Student Complaints

Prior to filing a formal complaint, students are encouraged to resolve the concern directly with the individuals involved. Students will find that most situations can be effectively addressed in this manner. A student's right to a prompt and equitable resolution of the filed complaint shall not be impaired by the student's pursuit of other remedies, such as filing a complaint with the responsible federal department or agency. Students are provided opportunities to specifically address complaints through established university procedures for sexual or gender-based discrimination, employment, admissions to the university, disciplinary action, parking citations, academic matters, and grade appeals. The following procedures should be followed for handling other concerns not listed above.

General Student Complaint

Use this form to report an incident with a University department, staff, faculty or student. This form should not be used for incidents that relating to these areas:

Complaints regarding academic or disciplinary matters
Complaints regarding discrimination
Complaints regarding sexual harassment
Complaints regarding grades or grading
Complaints regarding Distance Education Student Grievance for Financial Aid

General Student Complaint Form

Incident Reporting Forms

Please complete the applicable form below. The links connect you with a secure Website to submit your information. Once the form is complete hit submit and it will automatically be sent to Student Life. You can submit the forms anonymously however, this might limit our ability to investigate your information. If for some reason you cannot connect to the forms, stop by the Office of Student Life in UC 125.

Use one of these forms if you have a behavioral incident with a student that would be addressed through the Student Code of Conduct.

Formal Grievance

1. Any student, hereinafter referred to as the student, wishing to submit a grievance shall initially file a formal grievance in writing to the Assistant Vice President of Student Life, herein referred to as the administrator. If the grievance is against the Assistant Vice President of Student Life, then the student should notify in writing the Director of Compliance.

The written notice should state the specific grievance; student's name, address, and telephone number; specific date(s); if possible, names of other persons allegedly involved as either witnesses or participants; and specific remedies sought. The written grievance must be signed and dated by the student and submitted within 30 business days of the alleged incident. A determination as to whether complaints submitted after this deadline will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the administrator.

2. After the grievance is received, the investigative period may last up to 30 business days; extenuating circumstances may cause the University to deviate from the defined time frames. An investigation shall follow the submission of the grievance

The administrator shall conduct the investigation or appoint a university or system investigator, if necessary. The administrator will take reasonable measures to avoid any and all conflicts of interest in selecting the investigator. The investigator will gather all facts pertaining to the grievance and submit those in writing to the administrator.
This procedure ensures thorough investigations, affording all involved parties an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to the grievance.

3. The administrator shall send a written resolution to the student with the outcome(s), reason(s) for the decision, any remedies afforded, if any, and notice of the appeals process. The administrator shall also forward a copy of the resolution to the employee overseeing the area or individual and be kept on file for one calendar year in the Office of Student Affairs.

Appeal

An individual may appeal the decision of the administrator within five (5) business days after receipt of the written decision. Appeals must be in writing and submitted to the Vice President of Student Affairs. The Vice President of Student Affairs will review the original complaint and the written appeal and may conduct additional investigation, if necessary. The Vice President of Student Affairs will provide a written decision to the complainant within fifteen (15) business days of the officer’s receipt of the appeal. The decision of the VPS is final

Emergency or Immediate Assistance

To report immediate threats to life or property or if you require emergency assistance, please contact the University Police or call 911.

Texas A&M University System

The Texas A&M University System also maintains an online system for reporting waste, fraud, abuse, or other serious ethics violations. It is available by visiting the TAMUS site, or by calling (888) 501-3850