Effective date of this calendar, unless otherwise indicated, is Sept. 1, 2001 to Aug. 31, 2002.
Appeals of Academic or Admissions Decisions
Kwantlen University College recognizes that, from time to time, a student may be dissatisfied with an academic or admissions decision made by a University College employee, or may wish to appeal a grade. For this reason, Kwantlen provides an appeal procedure through which these and similar issues may be addressed. Any University College employee whose decision is being appealed at any level of the process must be made aware of the appeal and given the opportunity to state his or her position.
The student must attempt informal resolution with the concerned individual prior to proceeding with a formal appeal in the case of academic decisions or grade appeals. Prior to submitting a formal appeal, the student should consult a counsellor to obtain information and advice on how to proceed.
If informal resolution is not successful, the student should obtain an appeal form from the Registrar's Office on any campus and complete it in full. It should contain:
- a) a written statement of the matter being appealed
- b) a written statement of the solution being sought
- c) a brief chronological statement of the circumstances relating to the appeal
- d) copies of any documents that the student can provide in support of the appeal
- e) written statements from other people that relate to the appeal.
To initiate the appeal procedure, the student must submit the appeal form to the Registrar's Office on any campus within twenty (20) working days of the matter giving rise to the appeal. Appeals received beyond this time period will not be acted upon.
The appeal procedure consists of two stages:
- a) appeal to a first level administrator
(e.g. Registrar, Assistant Registrar, Dean)- b) appeal to the Appeal Committee.
Upon receipt of an appeal form, the Registrar or Assistant Registrar will either investigate the appeal or it will be forwarded to the appropriate administrator to investigate and make a decision. If the appeal deals with an educational decision, the concerned educational personnel will be consulted. Should more information be required from the student, that information must be provided within ten (10) working days of the request or the appeal will be deemed to be permanently abandoned and the original decision will stand.
Once the investigation is completed, the Registrar or Assistant Registrar or other administrator will make a decision to either approve or deny the appeal and will record this decision on the appeal form, together with the reason(s) where appropriate. All parties will be informed of the decision in writing, with copies of the appeal and the letter sent to the student being returned to the Registrar's Office for inclusion in the student's file.
In the case of a grade appeal, the Dean may direct a Committee of Scholars composed of two (2) faculty members from the same or a related discipline to investigate the appeal. The Dean will also immediately notify the faculty member responsible that a grade appeal has been initiated. Each of the investigating faculty members is provided with copies of the student's entire body of work from the course (re-typed if necessary to ensure that previous marking and/or grades are not visible). The members must review the work and arrive at an independent assessment that is to be forwarded to the Dean and not shared or discussed with the other member. Upon receipt of the assessments from the two investigating faculty, the Dean will review them and reach a decision on the appeal.
Should any party to the appeal not be satisfied with the decision of the administrator or Dean, she or he has the right to request that the Appeal Committee consider the appeal. To initiate this step, he or she must so inform the Registrar's Office within ten (10) working days from the date of the postmark on the letter sent to the parties by the administrator. The Registrar's Office will forward the appeal to the Appeal Committee for consideration.
Students submitting an appeal should review the Appeal policy in its entirety. A copy of the policy may be viewed at one of the Kwantlen libraries or on Kwantlen's Web site: www.kwantlen.bc.ca
While an appeal is in progress, the student concerned will be allowed to pursue her or his program of studies until the result of the appeal is communicated to him or her, with the exception of the following: disciplinary suspension and clinical field work experience if his or her practice is deemed unsafe.
Should any party to an appeal wish to pursue the matter beyond the decision of the Appeal Committee, then she or he can request further consideration of the Vice-President, Education. The Vice-President, Education, will conduct a hearing and/or investigation in the manner she or he deems appropriate, at which all parties will be given an opportunity to make submissions.
Should any party to an appeal wish to pursue the matter beyond the decision of the appropriate Vice-President, Education then he or she can, within five (5) days of the decision, request further consideration by the President. The President will conduct a hearing and/or investigation in the manner she or he deems appropriate, at which all parties will be given an opportunity to make submissions.
Complaints about Instruction, Services, Employees, Students or College Policies [Under Review]
Kwantlen University College has a tradition of service to students. Problems, however, may sometimes occur in a community as diverse as Kwantlen. Kwantlen recognizes that from time to time students may wish to complain about instructors or other College employees, services or other students or College policies. Procedures have been established to deal with these matters and will be communicated to students and employees. These procedures have been developed to protect the rights of all concerned. Corrective action may range from a reprimand to initiation of dismissal or suspension proceedings.
Procedural Guidelines
Anonymous complaints will not be considered.
Generally, the first attempt to resolve a complaint is directly with the instructor, administrator or other employee or student directly involved. Anyone receiving such a complaint should encourage the complainant to attempt informal resolution with that person. Not every dispute or complaint can appropriately be addressed at this level, but this kind of informal resolution should usually be attempted.
If the matter is not resolved at the informal stage, the complaint may be referred to the Administrator responsible. Complaints at this level must be put in writing and received within ten (10) working days of the incident or the conclusion of the informal stage, whichever is later. The Administrator will assure the complainant that all parties will be heard, that the information will be restricted to the people who need to know, and that the act of complaining will have no adverse consequences on the status of the complainant in her or his course or program of studies. A copy of the complaint will be made available to the respondent.
Within ten (10) working days of receiving the complaint, the Administrator will conduct a hearing and/ or investigation in the manner he or she deems appropriate, at which all parties will be given an opportunity to make submissions. A student may be accompanied by a representative of the Student Association, and an instructor or employee may be accompanied by a union representative. A decision will normally be rendered by the Administrator within five (5) working days.
If a party to the complaint is not satisfied with the Administrator's decision, he or she may refer the matter in writing to the appropriate Vice-President within five (5) working days of receiving the Administrator's decision. The Vice-President may ask for written submissions and/or hold a hearing. A decision will normally be rendered by the Vice-President within fifteen working days from the date she or he receives the complaint.
If the complaint is still not resolved, it may then be referred in writing to the President within five (5) working days of the Vice-President's decision, for final resolution.
There are services at Kwantlen University College to which students may be referred for general assistance and advice on how to proceed with a complaint. This assistance can include guidance on whether the matter is serious enough to complain about or on the complaint process itself. These services include:
Counselling Services - this service can provide assistance to students regarding the complaint process.
Student Association - the Association maintains a student advocate on each campus to assist students.
Dean, Student Services - this administrator can provide advice and support to students.
Kwantlen University College
http://www.kwantlen.bc.ca
604-599-2100
Contact the Admissions Department