Student Complaint

Students are encouraged to address concerns or problems they have with Stevenson University programs or services in a timely manner. There are many channels a student may use to resolve a problem or conflict (examples include an academic adviser, Department Chair, School Dean, or administrator) and good faith communication between members of the Stevenson community is often the best way to address concerns and resolve issues.

In the event that a resolution cannot be reached informally, the steps for general complaint procedures are outlined below. Specific procedures for the areas of grade appeal, academic misconduct, FERPA, gender- based sexual misconduct, and student conduct appeals, can be found here.

General Complaint Procedures

Complaints related to academic misconduct or grade appeal, disability services, discrimination and harassment, general student concerns, and residence life reported under this policy will follow these procedures. However, the administrator who addresses the respective complaint will vary based on the nature of the complaint.

  1. Complaint: Submit a report online, providing details of the complaint including what, if any steps or actions occurred prior to submitting the report. Once submitted, the report will be routed to the appropriate administrator for review. The student will be notified by the reviewing administrator to confirm receipt of the complaint. The appropriate administrator will review the complaint and provide a final written decision generally within ten (10) business days.
  2. Appeal: If the student is dissatisfied with the decision received, the student should submit an appeal. In the appeal, the student should provide a description of previous steps taken, and an explanation of the reason for submitting the appeal. The appeal will be forwarded to the appropriate administrator who will review the appeal. The student will be notified by the reviewing administrator to confirm receipt of the complaint. A final written decision will be provided generally within ten (10) business days of the day received. This decision will be the final decision of the University on the matter.

(Approved September 2017)