SACS-COC Fifth Year Interim Report Administrative Subcommittee 2 Overview

1. SACS-COCFifth Year Interim ReportAdministrative Subcommittee 2Overview Federal Requirement 4.5

2. Standard for Evidence -Institutions should ensure that the evidence it presents has the following characteristics. Evidence must be: • Reliable. The evidence can be consistently interpreted. • Current. The information supports an assessment of the current status of the institution. • Verifiable. The meaning assigned to the evidence can be corroborated, and the information can be replicated. • Coherent. The evidence is orderly, logical, and consistent with other patterns of evidence presented. • Objective. The evidence is based on observable data and information. • Relevant. The evidence directly addresses the requirement or standard under consideration and should provide the basis for the institution’s actions designed to achieve compliance. • Representative. Evidence must reflect a larger body of evidence and not an isolated case. Additionally, evidence should: • Entail interpretation and reflection; those responsible for submitting the evidence should have thought about its meaning and be able to interpret it appropriately to support a conclusion. • Represent a combination of trend and “snapshot” data. • Draw from multiple indicators.

3. Federal Requirement 4.5Student complaints • The institution has adequate procedures for addressing written student complaints and is responsible for demonstrating that it follows those procedures when resolving student complaints. • (See Commission policy “Complaint Procedures against the Commission or its Accredited Institutions.”)

4. COMPLAINT PROCEDURES AGAINST THE COMMISSIONOR ITS ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS • - Policy Statement - • Statement of Purpose • The Commission on Colleges recognizes the value of information provided by students, employees, and others in determining whether an institution’s performance is consistent with the Commission’s standards for obtaining or maintaining accreditation. The Commission’s interest also is in ensuring that member institutions maintain appropriate grievance procedures and standards of procedural fairness and that the procedures are applied appropriately and consistently.

5. Rationale and Notes for FR 4.5 Student complaints need to be addressed in a fair and professional manner, and the policies and procedures governing student complaints need to be well publicized and provide clear and consistent guidelines for resolution.

6. Relevant Questions for Consideration for FR 4.5 • What are the policies and procedures governing student complaints? • How are the policies and procedures governing student complaints disseminated? • What is the evidence that the publicized policies and procedures are followed when resolving student complaints?

7. Sample Documentation for FR 4.5 • Policies and procedures for addressing student complaints. • Evidence that the published policies and procedures are followed when resolving student complaints.

8. GCSU 2004 FR 4.5 Submission • FEDERAL MANDATE 5 -- Response procedures for student complaints • The institution has adequate procedures for addressing written student complaints and is responsible for demonstrating that it follows those procedures when resolving student complaints. • Judgment of Compliance • Yes, GC&SU is able to provide a portfolio of evidence supporting compliance.                                                              • Explanation of Rationale for Judgment of Compliance • At GC&SU, written student complaints may be forwarded in a number of formats.  Academic grievances and appeals are addressed in the GC&SU Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs under the section titled GC&SU Student Academic Appeals Process:  Policy/Procedures.  Forms for such grievances are available in the offices of the appropriate deans and are submitted to the supervisor of the individual whose action forms the basis of the grievance.  Non-academic grievances are addressed in the catalogs in the section titled Student Non-academic Grievance or Appeal Process. These grievances are initiated by the student, who sends a written complaint to the individual whose action forms the basis of the grievance.  Student complaints concerning harassment due to sexuality, race, disability, gender, or other identity issues are filed with GC&SU’s Affirmative Action Officer, and are addressed as non-academic grievances.  This policy also appears in the GC&SU Student Handbook, and is called GC&SU Student Non-academic Grievance or Appeal Process. • The GC&SU Student Government Association Senate serves as a clearinghouse of student requests and grievances.  Students are encouraged to bring concerns before the Senate, which may choose to submit them to votes as resolutions.  Once the Senate has passed a resolution, it is brought to the President, and is enacted upon her signature.  In the past five years, the Senate has passed forty-one resolutions, which have been approved and implemented.  Copies of these resolutions are available in the Office of Student Affairs (214 Lanier Hall).  Judicial appeals trigger GC&SU’s Intermediate Disciplinary Review process, which is outlined in the Student Handbook.  In the past four years, nine students have successfully appealed for reduction or amendment of the original sanctions handed down in a judicial hearing.  Students who are charged with violations of the Student Code of Conduct or Honor Code participate in a Pre-Hearing Interview, in which these procedures are explained. • Finally, President DePaolo created an online portal accessed through GC&SU’s Info Page called “Ask the President.”  Students and other Info Page users were able click on the link and bring a complaint, concern, or idea to the attention of the President.  She could either respond directly to the complainant or refer the concern to an appropriate member of her staff for a response.  It is hoped that the next GC&SU President will provide the same access.  • Written guidelines are adhered to by each office involved in addressing student complaints.  Because of the sensitive and confidential nature of student complaints, documentation for each complaint is maintained in the office where the student submitted it.  Confidential complaint information is shared with other offices only on a "need-to-know" basis.

9. Example 2007 5 Yr IR FR 4.5 Submission – No Monitoring •  Federal Requirement 4.5 • The institution has adequate procedures for addressing written student complaints and is responsible for demonstrating that it follows those procedures when resolving student complaints. •  Compliance •  Non-Compliance • ______________________________________________________________________________ • The College has established adequate procedures for addressing written student complaints and grievances. The Student Handbook and Planner outlines the procedures for addressing informal and formal student complaints. The Student Handbook and Planner (p. 31) states that all student grievances should be reported to the Vice President for Student Affairs, who investigates the complaint, affording the complainant all the basic rights of due process. Once the Vice President for Student Affairs renders a decision, the student, if dissatisfied with the decision, may appeal the decision to the President of the College through the appeals process that is also outlined in the Student Handbook and Planner (p. 32). • Alleged victims file sexual harassment complaints with the Vice President for Student Affairs. The Student Handbook and Planner (p. 33) outlines the procedures for such complaints. These procedures include interviewing all witnesses named, making a decision as to whether sexual harassment occurred, recommending any disciplinary action, and making a thorough report of the findings to the President and the Director of Institutional Effectiveness. The President will inform the alleged perpetrator of the results of the investigation and any action to be taken. The Vice President for Student Affairs informs the complainant of the outcome of the investigation. As with student grievances, the alleged perpetrator may appeal the decision to the President as outline in the appeals process. • The Student Catalog (p. 42) outlines the procedures for appeal of a course grade. A student who wishes to contest a final course grade or other academic decision must first institute an informal appeals process through the instructor who awarded the grade or made the decision. If consultation with the instructor does not resolve the appeal, the student may appeal to the Dean of Instruction by filing a written request for review. The student may submit a written appeal to the Vice President for Academic Affairs within two weeks of receiving the Dean’s decision. The decision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs is final. • Supporting Documentation: • Student Catalog 2008-2009 • Student Handbookand Planner 2007-2008 (bookmarks included)

10. Example 2008 5 Yr IR FR 4.5 Submission – Unknown • Part III: The Abbreviated Compliance Certification • 12. The institution has adequate procedures for addressing written student complaints and is responsible for demonstrating that it follows those procedures when resolving student complaints. (Federal Requirement 4.5) • X Compliance ___ Non-Compliance • Narrative: • The Mountain View College Student Grievance Procedure provides a process whereby a student can submit a complaint or concern to be addressed by appropriate college officials. The grievance procedure broadly defines the kinds of issues that can be addressed using the process and details the steps leading to a resolution. The grievance procedure is structured to resolve complaints informally and at the lowest possible level. However, the procedure provides a formal written complaint appeal process that follows through appropriate administrators up to the college president. • In addition to the grievance procedure, a student may also submit a written appeal seeking a disciplinary committee hearing in the event that a student refuses the initial administrative disposition of a student disciplinary matter. This process requires the student to submit a written request for a hearing before a committee. The procedure for requesting a disciplinary hearing following the refusal of an administrative disposition is detailed in the Student Code of Conduct. Both the Student Grievance Procedure and the Student Code of Conduct are available to students in the college’s online catalog. (12.1) Students can find these procedures in the 2008-2009 Student Planner which is available free of charge to students in hard copy through the MVC Student Programs and Resources Office. (12.2) The MVC Student Services web site also provides a direct link to the MVC – DCCCD student policies and procedures. (12.3) • References: • MVC 2008-2009 Online Catalog references to the Student Grievance Procedure and the Student Code of Conduct under the ‘College Policies and Procedures’ • MVC 2008-2009 Student Planner (pages 160-165) • MVC Student Services web site link to Student Policy and Procedures