Record of Student Complaints Policy

This policy was posted for public comment from March 3 – 24, 2025

Comments

Hello! I would like to request a change to section 4. B. 3. This is the section regarding the complaint avenue for out-of-state online students. This section refers to the Department of Commerce. It would be better to send students to USHE's website for out-of-state student complaints. They have a complaint process and staff to help out-of-state students navigate this process. I suggest revising this section to read: "3. Online students living outside of Utah can file a complaint with the Utah System of Higher Education or through their home state’s higher education authority. " Here is the webpage that students should be directed to: https://ushe.edu/office-of-commissioner/state-authorization-ut-sara/
1. Policy Statement a. In the third sentence, there is reference to “through other existing channels.” What are other existing channels? b. In the third sentence, consider deleting the words “following this policy.” Its deletion will make the sentence shorter and clearer. 2. References a. No comments. 3. Definitions a. Section 3.B-Harassment-This definition is not consistent with the definition of harassment in the Anti-Discrimination and Harassment policy which is at section 3.D. b. Section 3.B-Harassment-change “severely pervasive” to “severe and pervasive.” c. Section 3.C-Retaliation-This definition is not consistent with the definition of retaliation in Anti-Discrimination and Harassment policy section 3.F. 4. Procedures a. In section 4. A and B, there are 11 separate ways to make a complaint at the college. Concern was raised that knowing who to complain to may make this policy difficult for students to navigate. b. In section 4, the focus is on “discrimination” and “harassment.” What about a student who is being “bullied” or “picked upon” by another student? SLCC’s workplace bullying policy only applies to employees, but does not apply to students. How would a student make a complaint about bullying? 1. Faculty are the front line of study bullying issues. There needs to be guidance on how faculty should manage bullying issues. The Faculty Prerogatives policy does not specifically address this issue. c. In section 4, there is no reference to confidentiality. There should be language in the policy addressing confidentiality of student complaints. In Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy section 4.B, there is a confidentiality section which could be used as a guide. d. In section 4.A.6, there should be a link to Utah Code §53B-27-303. e. In section 4.B.2, the webpage for OCR which is ocrcas.ed.gov is no longer operational and should be removed. f. In section 4.B.5, it is not clear whether the Office of Civil Rights still exists. It looks like at least 50% of its workforce was laid off. Whether it still exists should be investigated. g. In section 4.C.2, why does a complaint have to be filed within 10 business days. Can there be a more flexible time limit? What about alleged misconduct which occurs right before semester break or the summer semester? h. In section 4.C.3, it discusses submitting a complaint to the Dean of Students. There should be a link to the complaint form template so that students can use it. i. In section 4.C.4, it refers to an “advisor.” The term advisor should be added to the definitions and there should be an explanation as to what the advisor can and can not do. At section VII.A. of the draft Student Code, there is language on advisors which may be useful. 1. In addition, there should be training at the college so we have a list of students or employees who can act as an advisor. j. In section 4, at the end, there should be a requirement that the Dean of Students should be required to provide a written quarterly and annual reports. A similar provision exists in the Anti-Discrimination and Harassment policy at section 4.N. Providing this data, in de-identified form, will improve transparency. k. This policy should be accessible from the Dean of Students webpage. l. This policy should be linked to all faculty syllabi so students can easily access it. m. Should sections be added to the policy assisting students with the following: 1. Requesting an ADA accommodation; and 2. Requesting a religious accommodation.

Responses

Policy Statement (section 1)

Third Sentence – What are the “other existing channels?” Additionally, consider removing the phrase “following this policy” to make the sentence more concise and clearer.

The other existing channels are related to harassment, discrimination, misconduct, grades, and other academic matters. Each of these has a policy governing the way to navigate these kinds of concerns. Removed “following this policy.” Thanks for the feedback.

Definitions (section 3)

3.B. Harassment – this definition is not consistent with the definition of harassment in the Anti-Discrimination and Harassment policy (3.D). Also, change “severely pervasive” to “severe and pervasive.”

No changes were made. This definition was intentionally chosen as it is consistent with the definition of harassment in the recently revised Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

3.C. Retaliation – this definition is not consistent with the definition of retaliation in the Anti-Discrimination and Harassment policy (3.F).

No changes were made. This definition was intentionally chosen as it is consistent with the definition of retaliation in the recently revised Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

Procedures (section 4) General Comments

4.A & B – there are 11 separate ways to make a complaint at the college. Concern was raised that knowing who to complain to may make this policy difficult for students to navigate.

Often, students submit a concern to the Dean of Students' Office, and we help them navigate to the proper avenue. This policy is really in relation to complaints that aren’t covered anywhere else.

Bullying – Section 4 focuses on discrimination and harassment. SLCC’s workplace bullying policy only applies to employees. How would a student make a complaint about bullying? There is a need for guidance on how faculty members should manage bullying issues. The Faculty Prerogatives policy does not specifically address this issue.

The Faculty Prerogative Policy is up for 5-year review soon, and it does seem like this would be the proper place to address bullying. Also, while the Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities doesn’t use the word bullying, it does have other terms that can address bullying as well, like verbal abuse, intimidating behavior, and harassment. Hazing is also included.

Confidentiality – Section 4 does not reference confidentiality. The policy should include language addressing the confidentiality of student complaints. Section 4.B of the Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy can serve as a guide.

Thanks for the comment. These complaints do not always have the same level of confidentiality as an anti-discrimination complaint. We actually often need to disclose who the student complainant is in order to resolve the situation. I am hesitant to add a confidentiality statement because I don’t want students to have a false expectation that they will be anonymous.

Reporting Requirement – At the end of Section 4, there should be a requirement that the Dean of Students provide written quarterly and annual reports. A similar provision exists in the Anti-Discrimination and Harassment policy (4.N). Providing this data in de-identified form will improve transparency.

Thanks for the comment. There is already a statement that the Dean of Students' office will provide a log of complaints. That is the reporting function of this policy.

4.A.6 – there should be a hyperlink to Utah Code §53B-27-303.

This has been added. Thanks

4.B External (non-college) Options to File Complaints

4.B.2 – the webpage for OCR, which is ocrcas.ed.gov, is no longer operational and should be removed. 4.B.5 – It is unclear whether the Office of Civil Rights still exists. It appears that at least 50% of its workforce has been laid off. Whether it still exists should be investigated.

I just clicked on the link, and it is operational at this time. Here’s the link: https://ocrcas.ed.gov/

4.B.3 – This section outlines the complaint avenue for out-of-state online students. USHE's website for out-of-state student complaints provides a complaint process and staff to assist out-of-state students in navigating this process. I suggest revising this section to read: "3. Online students living outside of Utah can file a complaint with the Utah System of Higher Education or through their home state’s higher education authority. " Here is the webpage: https://ushe.edu/office-of-commissioner/state-authorization-ut-sara/

Thanks. We were actually planning to change that to align with SARA requirements already. Those changes have been made.

4.C. General Student Complaints

4.C.2 – Why must a complaint be filed within 10 business days? Can there be a more flexible time limit? What about alleged misconduct that occurs right before semester break or the summer semester?

This is in place to ensure we are not receiving complaints that are outdated, so they can be addressed in a timely manner. We will make reasonable exceptions as needed if it overlaps with a break or if there are other extenuating circumstances.

4.C.3 – There should be a hyperlink to the complaint form template (for submission to the Dean of Students) so that students can use it.

Thanks for the idea. It’s been added.

4.C.4 – The term “Advisor” should be added to the definitions, along with an explanation of an advisor's responsibilities and limitations. In section VII.A. of the draft Student Code, there is language on advisors that may be useful. Additionally, there should be training at the college so that we have a list of students or employees who can act as advisors.

Thanks for the recommendation. Advisors in this context aren’t always staff members. It can be any support person the student wants to bring. Most often, they bring family members or friends from outside the college.

General Policy Comments

This policy should be accessible from the Dean of Students' webpage. Additionally, all faculty syllabi should link to this policy, allowing students to easily access it.

Good idea. We’ll get that added to both.

Should sections be added to the policy to assist students in requesting ADA accommodations and religious accommodations?

No...we have separate policies for that.

SLCC Policies and Procedures