John D. Bower School of Population Health
DOCUMENT TYPE: Policy
REVIEW PERIOD: 3 Years
TITLE: Student Complaints
PURPOSE: To establish guidelines for the effective management of John D. Bower School of Population Health student complaints.
POLICY: Students have the right to complain without fear of retribution or retaliation. Students have the right to expect a timely response.
Per the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) Student Complaints policy, a student seeking to resolve an academic or misconduct complaint may seek resolution through the school’s published administrative channels, entering at the appropriate level and proceeding in the order stated.
The academic and misconduct complaint process is outlined below.
1. The student should first discuss the issue at hand with his/her program director.
2. If the issue is not satisfactorily resolved, the student should submit the complaint in writing to the Bower School of Population Health Associate Dean of Student Affairs. The complaint should contain, at a minimum, the date and time of the alleged conflict or action and a summary of the complaint.
3. The Bower School of Population Health Associate Dean of Student Affairs will address the complaint and will submit by UMMC email to the student any resolution of the complaint within ten (10) business days of the complaint being submitted. In order to achieve a resolution, the Bower School of Population Health Associate Dean of Student Affairs may attempt to arrange a meeting with the student, encourage discussion between the student and a faculty member or administrator, or take other appropriate action.
4. If the student is not satisfied with the resolution of the complaint, the student may choose to appeal the decision to the Dean of the Bower School of Population Health. If the student chooses to appeal to the Dean, the student must notify the Bower School of Population Health Associate Dean of Student Affairs within five (5) days of the notice of the resolution.
5. The Dean of the Bower School of Population Health will address the complaint and will submit by UMMC email to the student any resolution of the complaint within ten (10) business days of the appeal being submitted. The decision of the Dean will be final.
6. Procedural appeals may be filed to the associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. In the case of a procedural violation, the case will be returned to the point of the procedural issue and readdressed. A procedural appeal ensures that the Bower School of Population Health has followed all appropriate Bower School of Population Health policies. No new evidence or additional information will be accepted.
7. A record of all complaints and resolutions will be maintained by the Bower School of Population Health Associate Dean of Student Affairs.
Per the UMMC Student Complaints policy, a student seeking to resolve a non-academic or non-misconduct complaint will seek resolution through the appropriate office on campus designated to address the particular student concern. Issues involving such matters as sexual harassment, discrimination, disability, employment, or mistreatment fall under the institutional policies that are handled by specific offices, such as the Office of Human Resources, Title IX Coordinator, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Office. Students may file a written complaint with the chief student affairs officer through the Office of Student Affairs. The office provides an online avenue for submitted complaints (http://umc.edu/Comments_and_Complaints). Best efforts will be made to respond within two (2) business days unless the student wishes to remain anonymous.
SCOPE: SOPH Students
REFERENCE: University of Mississippi Medical Center [Intranet]. Student Complaints. 2014 [Revised 2018 May 17; Cited 2019 July 16].