Concerns and
Complaints
Occasions may arise in
which a student feels that he/she has a legitimate basis for a complaint. It is
the policy of Methodist College to promptly resolve those complaints whether
informal or formal.
The following is the
Methodist College Complaint Policy. The policy is also available in the Methodist College Student Handbook.
Methodist College Student
Complaint Policy
(Effective: January 2022)
Methodist College provides both informal and
formal processes for students to seek resolution of a complaint. Methodist
College values investigation and inquiry to ascertain the perspective of the
complainant and the facts surrounding the situation. It is the policy of the
college to promptly investigate and seek resolution of these complaints. The
investigation process will follow the timeline outlined in this policy.
Students are encouraged to begin either process as soon as a concern exists.
The investigation and deliberations of the administrators and committee members
will be held in confidence with no information released to those without a need
to know. All persons involved with the investigation will be unbiased with no
conflict of interest.
Grade appeals are covered under the Final Grade Appeal Policy and cannot
be submitted through the Complaint Policy.
Student
Complaint Policy
Methodist College provides both informal and
formal processes for students to seek resolution of a complaint. Methodist
College values investigation and inquiry to ascertain the perspective of the
complainant and the facts surrounding the situation. It is the policy of the
college to promptly investigate and seek resolution of these complaints. The
investigation process will follow the timeline outlined in this policy.
Students are encouraged to begin either process as soon as a concern exists.
The investigation and deliberations of the administrators and committee members
will be held in confidence with no information released to those without a need
to know. All persons involved with the investigation will be unbiased with no
conflict of interest.
Grade appeals are covered under the Final Grade
Appeal Policy and cannot be submitted through the Complaint Policy.
Informal
Complaint Process
Occasions may arise in which a student feels
that they have a legitimate basis for complaint. Those involved should initially
attempt to resolve the matter informally and without the need to establish a
record. The informal process for resolution of a complaint is as follows:
A. Within five (5) business days (M-F, exclusive of school
closures) of any incident about which a student desires to make a complaint,
the complaint should be taken by the student directly to the other party
(parties) involved. This process is primarily a verbal discussion of the
concerns the student reports to the individuals with whom the concern exists.
All parties are expected to engage in a way that upholds the human dignity of
each other.
B. If the student and the other party(s) are unable to resolve
the matter or if, for any reason, the student does not feel at ease in going to
the other party, they should contact the appropriate Director (e.g., Director
of Financial Aid or Academic Department Chair/Program Director). These
individuals can facilitate a meeting with the other party involved.
C. The Director of O.A.S.I.S is available to assist students in
managing the communication process regarding the concern.
Formal
Complaint Process
Should a student feel that a formal complaint
is necessary, either before or after completing the informal complaint process,
the student shall file a written complaint as follows:
A.
Students have the right to file a written
complaint regarding academic, student and business services, facilities,
technology, or student events. The
complaint is filed with the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. The formal
complaint is submitted using the Formal Complaint Submission Form
B. Complainants are not permitted to file a complaint
anonymously, and the Respondent against whom the complaint is lodged will be
notified via the VCAA Complaint
Notification to Respondent Letter. In all cases, the accused party
will be informed of the complaint and will have the opportunity to respond or
explain during the investigation process
C. Administrator Review:
a.
The Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs will
assign the complaint to an Administrator within three (3) business days of
receiving the complaint via the VCAA to Administrator Letter
b.
The Administrator assigned to the complaint is
responsible for investigating by reviewing materials identified while reviewing
the complaint, by interviewing the Complainant and Respondent, by interviewing
witnesses and other involved parties, and through other reasonable and prudent
avenues of investigation
c.
The Administrator will determine a course of
action. The investigation and course of action may lead to the following:
i.
A mutually agreeable resolution is determined, and
the complaint is administratively handled by the Director, Chair, Dean or other
appropriate administrator OR
ii.
A decision that, upon review, the complaint has
no merit
iii.
If a mutually agreeable resolution cannot be
reached, the Administrator will escalate the Formal Complaint to the office of
the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs through a CC on the Decision Letter to
Complainant.
iv.
The Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs will
then proceed with an Investigative Committee
d.
The Administrator will communicate the results
of the investigation to the Complainant via the Administrator Decision
Letter to Complainant and CC the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs
within ten (10) business days of being assigned the complaint
i.
The Administrator will CC the Respondent if:
1.
The outcome is that the formal complaint is
substantiated with a mutually agreeable resolution OR
2.
The outcome is substantiated but no mutually
agreeable solution can be determined
ii.
The Administrator will not CC the Respondent if
the complaint is determined to have no merit. In this situation, the Complainant
will have a 10-day window to appeal this decision and the process will proceed accordingly
e.
After the 10-day window for appeal, if no
appeal is filed, the Administrator will notify the Respondent in writing via
Methodist College email via the Administrator Decision
Letter to Respondent
D. Appeal or Escalation to the Vice Chancellor of Academic
Affairs
a.
The formal complaint may be escalated to Vice
Chancellor of Academic Affairs if no mutually agreeable resolution can be
determined between the Administrator, Complainant, and Respondent
b.
Within ten (10) business days, a Complainant
who is dissatisfied with a decision that a formal complaint has no merit may
appeal the finding to the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs using the Complainant Appeal to VCAA Letter and sent via Methodist College email. Additional materials may be submitted with
the complaint and shall be sent simultaneously
E. Investigation Committee
a.
The Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs will
appoint an Investigation Committee within five (5) business days of receiving
the appeal/escalation and communicate instructions to the Investigation
Committee using the VCAA to Investigation Committee Letter
b.
The Committee shall include three (3) unbiased
individuals comprising a mix of exempt staff and faculty members who have no
conflict of interest, one of whom will be appointed chair by the Vice
Chancellor of Academic Affairs
c.
The Committee will conduct a review of the case
based on the Complainant's report detailing the basis for the complaint and
documents provided. The Committee will have access to all prior material
pursuant to the review
d.
The Committee will have access to additional
materials that will be helpful in making a recommendation, and shall have the
capacity to call witnesses and interview the Complainant and the Respondent
(who is not required to respond)
e.
The committee will make a recommendation to the
Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs not less than fifteen (15) business days
from the appointment of the committee using the Investigation Committee Report to VCAA. The report shall be sent via Methodist College email and
shall include the following:
i.
The specific nature of the complaint, including
date, time, persons involved, and rationale for the concern
ii.
What resolution is desired by the complainant
iii.
What evidence the committee uncovered and by
what means
iv.
Who the committee interviewed and when
v.
What specific evidence exists with regard to
the complaint
vi.
What actions are recommended to be taken
vii.
Report signed by all committee members with
names printed below
f.
The committee chair shall submit the
Investigation CommitteeReport to the VCAA, all materials collected for the
investigation, all correspondence, and all notes and minutes of interviews to
the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs using the templates drafted for this
process
F. Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Review
a.
The Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs shall
review all materials and as deemed necessary, may interview the Complainant and
Respondent (who is not required to respond), interview witnesses, and/or meet
with the Investigation Committee
b.
The Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs shall,
within ten (10) business days, make a decision regarding the resolution of the
complaint. The decision will be
communicated to the Complainant, with a copy to the Respondent, via Methodist
College email using the VCAA Decision Letter
c.
The decision of the Vice Chancellor of Academic
Affairs is final
Information from formal complaints is used, as
appropriate, to foster ongoing program improvement. Formal complaints, as defined by the College,
and their resolution are filed in the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Academic
Affairs. Complaints impacting the students' grade shall be sent to the Office
of the Registrar.
If after the formal and informal process noted
above have been completed and a student is not satisfied with the outcome, the
student may contact the Illinois Board of Higher Education, Illinois State
Board of Education, Illinois Attorney General or The Higher Learning Commission
to file a formal complaint using the contact information noted below:
Illinois Board of Higher Education
431 E. Adams, 2nd Floor
Springfield, IL 62701-1404
inf@ibhe.org
Institutional Complaint Hotline (217) 557-7359
Illinois State Board of Education
100 N. 1st Street
Springfield, IL 62777
http://webprod1.isbe.net/contactisbe/(email)
Illinois Attorney General Consumer Fraud Bureau
500 South Second Street
Springfield, IL 62706
The Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604
inquiry@hlcommission.org
(800) 621-7440