Petitions and Complaints
11.1 Petitions
Students maintain the right to petition the Program for any variance from standard policy or procedure. See Section 3.1.1 about petitioning to waive a course.
11.1.1 Format of Petitions
Written petitions should be submitted to the Executive Committee. Petitions should include the specific request, a complete explanation of why the request is being made, and supporting documentation.
Forms are available for petitions for Withdrawal/Leave of Absence as well as for extension of the program online through the Registrar section of the website. All other petitions should be submitted in the form of a letter addressed to the student’s Academic Advisor.
11.1.2 Approval of Petitions
All petitions should be submitted to the Executive Committee at least one week prior to their monthly meeting. All petitions must be approved by majority vote of the Executive Committee at this monthly meeting or by e-mail vote if there are extenuating circumstances.
The student’s Program Director or Associate Director will be responsible for communicating the results of the petition process to the student in writing within one week of the meeting. A copy of this written communication will be placed in the student’s academic file.
11.2 Complaints
Students are encouraged to address specific complaints about courses to their instructors. If there is failure to resolve the complaint, or if students have complaints about the PhD Program or about the Institute, they can then file a complaint for action.
11.2.1 Submission of the Complaint
Complaints of an academic nature should be submitted in writing to the Academic Advisory Committee.
11.2.2 Format of Complaints
This document should include the specific complaint, a complete explanation of the circumstances surrounding the complaint, and any supporting documentation pertinent to the complaint. The written complaint is filed in the Program Office and is housed in a designated “Complaint” file.
11.2.3 Resolution of the Complaint
The complaint is initially addressed at the next Program Executive Committee meeting. If the complaint is not resolved here, then the student may write a petition to the Program Director for discussion at the next monthly meeting. If the complaint is still not resolved, the student may wish to follow the procedures as stated in the Institute Catalog (see 10.2.4 below). The student’s Academic Advisory Committee will be responsible for communicating the resolution of the complaint to the student in writing within one week. A copy of this written communication will be placed in the Program Complaint file.
11.2.4 Other Student Grievance Procedures
Students should follow the “Student Grievance Procedure” for disputes about a warning, suspension, or dismissal, or follow the “Resolution of Conflicts” using mediation that is outlined in the Institute Catalog (under the heading “Student Rights and Responsibilities”).