Student Complaint/Grievance Policies and Procedures

General or Academic Misconduct of a Student
Discrimination
Student Records
TTUHSC Employment
Grades/Grading
Other Types of Mistreatment
Other Institutional-Level Student Complaint Procedures

The following narrative summarizes TTUHSC’s student complaint or grievance policies and procedures. Links to specific policies and procedures are provided on the HSC Student Affairs website.

It is the policy of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to affirm the right of its students to a prompt and fair resolution of a complaint or grievance involving allegations of inappropriate behavior by other TTUHSC students or by TTUHSC personnel toward students. Policies and procedures exist for the following areas of student complaints:

Complaints regarding the general or academic misconduct of another student
Complaints regarding discrimination
Complaints regarding student records
Complaints regarding employment at TTUHSC
Complaints regarding grades or grading
Complaints regarding other types of mistreatment
Other institutional-level student complaint procedures

General or Academic Misconduct of a Student

Policies and procedures governing complaints regarding the general or academic misconduct of students are defined in the Code of Professional and Academic Conduct (Student Code), which is published as Part II of this handbook. Students, faculty, and staff are all encouraged to report violations of the Student Code in accordance with the Disciplinary Procedures outlined in the Student Code.

Discrimination

This handbook identifies several policies intended to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of all members of the university community. The processes for filing complaints are detailed in the TTUHSC Operating Policies and Procedures. The following list identifies key institutional policies governing complaints regarding discrimination:

Student Records

HSC OP 77.13, Student Education Records, provides detailed information about filing complaints relating to student records.

TTUHSC Employment

Information about employment grievances for students who are employed at TTUHSC is provided in HSC OP 70.10, Non-faculty Employee Complaint and Grievance Procedures. This policy covers complaints concerning issues pertaining to wages, hours, working conditions, performance evaluations, merit raises, job promotions, job assignments, or similar matters involving management decisions concerning the employee.

Grades/Grading

The processing of formal grade appeal procedures is the responsibility of the school which administers the course. Relevant school policies are listed below:

School of Health Professions: SHP OP ST.03 Academic Grade Appeal (link to: https://hscweb.ttuhsc.edu/health-professions/current/policies.aspx)
School of Medicine-Lubbock: Student-Faculty Dispute Resolution Policy, Grading Policy, Promotions Policy, and policies and procedures for Challenging Student Records or Grades
School of Nursing: Academic Grade Challenges/Appeals
Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy: Grade Grievance Resolution
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences: Complaint Policy
Julia Jones Matthews Population and Public Health: Complaint Policy

Other Types of Mistreatment

Students who feel that they have been mistreated in a manner that is not directly addressed by any of the specific policies identified above are encouraged to refer to the policies and procedures governing student complaints, grievances, and appeals within their school. Relevant school policies include the following:
1. School of Health Professions: SHP Student Policies: https://hscweb.ttuhsc.edu/health-professions/current/policies.aspx. SHP OP: ST.03 Academic Grade Appeal and SHP OP: ST.19 Non-Grade Grievance Policy
2. School of Medicine-Lubbock: Student-Faculty Dispute Resolution Policy, Student-Student Dispute Resolution Policy, Part IV Anti-Discrimination and Title IX,
3. School of Nursing: Academic Grade Challenges/Appeals and Complaint or Grievance Resolution (Non-Grade Grievance)
4. Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy: Non-Grade Grievance Resolution
5. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences: Complaints Policy
Students should process their complaints or appeals through the appropriate channels. Procedures are delineated in the policies identified above. Students are required to bring their concerns to the designated student affairs officer of their school. The student affairs officer in each school is as follows:
1. School of Health Professions: Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs
2. School of Medicine-Lubbock: Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
3. School of Nursing: Associate Dean for Admissions, Student Affairs, and Enrollment Management
4. Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy: Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Student Affairs
5. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences: Assistant Dean
The deans of the schools have final authority in resolving disputes related to academic issues, such as grading and promotion, and in non-academic issues involving the school’s faculty and staff.
Every effort should be made to resolve complaints against faculty and other school personnel at the school level. If the complaint is about personnel or services at the institutional level, the student is advised to contact TTUHSC Student Affairs in accordance with the following institutional-level student complaint procedures. These procedures are also published on the HSC Student Affairs website.

Other Institutional-Level Student Complaint Procedures

The procedures defined below apply to student complaints that fall outside the scope of other institutional and school- based policies and procedures governing specific types of student complaints (Student Complaint or Grievance Policies and Procedures), including, for example, student complaints against staff members employed at the institutional level or against TTUHSC administrators. TTUHSC Student Affairs will administer this institutional policy and will ensure that due process is afforded to all concerned.

Early Resolution. Prior to contacting the TTUHSC Office of Student Affairs, the student shall attempt to resolve the issue with the individual(s) involved. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome after meeting with the individual or does not feel comfortable talking to the administrator or staff member involved, the student may contact the Associate Provost for Student Affairs. The student shall address the issue and initiate action under this policy within 30 days of the event-giving rise to the complaint. The Associate Provost for Student Affairs may counsel the student to discuss the issue with the involved administrator or staff member. If the student does not feel comfortable talking to the person involved, the Associate Provost for Student Affairs will investigate the complaint, attempt to reconcile differences, and propose a solution.

The Associate Provost for Student Affairs will provide a written statement of their recommendation to all parties within ten working days following the initial receipt of the student’s report of the complaint. All involved parties will then have ten working days to respond. Every effort should be made to resolve the issue without going beyond this level. The Associate Provost for Student Affairs will attempt to facilitate a resolution before proceeding with a hearing, as described below. (If the complaint is against the Associate Provost for Student Affairs, the student should meet with the Provost or their designee, who will follow the procedures outlined here.)
Filing a Hearing Request. If the student is not satisfied with the recommendation of the Associate Provost for Student Affairs, he/ she may file a request for a hearing by submitting a written complaint to the Associate Provost for Student Affairs. The hearing request must include a specific statement of the student’s complaint, an explanation of what remedy the student seeks, and a copy of the Associate Provost for Student Affairs’ recommended resolution.

If the student files a request for a hearing, a Student Hearing Committee as defined below must convene within 15 working days.
Hearing Procedure. Upon receipt of a written request for a hearing, the Associate Provost for Student Affairs will appoint a Hearing Committee according to the following procedure:
1. Each party will propose in writing a list of four TTUHSC faculty, staff, and/or students to serve on the Hearing Committee. The Associate Provost for Student Affairs will contact one person from each list in order of the submitting party’s preference to determine the person’s willingness to serve. Through this process, one person will be selected from each list. The two people selected will then select a third member (a TTUHSC faculty or staff member) and these individuals will comprise the Hearing Committee. This group will select a chair from among themselves.
2. The Associate Provost for Student Affairs will provide technical assistance and support to this committee.
3. As soon as the hearing is scheduled, the chair of the Hearing Committee will send a written notice to all involved parties. The notice will specify the time, place, and nature of the hearing, plus a brief description of the complaint. The notice will also confirm the right of all involved parties to present witnesses and evidence and to be accompanied by counsel for advisory purposes only.
4. At least three days prior to the hearing, all parties will provide to the chair of the Hearing Committee and the Associate Provost for Student Affairs a list of the names of any witnesses or counsel who will attend the hearing. If the student will be represented by counsel, the University may be represented by the Office of General Counsel. The student and the involved individuals(s) shall have access to all information to be considered by the Hearing Committee, including the names of all persons giving evidence.
5. The student and the involved parties shall attend the hearing and be offered an opportunity to state their positions and present testimony and other evidence relevant to the case. The responsibility of establishing the validity of the complaint rests with the student.
6. The Hearing Committee chair may keep a recording of the hearing, which shall include date, time, and location of the hearing, names of those present, and any evidence introduced (e.g., records, written testimony, duplicated materials).
Committee Decision
1. After completion of the hearing, the Hearing Committee shall meet in closed session and prepare a written recommendation. Copies of the Hearing Committee chair’s report shall be forwarded to the involved parties within five working days.
2. The appeal must be made, in writing, within three working days, to the Provost or their designee.
3. The Provost or their designee will review the complaint resolution and render a decision within five working days. The decision of the Provost or their designee is final.
4. If the Provost or their designee is serving as a mediator in the case, then the President or their designee will review the complaint resolution and render a decision within five working days. The decision of the President is final.
Complaint Forms. It is the policy of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to affirm the right of its students to a prompt and fair resolution of a complaint or grievance involving allegations of inappropriate behavior by other TTUHSC students or by TTUHSC personnel towards students.
1. TTUHSC Reporting Forms