Student Grievance and Appeal

Student Grievance and Appeal

A student who feels that he/she has been improperly treated concerning finances, grading, registration, or any other student service, has the right to file a grievance to correct the wrong. The following procedure shall be followed in filing a grievance: (The terms “grievance” and “complaint” are used interchangeably.)

I. First, whenever possible, the matter in question should be discussed directly with the person causing the grievance. Every effort should be made to resolve the grievance on a one-on-one basis. If the grievance concerns a grade earned in a class, the student must understand that he/she cannot challenge the judgment of the instructor but only the accuracy of the grade and/or fact.

II. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the one-on-one effort (or if the student does not know who the specific individual is who caused the grievance), the student may contact the appropriate administrator for assistance (Academic Dean for academic-related and student services appeals; Vice President for Administrative Services for financial appeals). The appeal to an administrator should be in writing.

A. The student’s written grievance should be explicit and include any support materials.
B. The University will respond to all written grievances and include them as a part of institutional records.
C. All grievances will be processed expeditiously.

III. If the student is dissatisfied with the solution proposed by the administration, the student may appeal, in writing, to the President. The student may include additional information or facts in the written appeal. The President may make a final decision immediately or elect to form a grievance-hearing committee to consider the complaint. The committee, if appointed, will review all written documents and forward their recommendation to the President, whose decision shall be final.

All student grievances must first be addressed internally. If the internal resources have been exhausted and the grievance is not satisfactorily resolved, the student may file a written complaint with the:

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, TX 78711-2788

IV. Complaint Process for the Educator Preparation Program

The Texas Administrative Code (Rule §228.70) requires that Educator Preparation Programs (EPP) maintain a process for filing and resolving complaints and provide information for filing formal complaints with the Texas Education Agency (TEA). If you have a complaint about the Amberton University Educator Preparation Program, please follow the institution’s “Student Grievance and Appeal” Process.

Texas Education Agency Complaint: If you believe that the Amberton University EPP has violated state law or rule in resolving your complaint, you may file a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency. The complaint process allows for an applicant, candidate, employee, or former employee of an EPP, a cooperating teacher, a mentor, or an administrator in a school district, charter school, or private school to submit a complaint about an EPP for investigation and resolution.

The complaint process allows individuals to seek redress in areas where they feel that the program did not fulfill requirements for certification or for actions that the individual feels are wrong. Educator preparation programs may also file a complaint about the actions of other EPP programs when it involves a candidate’s transfer into or out of a program.

Not all complaints fall under the authority of TEA. TEA has jurisdiction to investigate allegations of noncompliance regarding specific laws and rules, generally related to state and federal requirements. Complaints may address educator preparation program requirements listed in Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §§ 227, 228, 229, ethics (TAC §247), fingerprinting (TAC §§227, 232) and certification (TAC §§230, 231, 232, 239, 241, 242). TEA staff and the SBEC do not have jurisdiction over complaints related to contractual arrangements with an EPP, commercial issues, obtaining a higher grade or credit for training, or seeking reinstatement to an EPP.

Further information on the TEA Complaint Process and access to the TEA Complaint Form may be found on the TEA web site, https://tea.texas.gov.