ACADEMIC GRIEVANCE
There may come a time in the student’s attendance at LeMoyne-Owen College that he/she may believe an instructor has treated them unfairly in the grading process. If this occurs, there is a grievance process for students to follow.

 

Academic Honesty
LeMoyne-Owen insists on high standards of academic honesty.

 

Cheating on exams or on other work, or using others work without citation are not tolerated and are subject to serious penalties as described in the student handbook (pdf).

 

Academic Grievance Appeal Process
All formal grievances and appeals must be expressed in writing to the appropriate academic Division Chair, in correct business format, typed or word-processed in clear, Standard English. Students should include their complete name, social security number, and full address and phone number where they can receive a response. The formal appeal applies only when the student follows the steps listed below.

 

Student grievances filed for the purpose of reviewing a grade must be submitted by the published deadline for student completion of work to remove incompletes in the semester following the disputed grade.

 

The Instructor
Before submitting a formal appeal, the student should talk to the instructor first. Frequently, the problem is simply a lack of communication between the faculty member and student. Most grievances can be worked out at this level.

 

The Division Chairperson
It is possible however; that the problem may not be solved during the exchange between the student and the instructor, or the student feels that he/she has been wronged. The next step for the student is to contact the instructor’s division chairperson. The chairperson can intervene if he/she sees fit. The chairperson is in the best position to mediate the situation.

 

Academic Grievance Committee

The student may still be dissatisfied and then may file a formal written appeal with the division chair. If so, two (2) faculty chosen by the instructor, two (2) by the student and one (1) by the division chair will hear the case. The Division Chair will name a committee chair. These persons chosen as representatives will then, after deliberation, make a written recommendation to the Division Chair. If the grievance is against a Division Chair, the grievance should be addressed to the Chief Academic Officer who will name the Committee Chair.Students must submit the written request for a grade change no later than in the term immediately following the disputed class, by the published deadline for completing incomplete grades. From the time a student submits the written appeal there will be a maximum of two weeks to name and establish the committee. If the student does not submit two faculty names by the two week deadline, the Division Chair will appoint those two members as well as the chair of the committee. Once constituted, the committee will have three weeks to meet and render a written decision. Once the decision is presented in writing, the student has two weeks to file an appeal with the Chief Academic Officer if a further appeal is desired. The timeframe for appeals during the summer or other times when faculty are not officially on campus depends on the availability of team members.

 

The Chief Academic Officer
The final authority on all academic matters is the Chief Academic Officer. Therefore, after going through the three (3) steps outlined above, the final appeal is to the Chief Academic Officer The student at this point addresses his/her grievance in writing, including supporting documents to the attention of the Chief Academic Officer. The decision of the Chief Academic Officer will be communicated to all concerned parties.

The decision of the Chief Academic Officer is final.

 

For information on Academic Standards and Status (Probation, etc.) the student should refer to the current LeMoyne-Owen College Catalog.