Students at the College may express concerns, whether verbally or in writing, regarding any area of academic or student life without fear of coercion, harassment, intimidation, or reprisal from the College or its employees. Students also may expect a timely response to any complaint. Defamatory or baseless charges may cause a student to be held responsible for violations of College policies through the college conduct process.
Student concerns should be resolved as quickly as possible at the lowest possible College unit that has the authority to act. Because no single process can serve the wide range of possible concerns, the College provides specific processes for responding to certain kinds of student concerns. Where College policy provides a specific concern or grievance procedure, an aggrieved student should use the specified procedure.
Students are also asked to report concerning behavior of any member of the College community. This includes reporting violations of College Policy and Respectful Community standards.
| Appeal, grievance, or reporting process | Types of issues appealed or reported | Links to forms and more information |
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| Academic Misconduct Appeal |
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| Student Conduct/Non-Academic Conduct Appeal |
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| Academic Records Appeal |
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| Academic Grade Appeal |
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| Title IX/Respectful Community Reports |
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| Title IX/Respectful Community Appeals |
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| Academic or General Grievance |
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| CARE Report |
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| Student Misconduct Report |
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| Ethics Hotline |
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1.844.310.3447 (toll free) |
| Financial Aid |
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The following complaint resolution process is intended to provide a streamlined way to resolve complaints or disagreements between students and members of the faculty or staff at CWI. This process shall be used for the following: 1) to formally question the application or interpretation of any College policy, procedure, rule, or requirement in cases where the student believes the application or interpretation to be incorrect in a manner that directly impacts the student, or 2) to resolve any complaint that is not able to be addressed by a policy, procedure, or process more specifically applicable to the complaint. Challenges to a final course grade, or grade on a specific assignment, must use the Grade Appeal Process outlined in sections 3.2 and 3.3 of this handbook. For the purpose of this resolution process, “days” do not include weekends or days that the college is closed for a holiday, observance, or other planned or emergency closure.
The student will attempt to meet with the faculty or staff member involved in the situation that is the source of the complaint. The purpose of this meeting is to attempt to resolve the situation informally between the parties. Both the student and the employee are expected to make a good-faith effort to explain their view of the situation and, if practicable, come to an understanding, find a compromise, or agree to a path forward, as appropriate.
This meeting should be held, either in person or via electronic means, within 10 business days of 1) the date of the situation resulting in a complaint, 2) the date when the student is made aware of the situation, or 3) the date of the last incident in cases where the complaint stems from a series of occurrences. At the end of the meeting, the faculty or staff member will, within 5 days, communicate the agreed-upon resolution to the student via CWI email. If an agreement is not reached, the faculty or staff member will communicate their determination of the appropriate outcome to the situation, within 5 days of the meeting, via CWI email.
In cases where a faculty or staff member fails to respond to a request by a student within the 10-day period, refuses to meet, or in cases where a student is able to demonstrate a credible fear that engaging in this meeting may lead to harassment or retaliation, the student may move directly to Step Two. In cases where a student fails to initiate the informal resolution process within 10 days, the student may request an extension of the timeline by contacting the Dean of Students. Extensions will only be granted for good cause at the discretion of the Dean of Students. The failure to adhere to any timeline set forth in this informal resolution process may result in the dismissal of a complaint at the discretion of the Dean of Students.
If a complaint is not resolved through the informal resolution process, the student may, within 10 days of the meeting with the faculty or staff member, or 10 days after the student has requested a meeting with a faculty or staff member via CWI email with no response, submit a written complaint to the direct supervisor of the faculty or staff member. This complaint must be submitted to the supervisor’s CWI email address from the student’s CWI email address, must include the name and title of the faculty or staff member, and should include information about the situation which has resulted in a complaint as well as the outcome of the informal resolution process, documentation of unsuccessful attempts to schedule a Step One meeting, or documentation of a credible fear of harassment or retaliation.
The supervisor will reach out to the student within 10 days to either a) attempt to resolve the situation via email in straightforward situations, b) schedule a telephone call to discuss the situation further, or c) schedule an in-person or virtual face-to-face meeting between the student and supervisor. The goal of this communication will be to determine if a) an effective resolution is possible, b) an effective resolution can be reached between the student and the supervisor, or c) a meeting between the student, supervisor, and faculty or staff member is appropriate. If a meeting is appropriate, the meeting should take place within 10 days of the date of the communication between the student and supervisor, if possible. If this timeline cannot be met, the supervisor will work with the student and faculty or staff member to find a mutually agreeable time. The meeting should be an informal and candid discussion of the situation, with a goal of finding a mutually agreeable solution. At the end of the meeting, the supervisor shall, within 5 days, communicate the agreed-upon resolution to the student and faculty or staff member via CWI email. If an agreement is not reached, the supervisor will communicate their determination of the appropriate outcome to the situation, within 5 days of the meeting, via CWI email.
If a meeting cannot be scheduled in a reasonable timeframe, or if a supervisor fails to respond to the written complaint within 10 days after the date the student sent it, the student may opt to continue the Supervisory Review process or move directly to Step 3.
If a student is unable to determine who the direct supervisor of a faculty or staff member is, they may a) ask the faculty or staff member for the name of their supervisor, b) contact the CWI OneStop to request the name of the direct supervisor, or c) contact the Dean of Students for the name of the direct supervisor. Contact information for all employees is available through the CWI Directory online.
If a complaint is not resolved through the Supervisory Review process, or a student opts to move directly to Step 3 due to an inability to schedule a Step 2 meeting or failure to communicate the outcome of a Step 2 meeting in a timely manner, the student may submit a formal complaint using the Student Complaint Form. Formal complaints must be submitted a) within 10 days of receiving the outcome of the Supervisory Review via email, b) at least 10, but not more than 20, days after submitting a written complaint to a supervisor, in cases where the supervisor fails to respond, or c) if a meeting cannot be scheduled within 20 days of the initial communication to the Supervisor in Step 2.
When completing the Student Complaint Form, students should include detailed information about the complaint, the desired outcome of the complaint, supporting documentation or evidence, and information regarding the outcomes of Steps One and Two of the process. Once received, the Dean of Students will review the complaint within 5 days to ensure that the requirements of Steps One and Two have been met. If so, the Dean of Students will contact the faculty or staff member and the supervisor to request any statements, information, or evidence they wish to be considered. The Dean of Students may also contact the student for additional information, at their discretion. All parties will be expected to respond to requests for additional statements or information within 5 days.
Once all information has been collected or the time for additional information to be submitted has passed, the Dean of Students will review all the available information. In cases of clear procedural error, the Dean of Students may, at their discretion, attempt to resolve the situation administratively prior to convening a panel, or may convene a panel of three neutral and unbiased faculty and staff members of the complaint resolution panel to review the submissions and make a final determination as to what, if any, steps should be taken to resolve the complaint. The determination of the panel shall be final, and no further avenues of appeal are available.
Faculty members of the complaint resolution panel shall be appointed by each of the Academic Deans. Staff members of the complaint resolution panel shall be appointed by the Non-Academic Deans and select department/division heads of non-academic areas of the college, as appropriate, to ensure that all areas of the college are represented. Each panel shall always have one randomly selected faculty member and one randomly selected staff member, while the third member shall be selected at random from the remaining available members of the Committee without regard to employee category. If any panel member has direct knowledge of the situation, a relationship with either the student or faculty or staff member, or another situation that would create potential bias, another member of the panel will be randomly selected.
The grade appeal policy and procedure is designed to provide all students at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍø with a clearly defined avenue for appealing the assignment of a course grade, following the posting of final grades.
A final grade is the instructor’s evaluation of the student’s work and achievement throughout a semester’s participation in a course. Factors upon which the final grade may be based include attendance; recitation and class participation; written, oral, and online quizzes; reports; papers; final examinations; and other class activities. There is a presumption that the instructor who has conducted the course is professionally competent to judge the student’s work, and in the absence of convincing evidence to the contrary, has evaluated it fairly.
If the student fails to pursue any step of the grade appeal procedure within its allotted time, the decision made in the previous step shall be final (see Steps 1 and 2, below). All correspondence and records shall be retained in the office in which the complaint is finally resolved.
The grade initially assigned by an instructor remains in effect until and unless a change is determined by the appeal process.
In all cases, the student shall have the burden of proof with regard to all allegations in their complaint and in their request for review or hearing. Students may appeal grades they believe were improperly assigned due to procedural irregularity, new evidence, or a bias or conflict of interest. A grade appeal cannot be based upon differences in assigned grades between multi-section courses, whether or not the course sections are taught by the same instructor.
This section describes the three-step process for students who wish to appeal a final grade which they believe was improperly assigned at the end of a course.
This must be initiated within thirty calendar days of the posting of the course grade for viewing by students. The student shall first consult with the instructor in an effort to reach a satisfactory resolution of his or her appeal. It is a part of the professional obligation of College instructors to meet with students who wish to avail themselves of this academic grade appeal procedure for the purpose of reviewing the grade assigned and attempting to resolve the matter. In the event that the student cannot schedule a face-to-face meeting with the instructor, the student may attempt to consult with the instructor by email or phone, or the student may ask the instructor’s supervisor to schedule the meeting between the student and the instructor. Informal consultation is a required first step, and no further grade appeal is permitted unless informal consultation is first attempted. The only exception to this procedure is when the instructor is no longer employed by the College or is otherwise unavailable so that it is impossible to complete Step 1. If the student has attempted to contact the instructor via email and has not received a reply within ten business days, the student may proceed directly to Step 2. The instructor’s decision after the consultation must be completed and communicated to the student within ten business days of the informal consultation.
If a student wishes to appeal a grade further, they must submit a written appeal to the instructor’s supervisor responsible for the course being appealed within ten business days following the end of Step 1. The appeal to the instructor’s supervisor must be submitted in writing and must contain the student’s name, ID, the course/section, instructor, written communication resulting from Step 1, and description of how the case meets the conditions of a grade appeal. (See Conditions for an Appeal, section 3.2.) The instructor’s supervisor will then review the information provided to reach a decision. The decision will be communicated to the student and the instructor within ten business days of the receipt of the appeal.
If the student wishes to appeal a grade further, they may submit an appeal to the Academic Integrity Committee by sending an email to academicintegrity@cwi.edu within ten business days of the end of Step 2 or by submitting your . The appeal to the instructor’s supervisor must be submitted in writing and must contain the student’s name, ID, the course/section, instructor, communication resulting from Step 1 and 2, and description of how the case meets the conditions of a grade appeal. The Academic Integrity Committee will then review the information provided to reach a decision. The decision will be communicated to the student, the instructor, and the instructor’s supervisor within ten business days of the receipt of the appeal. All decisions made in Step 3 are final.
As part of the College’s grade appeal procedure, instructors are required to keep grade-related materials until the appeal time frame has elapsed. Material that applies to an ongoing grade appeal process must be retained for six months following completion of the grade appeal process. Grade-related material refers to examinations, projects, term papers, records on grades, attendance records, electronic files, and other material that is used in the grading process and is not returned to the student. If materials are returned to the student, a student desiring to appeal must present any tests, examinations, term papers, or other graded material that form the basis for his or her appeal.
The Academic Record Appeal policy and procedure is designed to provide all students at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍø with a clearly defined avenue for appealing academic policies, academic deadlines, and the content of the student’s official record.
Students seeking exceptions to academic policies or deadlines should first contact their advisor or a One Stop Representative to explain the situation. In some circumstances, CWI staff may help provide information and satisfactory remedies for the student. In such cases, no further action may be required.
If the student would like to further appeal any decisions or policies after consulting with their advisor or the One Stop, the student must complete an Academic Record Appeal Request form. Once completed, the form and any accompanying, relevant documentation and evidence should be submitted. Completed forms and documentation will be reviewed by members of the Academic Record Appeals Committee. Decisions by the Committee must be rendered and students notified within ten business days. In the event the form is incomplete and/or more supporting documentation is needed, members of the Academic Record Appeals Committee may contact the student for more information. Such actions will delay the Committee’s responses and decisions.
Students may appeal decisions made by the Academic Records Committee by submitting a request for appeal in writing to the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services or their designee. This request must contain the same documentation (original or copies) submitted to the Academic Record Appeals Committee in the previous step, as well as a cover letter explaining why the Appeals Committee's decision is unsatisfactory and additional information as necessary to convey the facts in the student’s case. The student may be contacted for more information. Decisions will be made and communicated by the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services or their designee ten business days after all relevant appeals materials have been received by the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services office. Decisions of the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services or their designee are final.
Regardless of the nature of the appeal, neither formal rules of process and procedure nor rules of evidence, such as those applied in court, are used in proceedings under this section.
From time to time, conflicts and disagreements may arise between students and their instructors; the intent of the following procedures is to provide equitable and expeditious resolutions. Academic grievances may be filed when a student feels aggrieved in (non-grade) matters concerning an academic decision, action, or judgment by an instructor. Keeping in mind that instructors are responsible for classroom management and teaching strategies, students are encouraged to use these procedures only where there is clear and convincing evidence that an instructor has treated the student unfairly, arbitrarily, or capriciously. If a faculty member or administrator fails to respond by any applicable deadline specified in this procedure, the student may move the grievance to the next step in the process.
This must be initiated within thirty calendar days of the course ending. The student shall first consult with the instructor in an effort to reach a satisfactory resolution of his or her appeal. It is a part of the professional obligation of College instructors to meet with students who wish to avail themselves of this grievance procedure for the purpose of reviewing the decision, action, or judgment in question. In the event that the student cannot schedule a face-to-face meeting with the instructor, the student may attempt to consult with the instructor by email or phone, or the student may ask the instructor’s supervisor to schedule the meeting between the student and the instructor. Informal consultation is a required first step, and no further grievance will be heard unless informal consultation is first attempted. The only exception to this procedure is when the instructor is no longer employed by the College or is otherwise unavailable so that it is impossible to complete Step 1. If the student has attempted to contact the instructor via email and has not received a reply within ten business days, the student may proceed directly to Step 2. The instructor’s decision after the consultation must be completed and communicated to the student within ten business days of the informal consultation.
If, after informal consultation with the instructor, the student feels the issue has not been resolved and they have been treated unfairly, or arbitrarily, or capriciously, the student may submit a written grievance to the instructor’s supervisor responsible for the course being appealed within ten business days following the end of Step 1. The communication to the instructor’s supervisor must be submitted in writing and must contain the student’s name, ID, the course/section, instructor, written communication resulting from Step 1, and description of how the student has been treated unfairly, arbitrarily, or capriciously. The instructor’s supervisor will then review the information provided to reach a decision. The decision will be communicated to the student and the instructor within ten business days of the receipt of the communication.
If after Steps 1 and 2 the student feels the issue has not been resolved and they have been treated unfairly, arbitrarily, or capriciously, the student may submit a . The academic dean of the department will then review the information provided to reach a decision. The decision will be communicated to the student, the instructor, and the instructor’s supervisor within ten business days of the receipt of the appeal. All decisions made in Step 3 are final.