UNIVERSITY GRIEVANCE POLICY Your right to resolve grievances with the University is affirmed, and specific appeal procedures have been established to assure timely and appropriate consideration of each grievance. Student grievances generally originate at the school level, and the resolution of grievances is sought within the school. In the case of the School of Library and Information Science, the grievance procedure would begin with the director, Dr. M. J. Norton. The grievance should be made known within fifteen (15) days of the occurrence. The decision by the director should normally be made within five work days to either the Dean exercising jurisdiction over that academic department, or to the administrative official having jurisdiction over the nonacademic department involved. This official will render a decision on the grievance normally within five (5) work days of the receipt of the grievance. If the student desires to appeal to the appropriate Vice President exercising jurisdiction over the matter, the Vice President shall confer with the student and if the grievance is not resolved, the Vice President shall refer the matter to a standing committee, or appoint a committee of from three to five persons, including student representation, to hold an official hearing on the matter. The student may either represent him or herself, or request the assistance of another student. The hearing shall be held within ten (10) days of receipt of the grievance by the Vice President. Upon completion of the hearing, the committee will inform the Vice President of the decision, and the Vice President will inform the student. The Vice President may utilize the decision of the committee, or amend the decision as he/she deems appropriate. If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the Vice President, he/she may appeal to the President of the University. The President shall render a final decision in the case, normally within ten (10) days of the written receipt of the appeal.
USM SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR RESOLVING COMPLAINTS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT In its efforts to foster an environment of respect for the dignity and worth of all members of the University community, USM is committed to maintaining a work-learning environment free of sexual harassment. It is the policy of the University that no member of its community shall sexually harass another. Any employee or student who violates this policy is subject to disciplinary action. Sexual harassment is illegal under both state and federal law. Vice Presidents, Deans, Chairs, Directors, and Supervisors are directed to take appropriate steps to disseminate this policy statement to inform students and employees of procedures for lodging complaints. USM has established informal and formal procedures intended to provide alternatives for resolving complaints of sexual harassment, and the University fully retains all rights to discipline or discharge any employee or student who engages in misconduct or other behavior which is prohibited by law or other University policy, notwithstanding the remedies and procedures offered in the sexual harassment policy. The USM Division of Student Affairs publication entitled Social Issues Update and Policy Guide provides a definition of sexual harassment, examples of quid pro quo harassment, and environmental sexual harassment, investigatory procedures, and prescribes procedures for handling policy violations:
Informal Procedures
OPTION 1:
Report the violation to the most appropriate administrator in the following suggested listing:1. The Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action OfficerOPTION 2:
2. The Director of Human Resources
3. The Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs
4. The Dean of Student Services
5. The Dean of Students
6. The Academic Dean
Report the violation to the alleged offender's immediate supervisor. The supervisor will discuss the policy and the allegations with the alleged offender. This meeting will be reported to the department head or dean of the area.OPTION 3:
Discuss with the offender the behaviors that are perceived as violations of this policy, either in person or in writing. If assistance is needed, the Student Counseling Center, the Office of Personnel Services, and the EEO/AA Officer offer their services.If the informal procedures do not serve to rectify the situation or to satisfy the parties involved, formal procedures are recommended.
Formal Procedures
An employee or student who believes he or she has been sexually harassed may pursue the following formal procedures as an attempt toward resolution:
* A written report of the violation is prepared by the complainant and presented to one of the University administrators listed in Option 1 above.
* The administrator shall consider the written report as a formal complaint of sexual harassment and shall proceed with a thorough investigation of the incident(s) prompting the complaint.
* The findings of the investigation shall be discussed with both complainant and the alleged offender and action taken to rectify the situation.
* Disciplinary procedures, if warranted, will be prompt and applicable to the actions and situation.
In all cases of sexual harassment, the alleged offender has the right to review the material on which charges are based. Therefore, disciplinary action in cases of sexual harassment is possible only when the complainant is willing to make a written statement describing the specific incident.
GRADE REVIEW POLICY The instructor (defined as one who has the responsibility for a class, special problem, thesis, or dissertation) has authority over all matters affecting the conduct of the class, including the assignment of grades. The instructor may impose requirements upon students more stringent than those of the school, college or university, but may not apply less stringent policies than the school, college or university. When a student is suspected of violating academic policy standards the instructor will consult the director and/or the SLIS Faculty Council. If there is sufficient support to establish the likelihood of academic dishonesty it is the policy of the school that no credit will be given for the assignments(s) in question, and no 'make-up' or substitute assignment will be permitted. Student performance will be evaluated according to the criteria made available to all students within the first two weeks of each semester. Grades are not to be determined in an arbitrary or capricious manner.
If you disagree with the final grade given by an instructor, an orderly appellate procedure is available. Consult the Student Handbook for the detailed instructions. You must initiate the appeal procedure within 30 school days (excluding Saturday, Sunday, and official student holidays) of the beginning of the semester subsequent to the one in which the grade was awarded, or 120 calendar days after the issuance of spring semester grades, if you are not enrolled during the summer term. The procedure assures due process for you as well as for the instructor. The policies and procedures governing grade review can be obtained from the Dean of the College or the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
RECORDS ACCESS POLICY The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, or the Buckley Amendment, deals with the subject of access to educational records, and it requires institutions to establish policies, which set forth the procedure by which these records are to be reviewed or inspected. University policy in this matter is specified in the current USM Student Handbook.
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