Grievance Policy

The School Psychology Program's grievance procedures are as follows:

  1. If a student has a grievance with faculty, staff, or another student associated with the program, the student should meet first with the person who is believed to be responsible for the grievance in an attempt to resolve the problem informally.  The department believes that many student concerns can be resolved through direct and open communication between the parties concerned. 
     
  2. If the student is not satisfied with the results of the informal meeting, or is not comfortable directly communication with the person with whom s/he has a grievance, then the student should arrange a meeting with and speak to his/her faculty advisor or the immediate supervisor above the level of the individual.
     
  3. If the student grievant is dissatisfied with the results of Step 2 (meeting with their faculty advisor or the program director), s/he should request a meeting with the Chair of the Psychology Department. The Department Chair will schedule a joint meeting with the grievant and the individual at whom the grievance is directed within ten working days.
     
  4. If the student is not satisfied with the results of the meeting with the department chair, s/he may submit a written complaint to the GEPC, along with a request for a meeting with the GEPC. All students are informed as to who the faculty members are of the GEPC at the beginning of each academic year. The written grievance should be presented promptly to the GEPC and prior to the scheduled meeting. After the student meets with the GEPC, the Department Chair will return a written response to the student grievant within ten working days. If the grievance is resolved, a copy of the written resolution will be included in the student's file.
     
  5. If either party is dissatisfied with the results of Step 4, s/he may appeal in writing to the Dean of St. John’s College within ten working days from the date of the Step 4 response. Upon receipt of the appeal, the Dean will schedule a meeting with the grievant and the individual at whom the grievance is directed within ten working days. A written response will be issued to both parties within fifteen working days. The Step 5 decision shall be deemed final and binding. A copy of the final grievance and results will be maintained in the student's file.