Student Complaint Policy
I. Policy Title: Student Complaint Policy
II. Who Does This Policy Affect:
All HFC faculty, employees, staff, students, vendors/contractors and visitors to our campus
III. Purpose
This policy serves as a tool for students to express dissatisfaction in the classroom or business setting.
IV. Policy Statement
During their course of study at Henry Ford College, students may encounter situations requiring review by academic and administrative personnel. It is the policy of Henry Ford College to provide an equitable system for the speedy and amicable resolution of problems between students and College faculty, employees, staff or other Community Members.
Complaints against faculty may include issues such as final course grades or classroom assignments. Complaints against employees and staff may include matters such as policies, regulations, and services. Due process is dependent upon timeliness.
The College will attempt to initially resolve issues informally. If an informal resolution is not possible, formal complaints may be filed. Formal complaints must be initiated by the last regular class day of the subsequent full semester. For example, an incident from the fall semester must be initiated by the end of the following winter semester. A formal complaint will be dismissed if it is not initiated by the appropriate deadline.
Once the formal complaint process is initiated, it is the goal of the College that the four stages of the complaint process should be completed within seventy-five academic-business working days (spring, summer term and regularly scheduled College recesses may be exempt depending upon the availability of the persons involved). All formal written notification regarding the complaint process will be through HAWK e-mail and/or overnight express mail and sent to the official addresses provided by the student on their application to the College. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure their mailing address is accurate and to regularly check their HAWK mail during their enrollment at Henry Ford College. These requirements apply to all student complaints covered by this policy.
Requirements
The College President or his/her designee is authorized to develop procedures for the reporting and resolution of general student complaints, which shall include any applicable appeal of an adverse decision. The resolution of a student’s complaint under this policy shall be determined by a fair and consistent standard of proof as specified in the general complaint procedures.
Certain complaints, such as, but not limited to Title IX complaints or accessibility complaints, have a set process and procedure to follow. This student complaint policy is not intended to supersede or replace those specific complaint processes.
V. Definitions
N/A
VI. Responsible Party for Interpretation/Review
Vice President of Student Affairs
Vice President of Academic Affairs
VII. Related Documents
Sexual Misconduct/Title IX/Sexual Harassment Policy
https://policies.hfcc.edu/policy/sexual-misconduct-policy
Equal Educational and Employment Opportunities and Non-Discrimination
https://policies.hfcc.edu/policy/equal
Student Code of Conduct
https://policies.hfcc.edu/policy/henry-ford-college-1
Student Complaint Procedures
https://policies.hfcc.edu/procedure/8300r
Student Code of Conduct Procedures
https://policies.hfcc.edu/node/338
Sexual Misconduct/Sexual Harassment/Title IX Procedures
https://www.hfcc.edu/sites/hfcmain/files/hfc_sexual_misconduct_title_ix_...
VIII. Policy History:
a. Adopted by Board: January 2003
b. Previous Policy Section: Students Previous Policy No. 8300
Review/Updated
October 16, 2017
January 2009
This policy supersedes and replaces any and all policies related to this subject