Student Grievance Committee

The grievance procedure shall provide for a standing Student Grievance Committee to be composed as follows:

• The Committee shall have one professional staff and one alternate elected by professional staff, one classified staff and one alternate elected by classified staff, one faculty member elected from faculty at- large and one alternate, and two students and two alternates elected by the Student Senate. The chair of the five-member committee shall vote only in the event of a tie. The Committee reserves the right to appoint a substitute member, if a committee member and the alternate is unavailable to serve or is determined to have a conflict of interest. The Committee Chair and three Committee members shall constitute a quorum.

• The Student Grievance Committee shall provide a prompt, fair, and equitable hearing for each grievance filed and submits its written findings and recommendation to the Vice President for rendering a final decision. In some cases, the Committee may determine, based on written evidence, that the grievance does not meet the definition of a grievance and shall forward a recommendation to the Vice President without convening an internal hearing.

• It must clearly be understood that neither the Grievant, the Respondent, any member of the Committee, nor any other party to the grievance shall suffer any retribution for his/her part in the action, but shall have access to a new grievance should retribution be evident.

• The Student Senate shall review the grievance procedure annually and recommend changes to the Dean of Students, to be approved by the Vice President for Student Affairs.