grievance has ten (10) business days to reply to the student in writing.
LEVEL 2
If the student is not satisfied with the written response from the employee, he or she may appeal it to the appropriate supervisor within ten (10) business days. The student should forward copies of all correspondence and relevant documents from LEVEL 1, along with a cover letter, to the supervisor. The supervisor has ten (10) business days to adjudicate the matter and reply in writing to the student.
LEVEL 3
If the student is not satisfied with the written response from LEVEL 2, he or she may appeal to the appropriate Chief Officer or Dean. This appeal must be made within ten (10) business days after the reply from LEVEL 2. The student should forward copies of all correspondence and relevant documents from LEVELS 1 and 2, along with a cover letter, to the Chief Officer or Dean. The Chief Officer or Dean has ten (10) business days to adjudicate the matter and reply in writing to the student.
LEVEL 4
If the student is not satisfied with the Chief Officer or Dean’s response, he or she may appeal to the College President or College Appeals Board as determined by Chief Officer or President within ten (10) business days after the reply from LEVEL 3. The student should forward copies of all correspondence and documentation from LEVELS 1, 2, and 3, along with a cover letter, to the President or College Appeals Board. The President or College Appeals Board will discuss the grievance with all concerned parties and adjudicate the issue within ten (10) business days after receipt of the correspondence. This decision will be final.
General Guidelines
The student filing a grievance may be accompanied by an advisor or representative of his/her choice and at the student's expense at any level of the procedure. The student may not be represented in these discussions by an attorney-at-law without prior written approval and KCTCS legal council also present.
Revision of the deadlines for filing appeals and providing written responses may be made due to extenuating circumstances such as vacations, examinations, or illnesses. If the deadlines are changed by either party, the respective employee should inform the student of the receipt of the grievance and give an estimated date of the final reply.
Copies of the Chief Officer/Dean's decision will be sent to the appropriate College employees at LEVELS 1 and 2, and to the President.
For formal grievance procedures involving alleged discrimination or harassment, students should refer to the following websites:
View the entire KCTCS Code of Student Conduct.
