Student Due Process:  Complaints and Grievances

Woodland Community College is committed to serving students in a respectful, fair, and equitable manner. District policies protect the rights of all members of the campus community and ensure every student a fair opportunity to pursue their academic goals. The procedures outlined below are available to any student who reasonably believes that they have been subject to an unjust action or decision that has adversely affected his or her rights as a Woodland Community College student or is not in compliance with College policies or state or federal laws.

Student complaints are classified into four categories:

1) Grade Changes:

2) General Complaints and Grievances;

3) Discrimination and Harassment Complaints; and

4) Complaints to External Agencies.

Complaint Process

STEP 1:  Meet with the instructor or staff member to discuss your complaint.

STEP 2: If you are unable to resolve your concern with the faculty member:

Submit A Complaint Online

. Your issue will be routed to ensure the quickest action.

STEP 3: Once you have completed Steps 1 and 2 and if your issue has not been resolved, submit your complaint via the online form.

Regardless of the type of complaint and as stated in Step 1 above, students are first encouraged to discuss the complaint or grievance directly with the person or department responsible for the decision or action for which they have a concern (informal resolution).  Informal resolution allows the faculty or staff to hear your concerns and work with you to resolve the issue. However, a student has the right to pursue formal complaint procedures at any time.

 

Grade Changes

Administrative Procedure 4231 outlines the process by which a dispute of a final grade for a course may be resolved in a fair manner and in accordance with state law. Students should note that the determination of the student’s grade is final in the absence of mistake, fraud, bad faith or incompetence (Education Code 76224).

The request for a grade change must be initiated within the semester following the posting of a disputed grade.  Students seeking a grade change should contact the instructor and request a grade change.  If the instructor does not agree with the grade change request, the student should then meet with the appropriate dean.  If the above process does not lead to resolution, a student has the option to submit a Grade Change Appeal form to initiate the Formal Grade Change Resolution Process by the Academic Standards Committee.

→ Administrative Procedure 4231

→ Grade Appeal Form

→ Grade Change Appeal Process Timeline

 

General Complaints and Grievances

Individuals who are dissatisfied with a campus policy or procedure or with the conduct of a college employee are entitled to file a complaint.  We encourage all members of the campus community to attempt to resolve all issues informally by dealing directly with the staff and faculty involved.  However, a student can file a formal Statement of Grievance form within 30 workdays of the incident or 30 workdays after the student learns of the basis for the grievance, whichever is later. Upon receipt of the Statement of Grievance, the Grievance Officer will work with the student to determine if the issue is grievable and to determine if a formal Grievance Hearing is required.

→ Administrative Procedure 5530

→ Statement of Grievance Form

→ Request for Grievance Hearing Form

→ Student Code of Conduct

 

Discrimination and Harassment Complaints

Students, employees or others wishing to file a complaint of discrimination on the basis of ethnic group identification, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, color, or physical or mental disability or any other category of unlawful discrimination should contact the Chief Human Resource Officer.  To make an appointment with the Chief Human Resource Office contact:

Devin Crosby
530-741-6982
dcrosby@yccd.edu

→ Administrative Procedure 3435

 

Complaints to External Agencies

Most complaints and grievances are resolved at the campus level.  However, some issues not resolved at the campus level may be presented to the agencies below.  Note that specific agencies handle certain types of unresolved complaints.

  1. Institutional Compliance with Academic Program Quality and Accreditation Standards: Contact the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) .
  2. Unlawful Discrimination:

Contact the California Community College Chancellor’s Office