Students should attempt to resolve problems with faculty members or other students directly, although consulting with the Major Advisor can be a helpful first step. If a direct approach to solving the dispute is not possible, or the dispute remains unresolved after attempts to deal directly with the other party, then the student is expected to meet with the Major Advisor and/or Program Coordinator. If the issue is not resolved at that level or the issue involves the Program Coordinator and/or Major Advisor, then the student should meet with the EPIT Department Head, who will likely convene the Department’s standing Grievance Committee, comprised of a representative group of faculty from EPIT. If unresolved at that level, the next levels are the Dean of the COE and then the Graduate School or Human Resources Office.
Grievances or appeals involving violations of the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Standards should be submitted in writing to the Program Coordinator, who is to respond to the grievance or appeal in writing within two weeks. The next level of appeal should be to the Department Head and EPIT Grievance Committee. Subsequent appeals follow the University policy regarding academic appeals.
Specific policies and procedures can be found on the following UGA websites. Excerpts are taken from those specific sites.
University System Hotline: Ethics and Compliance Reporting System hotline(www.uga.edu/legal/hotline.html or 1.877.516.3467)
“The Board of Regents has established an ethics and compliance reporting system for University System institutions. Therefore, in cooperation with the Board of Regents, the University is establishing a hotline as one way through which faculty and staff may report apparent incidents of wrongdoing on campus that need to be addressed. The University of Georgia’s existing procedures will remain in place for anyone wishing to pursue reports or complaints through established channels. You can continue to report improper activities through your supervisor, or to the office charged with the responsibility for ensuring compliance with a specific policy.
In addition, UGA has implemented an Ethics and Compliance Reporting System hotline as of January 1, 2008. The hotline will be independently operated; will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and will allow you to voice your concerns and to remain anonymous if you prefer.
It is important for you to know that retaliation for voicing such concerns is a violation of University policy.”
Office of Legal Affairs, Dispute Resolution Policy
The University’s Dispute Resolution Program “provides members of the University community with the resources necessary to resolve disputes informally and pursue mediation of disputes… First, a Dispute Resolution Coordinator will serve as the initial point of contact for persons seeking to use the Program’s resources and will provide guidance about what dispute resolution alternative may work best to settle a particular dispute. Second, a Mediation Coordinator will be available to advise parties about the different dispute resolution techniques available through mediation (for example, one-to-one meetings between two people to discuss personal differences affecting a work relationship, or group discussions to evaluate issues affecting an entire work unit).”
For more information, contact a Dispute Resolution Coordinator in the Office of Legal Affairs at 542-0006 or the Office of Human Resources at 542-9756.
Office of Instructional Support and Development
Guidelines for teaching assistant duties including roles and responsibilities for faculty-teaching assistant supervision and teaching assistant-student relationships appear in the Teaching Assistant handbook. Assistance regarding grievances and complaints relevant to teaching assistant functions may be found by contacting the Office of Instructional Support and Development (http://www.isd.uga.edu).
Disability Resource Center: A Division of Student Affairs (http://www.dissvcs.uga.edu)
“Should a student registered with the DRC feel he/she has not been treated in a fair or professional manner with regard to accommodations,” the student can follow the procedures listed in the DRC’s Policies and Procedures manual.
Office of Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost: Academic Affairs Policy Manualhttp://bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/ind/appeals.html
“University of Georgia students have rights to appeal decisions on academic matters.” The information on this website “is designed to indicate where to begin appeals and how the appeal process works.”
UGA Ombudspersons Program
(http://www.uga.edu/ombudsperson/) (This site is broken, we will fix this link when UGA fixes the issue)
“The University of Georgia Ombudspersons are designated individuals who serve as independent, neutral, and informal resources for UGA students, faculty, and staff. Rather than serving as advocates for individual members of the University community, these individuals are advocates for fairness, and they function as a source of information and referral. They assist, to the extent possible, in informally resolving concerns brought to their attention. They serve as third-party information providers who remain neutral while assisting individuals in having their concerns addressed through appropriate channels, including those related to discrimination and harassment.
Ombudspersons supplement, but do not replace, the University’s existing policies and procedures for processing and resolving student, faculty, and staff complaints and grievances. “