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Student Grievance

Policy 

1. UD recognizes the rights of its students to express dissatisfaction or make complaints about processes or services provided by the University. UD is committed to continuous improvement and ensures that complaints and expressions of concern are analyzed to improve academic and administrative services. Hence, this process provides a formal mechanism to resolve grievances of students at UD.

 

2. Grievances
A student has the right to lodge a complaint against a UD staff or faculty if she/he believes that she/he was not treated properly, in accordance with a university policy. In such a case, the petition should include:

  1. Specification of the UD policy that the student alleges was violated.

  2. Summary of the evidence and arguments that the student would present at a hearing. 

 

3. Procedures

  • The General Petition Form (GPF) is available at the Registrar’s office..
  • The petition is an individual grievance complaint and must be signed by one student only and not by a group of students.
  • The grievance complaint must be submitted to DSS.
  • During the grievance process, the complainant and/or the complainee will not be treated harshly or discriminately.
  • Upon receiving the complaint, DSS shall submit the complaint, within one work-day, to the VPAA.  
  • The Office of the VPAA will take immediate action, within one work-day of receiving the complaint, and appoint a Grievance Committee of three faculty members and one representative from DSS to review the complaint and schedule a meeting time convenient for all concerned parties.  
  • It is advisable that one member of the committee is from the College of Law.
  • The committee members must meet with the complainant and the complainee, separately, within 2 working days from its formation.
  • The Grievance Committee must finalize its report within 2 working days after meeting with the complainant and the complainee and submit it to the Office of the VPAA.
  • The Grievance Committee Report must include details on the procedures followed to resolve the complaint, the outcome, and the reasons for its decision.
  • The VPAA shall discuss the Grievance Committee Report with the UD President to reach a final decision.
  • The University final decision shall be sent to DSS who will send it to the complainant and the complainee.
  • A copy of the University decision shall be kept in the student file.

 

3. Appeal

  • The complainant, and/or the complainee, may appeal to the University decision in writing, within five working days, and submit to DSS.
  • The DSS shall submit the appeal to the Office of the VPAA within one working day.
  • The Office of the VPAA shall submit the University response to the appeal to DSS and the Grievance Committee, within 5 working days from the date the appeal was received. 
  • DSS shall send the University response to the grievance appeal, to the complainant and/or the complainee within one working day.
  • The University response at this stage is final.

 

4. Records and Evaluation

The Office of the VPAA and DSS are requested to maintain a record of all student grievance complaints.