College Grievance Process

• The student must first attempt an informal settlement with the instructor or other employee of the college.
• If no mutually satisfactory informal settlement can be reached, the student should contact the Dean of Student Services, who will advise the student and attempt to mediate an informal settlement.
• If the Dean of Student Services fails to negotiate a mutually agreeable informal settlement within 10 class days, then the student should file with the Dean of Student Services a written request for the conven-ing of the CDGRB as defined in Item C under proce-dure for handling non-academic infractions. This request should contain a written statement of the grievance, and should be made within 10 class days of the alleged grievance. The Dean of Student Services will then set up an appointment for those concerned to appear before the CDGRB panel for a hearing. Action of the review panel shall be determined by majority vote of the total membership (i.e., four votes are required for the review panel to overrule any previous decisions that are being appealed to it). In the event that one of the review panel members is a party to the charges, this person shall be replaced by another member of the CDGRB pool.
• At the hearing before the CDGRB, the following procedure shall apply:
• Both parties (the accused and the person making the original complaint) shall be allowed to appear with any advisors and/or legal counsels of their choice. All written statements will be made avail-able to both parties at least five days* prior to the hearing date.
• Both parties shall have the right to summon witnesses to support their position. Both parties will have a full opportunity to question witnesses and respond to statements.
• The CDGRB will act at all times in an impartial manner. No member of the review panel will be either a witness against the accused or a person previously engaged in formulating a charge or hold any position connected with the charge. The review panel shall examine all relevant facts and circumstances without regard to the technical rules of evidence. The review panel decision shall be rendered within 10 class days of the beginning of the next academic semester.
• The decision and determination of the CDGRB shall be final (except for the right of appeal described in the next section below). Notice of the decision of the CDGRB shall be forwarded in written form to both parties and the Dean of Student Services within two class days after the decision is made. The Dean of Student Services will administer the decision of the CDGRB.
• Either party shall have the further right to appeal the decision of the CDGRB to the president of the college
• Appeal shall be in writing, setting forth the reasons the decision of the CDGRB should not be carried out and specifically setting forth the grounds for such appeal. This request must be made within two class days after receiving the written decision of the CDGRB.
• Appeals shall be based on one or more of the following:
• New evidence not available at the time of the original hearing.
• Procedural error that can be shown to have had a detrimental impact on the outcome of the hearing.
• Errors in the interpretation of college policy substantially denying either party a fair hearing.
• Inappropriate sanction having no relationship to the charges.
• The president of the college, after receipt of such as appeal, shall make a final adjudication and determination in the matter and notify both parties, the Dean of Student Services, and the CDGRB of the final decision in writing within ten class days. The Dean of Student Services will administer the decision of the President.
• A sufficient record of all proceedings shall be kept to enable review thereof. This confidential file shall be maintained by the Dean of Student Services for a period of three years.

* Five class days is a period of five days when the college is open for classes, not five class meetings of the course in which the incident of academic infraction occurred.

** The CDGRB will be constituted and guided by the proscription for the board as outlined in the student grievance process, numbers 3 and 4.