Student Complaints

Purpose:

This policy covers student complaints and establishes procedures to address complaints of service, instruction or the environment at the College that negatively impacts a student. Grade and administrative decision appeals should refer to Reynolds Policy 1-12, Student Appeal of Academic and/or Administrative Decisions. 

Definitions:

Academic Disputes: complaints involving instructional program requirements.

Appeal: a formal written dispute of the Formal Resolution process to the Dean of Students.

Complaint: a written complaint of unfair and/or unlawful treatment formally charged by a student against a college employee, regarding the application of college rules, policies, procedures, and regulations

Complainant: an individual who is alleged to be the victim of misconduct.

Days: Days will mean business days during which the College is open. In computing any period of time, the day on which notice is receive will not be counted. Saturdays, Sundays, and College closures (scheduled and unscheduled) will not be counted.

Formal Resolution: Submitting the Student Complaint Form to follow this set of policy and procedures for resolving a complaint as covered under this policy and procedure.

Incident: the situation or circumstance that student perceives as grieveable.

Informal Resolution: Attempting to resolve the incident with involved parties prior to submitting a complaint in the formal process.

Non-Academic Disputes: complaints involving an administrative error.

Respondent: an individual who has experienced a negative impact through instruction, service, or the environment at the College.

Student: any person enrolled full- or part-time in credit or non-credit courses at the College.

Policy:

In accordance with VCCS Policy 6.5.0.1 Student Grievance and SACSCOC Standard 12.4 Student Complaints:

1. This Student Complaint Policy provides students with a fair, equitable and orderly process to present an issue which there are allegations of improper, unfair, unlawful arbitrary, or discriminatory action by another student or College employee involving a negative impact resulting from the service, instruction or environment at the College. This applies to all persons who were enrolled as students at Reynolds Community College at the time the incident occurred.

2. Any formal appeal or complaint covered by another College policy or procedure (e.g., code of conduct, academic integrity, grade appeal, satisfactory academic progress, human resources, etc.)

3. This policy does not apply to the following appeals or complaints. Policy and procedures for these are contained in other policy statements.

   • Grade Appeals
   • Any formal appeal or complaint covered by another College policy or procedure (e.g., code of conduct, academic integrity, grade appeal, satisfactory academic progress, human resources, etc.)

Procedures:

Procedure for Reynolds Policy 1-04, Student Complaint

Other Information:

N/A