For procedural purposes grievances are classified as either Non-Grade-Related or Grade- Related. Student grievances may be associated with academic life (e.g. teaching, testing, advising, etc.) or they may be associated with some aspect of campus life (e.g. work experience, co-curricular programs and activities). Students applying for admissions also have the right to appeal admissions decision if they perceive that they have been treated unfairly. For a student to have a grievance addressed, he or she must use the following procedures, based on school:

Grade-Related Grievances | Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences

All students shall be treated fairly with respect to evaluations made of their academic performance, standing, and progress. KGI presumes that academic judgments by its faculty are fair, consistent, and objective. Students must understand that the substitution of a different academic judgment for that of the original evaluator is a serious intrusion upon teaching prerogatives. Nonetheless, KGI believes it is essential to provide an appeals mechanism to students who believe that they were erroneously, capriciously, or otherwise unfairly treated in an academic or cooperative education determination. This includes claims of misinterpretation or inequitable application of any academic provision of the Student Handbook or Faculty Handbook. Issues concerning admission or readmission into a program cannot be appealed beyond the actual Enrollment process.

In most cases, students should first discuss their concerns with the course instructor to determine the possibility of reaching an agreement concerning the issue. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of this discussion, or if the student is not comfortable discussing the issue with the instructor, the student should request a meeting with the Program Director to attempt to resolve the issue at the informal level. If these informal attempts to resolve the issue fail, the student can enter a formal procedure by following these steps: A student may appeal an academic determination by submitting a written statement to the Associate Dean and Dean of Faculty which specifies the details of the action or judgment. The statement should include a description of the issue, when the problem occurred, who was involved, the basis of the appeal and the resolution sought. Documentation, including submitted assignments and communications, should be attached to the letter or forwarded to the Associate Dean or Dean at the same time the grievance is submitted. All appeals of grades need to be initiated and resolved within one month of the end of the course or assignment of the grade and before the student graduates.

Grade grievances for courses taken outside of the Riggs School are bound by the procedures and processes of that school or institution. Students can seek the advice of KGI deans or faculty to navigate this process, but the ultimate decision rests with the home institution for the grade.

Didactic Grade-Related Grievances | School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Matters related to grading disputes shall include issues regarding grades awarded or processes by which grades are determined. The process must always begin with a discussion with the faculty member(s) who awarded the grade. The student is also encouraged to meet with his or her faculty mentor and may do so at any point in the process. If the situation is not resolved through discussion with the faculty member(s) involved, the student may initiate the grievance process by completing a Grade-Related Grievance form that will be available from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The Grade-Related Grievance form must be submitted to the faculty member(s) who awarded the score. This form must be submitted within five (5) business days following the posting of the score being disputed. Non-written complaints or written complaints received after this deadline may not be accepted.

The faculty member who awarded the grade will review the grievance and respond to it within five (5) business days or sooner in most cases. Their response will be e-mailed to the student and the course coordinator (second level appeal). If the course coordinator is also the faculty member, the response shall be sent directly to the student and the Department Chair/Program Director. The Department Chair/Program Director shall review the form and response from the faculty member/Course Coordinator and make their decision(third level appeal). Their decision will be sent by e-mail to the student and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will then review the form and the response from the earlier levels, and make their decision (fourth level appeal). Their decision will be forwarded to the student and the Dean (fifth and final level appeal). The Dean will review the form and the response from all earlier levels, and make their decision. The Dean’s decision will be final. This process may stop at any level if the grievance is resolved in favor of the student.

If the student wants to withdraw the grievance for any reason, they must do so immediately by sending an email to the faculty member and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Once a student sends an email confirming that they want to withdraw the grievance, no further action is required.

If a student has a pending grievance that affects whether they can continue to the next semester or can participate in remediation, they shall be allowed to continue in classes until the grievance is resolved. If the grievance is resolved in the favor of the student, and they are allowed to continue in the semester or remediation, then all grades/scores received by the student during this transition shall remain valid. However, if the student’s grievance is denied, any scores/grades received by the student during the pending grievance shall be considered invalid.

QUICK REFERENCE GRADE-RELATED GRIEVANCES

(At any point in the process, the student may meet with their faculty advisor.)

  1. Discuss the issue with the Instructor(s) who assigned the grade; if not resolved
  2. Discuss the issue with the Course Coordinator/Director(s); if not resolved
  3. Discuss the issue with the appropriate Department Chair/Program Director; if not resolved
  4. Initiate a formal grievance, in writing to the Instructor(s) who assigned the grade, after receiving a form from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
  5. Instructor will respond to the grievance and forward their response to the student and Course Coordinator (Department Chair/Program Director, if Instructor is the same as Course Coordinator/Director)
  6. Response at each level (Course Coordinator/Director, Department Chair/Program Director, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Dean) will automatically be forwarded along with the form to the next level unless the grievance is resolved in favor of the student
  7. The student may choose to withdraw the grievance at any time by sending an email to the Instructor(s) who assigned the grade and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
  8. If the grievance reaches the level of the Dean, Dean will notify the student of the results in writing; Dean’s decision is final.

Please note: Although the final authority rests with the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for both Non-Grade-Related and Grade-Related grievances, the final decision will be written with the knowledge and concurrence of the KGI President. The individual receiving the grievance will adhere to the process above. Deviation from said process will disqualify the grievance. For more specific policies, MSPA Program students should refer to the MSPA Program Student Handbook.

Experiential Education Grade-Related Grievances | PharmD

Matters related to experiential education grading disputes shall include issues regarding grades awarded or processes by which grades are determined.

Once the preceptor has submitted the evaluation, the student must NOT contact the preceptor to negotiate a change in the evaluation.

The student MUST formally submit the list of the competencies in which they are challenging the grade, along with examples of how they met the criteria for the grade which they desire for each competency to the Course Coordinator/Director of Experiential Education. The Course Coordinator/Director of Experiential Education will review the list and discuss with the preceptor.

If the issue is not resolved, the Course Coordinator/Director of Experiential Education, will submit the information to the Dean of Experiential Education.

If the situation is not resolved, the student may initiate the experiential education grade-related grievance process by completing a “Grade-Related Grievance” form.

The student must contact the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to request the “GradeRelated Grievance” form. The student must complete and submit the “Grade-Related Grievance” form to the Course Coordinator/Director of Experiential Education within five (5) business days following the posting of the score being disputed in E*Value. Non-written grievances will not be accepted. Grievances received after this deadline will not be accepted.

The Course Coordinator/Director of Experiential Education will review the grievance and respond within five (5) business days or sooner in most cases (first level appeal). Their response will be emailed to the student and the Dean of Experiential Education.

The Dean of Experiential Education will review the form and response from the Course Coordinator/Director of Experiential Education (second level appeal). Their response will be emailed to the student and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will review the form and the responses from the earlier levels, and make their decision (third level appeal). Their decision will be forwarded to the student and the Dean (fourth and final level appeal).

The Dean will review the form and the responses from all earlier levels, and make their decision. The Dean’s decision will be final.

This process may stop at any level if the grievance is resolved in favor of the student.

If the student wants to withdraw the grievance for any reason, they must do so immediately by sending an email to the Course Coordinator/Director of Experiential Education and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Once a student sends an email confirming that they want to withdraw the grievance, not further action is required.

QUICK REFERENCE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION GRADE-RELATED GRIEVANCES

(At any point in the process, the student may meet with their faculty advisor.) Once the preceptor has submitted the evaluation, the student must NOT contact the preceptor to negotiate a change in the evaluation.

  1. The student must formally submit the list of the competencies in which they are challenging the grade, along with examples of competency to the Course Coordinator/Director ; if not resolved
  2. Discuss the issue with the Associate Dean of Experiential Education; if not resolved
  3. Email the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to formally request the “Grade-Related Grievance” form. This form must be submitted within five (5) business days following the posting of the score (in E*Value) being disputed.
  4. Initiate a FORMAL grievance, in WRITING, to the Course Coordinator/Director who assigned the grade
  5. The course coordinator or director will respond to the grievance and forward their response to the student and Dean of Experiential Education within five (5) business days of receiving the “Grade-Related Grievance” form
  6. Response at each level (Course Coordinator/Director , Associate Dean of Experiential Education, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Dean) will automatically be forwarded along with the form to the next level unless the grievance is resolved in favor of the student
  7. The student may choose to withdraw the grievance at any time by sending an email to the course coordinator/director and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
  8. If the grievance reaches the level of the Dean, Dean will notify the student of the results in writing; Dean’s decision is final.

Please note: Although the final authority rests with the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for both Non-Grade-Related and Grade-Related grievances, the final decision will be written with the knowledge and concurrence of the KGI President. The individual receiving the grievance will adhere to the process above. Deviation from said process will disqualify the grievance. For more specific policies, MSPA Program students should refer to the MSPA Program Student Handbook.

Experiential Grade-Related Grievance policies for OTD students can be found in the KGI OTD Student Fieldwork and Capstone manual.

Didactic Non-Grade-Related Grievances | Keck Graduate Institute

Consulting with the Faculty Member(s) or Staff Involved

The student shall first attempt to resolve the grievance with the faculty member(s) or staff involved. The student is also encouraged to meet with his or her faculty mentor at any point in the grievance process. If the student and the faculty member(s)/staff involved in the matter cannot resolve the grievance, the student shall consult with the chair or immediate supervisor of the appropriate department. Faculty and/or supervisor should complete a “Student Encounter Form” to document the conversation.

Consulting with the Appropriate Department Chair/Program Director

If the student and department chair/immediate supervisor cannot resolve the grievance, the student must submit a written, signed statement to the VP of Academic Affairs describing the specifics of the grievance within five (5) business days following the occurrence of the incident. Nonwritten complaints or written complaints received after this deadline may not be accepted.

Consulting with VP of Academic Affairs

After receipt of the written complaint, the DOS will provide a copy of the complaint to the personnel involved and they will be given an opportunity to respond in writing no later than five (5) business days after receipt of the complaint. In the event that the issue is still not resolved, the written complaint and personnel response will be taken to the personnel’s immediate supervisor. The immediate supervisor will then respond in writing to the appeal. If the student does not accept the decision, the DOS will meet with the student, hear the grievance, review written materials and respond in writing with a decision within five (5) business days after receipt of the complaint.

If the student wishes to appeal the decision of the DOS, they must do so in writing to the Dean within five (5) business days of receipt of the written decision. The DOS will forward all written materials to the Dean for consideration. The Dean will meet with the student and appropriate personnel, and provide a written decision within ten (10) business days of receiving the appeal. The Dean’s decision is final.

QUICK REFERENCE NON-GRADE-RELATED GRIEVANCES

(At any point in the process the student may meet with their faculty advisor)

  1. Meet with Faculty Member(s)/staff involved; if not resolved
  2. Meet with Department Chair/Immediate Supervisor; if not resolved
  3. Student makes written statement to DOS
  4. DOS meets with the personnel involved, and personnel will respond in writing with a resolution; if not resolved
  5. Department Chair/Immediate Supervisor will review materials, meet with student and personnel, and respond in writing with a decision; if not resolved ‣ 6. DOS meets with student regarding the grievance and respond in writing with a decision; if not resolved
  6. Dean will review materials, meet with student and personnel, and respond in writing with a decision; Dean’s decision is final.

Experiential Education Non-Grade-Related Grievances | PharmD

Consulting with the Office of Experiential Education member/staff or preceptor involved.

The student shall first attempt to resolve the grievance with the Office of Experiential Education member/staff or preceptor involved. The student is also encouraged to meet with his or her faculty advisor at any point in the grievance process. If the student and the Office of Experiential Education member/staff or preceptor involved in the matter cannot resolve the grievance, the student shall consult with the Immediate Supervisor of the OEE member/ staff or the Associate Dean of Experiential Education (if the preceptor is involved). 

If the student and the Immediate Supervisor of the OEE member/staff or the Associate Dean of Experiential Education (if the preceptor is involved) cannot resolve the grievance, the student must submit written statement to the Vice President of Academic Affairs describing the specifics of the grievance within five (5) business days following the occurrence of the incident. Non-written complaints or written complaints received after this deadline may not be accepted.

Consulting with Vice President of Academic Affairs

After receipt of the written complaint, the DOS will provide a copy of the complaint to the personnel involved and they will be given an opportunity to respond in writing no later than five (5) business days after receipt of the complaint. In the event that the issue is still not resolved, the written complaint and personnel response will be taken to the personnel’s immediate supervisor. The immediate supervisor will then respond in writing to the appeal. If the student does not accept the decision, the DOS will meet with the student, hear the grievance, review written materials and respond in writing with a decision within five (5) business days after receipt of the complaint. 

If the student wishes to appeal the decision of the DOS, they must do so in writing to the Dean within five (5) business days of receipt of the written decision. The DOS will forward all written materials to the Dean for consideration. The Dean will meet with the student and appropriate personnel, and provide a written decision within ten (10) business days of receiving the appeal. The Dean’s decision is final.

Non-Grade-Related Experiential Education Grievances

  • Consult with the OEE member or preceptor involved: if not resolved
  • Consulting with the Immediate Supervisor of the OEE member or the Associate Dean of Experiential Education if the preceptor is involved; if not resolved
  • Student makes written statement to the VP of Academic Affairs
  • DOS meets with the OEE member involved or the Director of Experiential Education (if preceptor is involved); if not resolved
  • Immediate Supervisor will review materials, meet with student and OEE personnel, and respond in writing with a decision; if not resolved
  • DOS meets with student regarding the grievance and respond in writing with a decision; if not resolved
  • Dean will review materials, meet with students and personnel, and respond in writing with a decision; Dean’s decision is final.

Experiential Non-Grade-Related Grievance policies for OTD students can be found in the KGI OTD Student Fieldwork and Capstone manual.