From 2015 to early 2018, complaint and grievance information was included under the accreditation tab at the top of the Citrus College website.
Now students may either search through the A-Z Index to find complaint information or look in the page footer.
Chief Information Services Officer Bob Hughes said the Student Complaint Procedures and Student Feedback link, along with other important links such as the campus map and Accreditation, have all been moved to the footer of the website.
“Regardless of what page you’re on, on the campus website… those links on the footer will always be there,” Hughes said.
Hughes said technical support staff met with and a consultant from SectorPoint, in July of 2017 to design a new website.
Dean of students Dr. Maryann Tolano-Leveque said she has not noticed difference in the number of complaints or grievances filed after January 2018. She said it would be difficult to monitor since “there is not a centralized process.”
Students must file a complaint or grievance in a particular department where an incident occurred.
Knowing the difference between a complaint and grievance form is helpful if a student needs to file one, and can save time and confusion.
Tolano-Leveque said a grievance can be filed if a student is concerned about their grade or their right to free expression.
Whereas a student complaint form can be filed if a student had a bad experience with an employee on campus.
If a student complaint involved sexual harassment, discrimination, stalking or violence, the complaint is forwarded to the title IX coordinator, Brenda Fink.
Both forms go through different processes while filing.
A student complaint can first go through a department manager or the concerning party.
Tolano-Leveque said if a complaint is filed she or another department manager would call the student in to ask questions about the incident.
She said they would try to work through the problem by resolving the issue informally.
Instructions on the grievance form say a student must discuss the incident with the employee involved with the grievance before filing.
“First you have to try to solve it informally with the instructor if possible,” Tolano-Leveque said.
The next step listed on the form says a student must meet with the employee’s supervisor or dean of the division if the situation is not resolved.
A student can also file a complaint without taking action against the accused .
Before filing a grievance form, students must discuss the incident with the employee involved in the grievance.
A student must meet the employee’s supervisor or dean if the situation is not resolved. The Grievance Review Board reviews the grievance form if a resolution is not reached.
“There’s a whole hearing process where you have to provide all your evidence,” Tolano-Leveque said. “And then the committee gets together to make a decision.”
Reaching out to an employee for help or researching online may provide the student with information on how to take action.
“Students are pretty good at seeking that information out,” Tolano-Leveque said. “If they’re really upset, they’re going to ask someone.”
