GRIEVANCES

Academic General Student Grievance Policy

The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will be asked to respond to grievances concerning maintenance of an appropriate academic environment, such as the openness of every class to reasonable and civil expression of diverse intellectual viewpoints as they may relate to material under study, and grade related appeals.  If a student complaint cannot be resolved informally, the formal grievance appeal outlined below should be followed and submitted to the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Contact Information:

The Office of Academic Affairs, Provost and Vice President
Dalton State College
650 College Drive
Dalton, GA 30720
706.272.4420
academicaffairs@daltonstate.edu

Admissions Grievance Policy

Whenever an applicant for admission to Dalton State College shall be denied admission or shall feel that their application has not been given due consideration, or whenever a student shall be expelled or suspended, such applicant or student shall have the right to appeal in accordance with the following procedure:

  1. The person aggrieved shall appeal in writing to the head of the institution within five days after the action of which he/she complains. The head of the institution shall, within five days, appoint a committee composed of three members of the faculty of the institution, or he/she shall utilize the services of an appropriate existing committee. This committee shall review all facts and circumstances connected with the case and shall, within five days, make its finding and report thereon to the President. After consideration of the committee’s report, the President shall, within five days, make a decision which shall be final so far as the institution is concerned.

  2. Should the aggrieved person be dissatisfied with said decision, he/she may apply to the Board of Regents, without prejudice to his/her position, for a review of the decision. The application for review shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Secretary of the Board within a period of twenty days following the decision of the President. This application for review shall state the decision complained of and the redress desired. A review by the Board is not a matter of right, but is within the sound discretion of the Board. If the application for review is granted, the Board, or a committee of the Board, shall investigate the matter thoroughly and render its decision thereon within sixty days from the filing date of the application for review or from the date of any hearing which may be held thereon. The decision of the Board shall be final and binding for all purposes. (Minutes, 1962-63, pp. 244-245; Minutes, 1967-68, pp. 750-751.

Disability Access Grievance Policy and Procedure

Disability Access desires to provide appropriate and effective services that comply with all federal, state, local, University System of Georgia, and Dalton State mandates and guidelines. Any individual who is of the opinion that our efforts to provide adequate services are non-compliant, or are discriminatory, may file a grievance to seek resolution of the concern.

For specific information please visit our website.

General Student Grievance/Complaint Policy

If a student has a complaint that is not specifically addressed in the College Catalog, Student Handbook, or Student Code of Conduct, he or she may submit the grievance/complaint by completing THIS FORM.   

Dalton State College is committed to maintaining an environment in which issues are addressed fairly. There are times when students have a grievance, complaint, or issue with another student, a faculty member, or a College staff member that is not grade- or harassment-related. Further, the Grievance/Complaint may also relate to a policy, procedure, or practice that the student feels was not followed appropriately. It is recommended in these situations that students follow these informal procedures: The Office of the Vice President for Student Enrollment & Success, or designee, will walk the student through the complaint resolution process, which, depending on the severity of the complaint, may follow this model:

  1. Initial Review and Department-Level Resolution: 
    The written complaint will be reviewed and shared with the appropriate department head or supervisor responsible for the area of concern. The department head, supervisor, or designee will review the complaint, conduct any necessary inquiry, take appropriate action if warranted, and provide a written response to the student within a reasonable timeframe.
  2. First-Level Appeal:
    If the student is not satisfied with the outcome, the student may submit a written appeal to the next-level supervisor within five (5) business days of receiving the response. The supervisor will review the appeal and issue a written decision within a reasonable timeframe.
  3. Second-Level Appeal: 
    If the student remains dissatisfied, the student may submit a second written appeal to the next-level supervisor within five (5) business days of receiving the prior decision. A written decision will be issued within a reasonable timeframe.
  4. Final Institutional Appeal: 
    Appeals may continue through the College's administrative structure up to the President. The decision of the President represents the final decision of the institution.
  5. Board of Regents Review: 
    Following the President’s decision, a student may request a discretionary review by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents in accordance with Board of Regents Policy 06.26 Application for Discretionary Review. A discretionary review is not guaranteed and is granted at the Board's sole discretion.

In certain circumstances, students may also utilize the SGA Executive Cabinet for concerns related to campus that impact the entire campus community.

Retaliation against a student for filing a grievance is strictly prohibited.

Student grievance records are maintained via Maxient, a widely used, secure, cloud-based software platform for higher education. Maxient prioritizes security through in-transit data encryption and FERPA/GDPR compliance.

Some student complaints have additional formal mechanisms for redress. The processes for these complaints are outlined in the corresponding sections of the Dalton State College catalog.

NC SARA GRIEVANCE POLICY  ***NON-GEORGIA RESIDENT ONLY***

The United States government and individual states mandate that institutions offering distance education (online learning) obtain approval from each state to provide distance education to residents of that state. To meet these requirements, Dalton State College participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and is an approved institution in Georgia.  Distance Learning students from SARA member states (not residing in Georgia) follow the Dalton State General Grievance policy.  Students who feel their complaint has not been resolved through these grievance procedures may file a complaint using the GA SARA Online Student Complaint Form.