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Informal Resolution
If possible, the student should discuss the matter with the responsible individual. If no resolution results, the student should consult his or her advisor, director of graduate studies, chair, the Ombuds officer or appropriate dean or administrator. Every effort should be made to resolve the matter at an informal level without escalating the complaint to the status of a formal grievance. Discussions aimed at informal resolution must remain confidential and generally last for no more than 30 working days.
MediationAny student who has reached an informal resolution and prefers to avoid escalating the complaint to the status of a formal grievance may request a mediation session at the Graduate School. Mediation is an informal and confidential process where the grievant and the accused student can participate in a search for a fair and workable solution. Mediation requires the consent of both parties and suspends the grievance procedure for up to 30 working days, which can be extended at the discretion of the Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences upon the consent of both parties. Complaints that are addressed through mediation need not be made in writing. The parties may agree to a variety of solutions ranging from the modification of a TA or RA assignment to an apology. A written document, which will remain confidential to both parties, may be produced to memorialize the agreement.
Filing a Formal Grievance
If no informal resolution occurs and the student wishes to make a formal grievance, the student should, within 2 weeks of the abandonment of attempts at informal resolution, inform in writing the Dean and the Associate Dean with whom he or she has been conducting the informal process that he or she has rejected any offer made during the informal process of resolution (if such was made) and that he or she intends to file a formal grievance. Within 2 weeks following such notice, the student should submit a written statement to the Dean documenting and describing the source of the complaint, its consequences, and the informal efforts at resolution made to date.This statement must also include a description of the remedy sought.
Review of the Grievance
The Dean will review the written statement and consult with the Associate Dean already involved in the case to suggest the appropriate action: either (a) to refer the grievance to the Grievance Committee (see below) or (b) with the agreement of the grievant, to refer the complaint to the appropriate department or office if the issue seems not to be one that falls within the purview of the Dean's office of the Graduate School.
Formation of the Grievance Committee
If the complaint is forwarded to the Grievance Committee, the Associate Dean convenes a proceeding of the committee to review the written statement. Such a proceeding may involve one or more meetings, depending on how long it takes to collect, present and evaluate the evidence needed to review the grievance. The Grievance Committe consists of (a) two faculty chosen by the Dean from among the faculty members of the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of the Arts and Sciences (ECGSAS), (b) two graduate students chosen by the Dean from at least four nominations made by the Graduate Student Advisory Council; and (c) the appropriate Associate Dean (generally not the same person who mediated the informal complaint) who chairs the Committe and votes only in the case of a tie. Before members of the Committee begin deliberations, the Dean may appoint a replacement for any member of the committee who believes him or herself to be biased or have a conflict of interest. Faculty will be replaced with faculty, students with students, and the Assistant Dean with an administrator of the Dean's choosing. The grievant attends the proceeding and, if he or she wishes, may select a faculty member, graduate student or Graduate School administrator to attend the meeting and serve as his or her advocate. The advocate may not pose questions or intervene in the proceedings, but may talk quietly or pass notes to the grievant in a non-disruptive manner.
The advocate is not privy to deliberations and does not vote. If the grievant chooses not to attend, he or she will be informed that the committee will proceed to a decision. The merits of the grievance are evaluated within the context of the University and Graduate School policy, a consensus is reached by a majority vote and, when appropiate, a remedy is recommended. The Committee responds with a written decision in a timely fashion, that is, no later than the end of the semester following that in which the grievance was filed. If the grievant is not satisfied with this decision, he or she may appeal in writing to the Dean. This appeal must be submitted within 30 working days of the decision to the Dean who will decide the matter, ordinarily within 30 days.
If the student is unsatisfied with the School resolution, or he or she believes that a direct complaint to the Office of the Vice President for Arts and Sciences is more appropriate, the student may invoke the procedures adopted by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for resolving grievances relating to faculty misconduct. Those procedures are found at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/vpas.
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