Grievance

Grievance

POLICY OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF PEARL RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Adopted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Reference: Student Affairs

Policy:

In order to maintain a harmonious relationship between Pearl River Community College and its students, it is the policy of the College to provide for the settlement of problems and differences through orderly grievance procedures. Every student shall have the right to present his or her problem, in accordance with the procedures established, in order to seek redress free from interference, coercion, restraint, discrimination, or reprisal.

Procedure:

A. Pearl River Community College desires to resolve student grievances, complaints and concerns in an expeditious, fair and amicable manner. A student who desires to resolve a grievance may initiate the resolution process by the following steps:

B. Procedural Steps

1. Informal Process

a. The student is advised to discuss the grievance informally with the person who is the source of the grievance. If the grievance is resolved by the parties, the matter is deemed closed. If the grievance is not resolved at this level, the student may request an informal review by the following designated College Administrators or designee. The designated College Administrator is responsible for explaining the grievance procedure to the complainant. To promote a fair and swift resolution of their concerns, students are advised to consult with only those administrators designated by this procedure, unless there are compelling reasons to do otherwise. Below is a list of designated college personnel.

A. Vice President for Poplarville Campus and Student Services

B. Vice President for Forrest County Campus, Allied Health, and Nursing Program
(Forrest County Campus Students)

C. Senior Vice President for Instruction/Provost (Non-Campus General Education and Non-Campus Career Technical Students)

D. Dean of eLearning (online students)

E. Vice President for Hancock Campus (Hancock Campus Students)

b. The Administrator may choose to convene the parties involved in an effort to resolve the grievance during the informal process. If the grievance is not resolved at this level the student may initiate the formal grievance procedure.

2. Formal Grievance Procedure

The formal grievance procedure begins when a written complaint is submitted to the College Administrator designated. The written grievance should include the following:

A. The name of the aggrieved student
B. The name and position of the party against whom the grievance is filed
C. The date of filing
D. A concise statement of the nature of the grievance
E. The specific redress being sought by the student

The Administrator or designee shall further investigate the complaint, and shall, as necessary, meet with the student and the person who is the source of the grievance. The Administrator or designee must provide a response to the student and the person who is the source of grievance within ten (10) days of the meeting or receipt of the written complaint.

3. Appeals

The student may appeal the decision of the Administrator or designee to the College Appeals Board by written request within three (3) college days. Students may submit their written appeal to the appropriate Vice President office, Vice President for Hancock Campus office, or the Dean of eLearning (online students).

PRCC Appeals Court: This level of the PRCC Judicial System handles all appeals that involve dismissal from school and/or campus housing, cases appealed from Campus Court and written student grievances. The PRCC Appeals Court is comprised of two members of the PRCC student body, two members of the PRCC faculty/staff, and is presided over by the Campus Vice President or his/her designee. The decision of this court is final and will exhaust the Pearl River Community College Student Due Process procedure.

1. The appropriate College Administrator or designee will review the appeal and determine if a hearing is necessary.
2. If a hearing is deemed necessary, the student will receive notice of a hearing date within five (5) college working days of the appeal filing date.
3. The student will receive notice of the hearing findings within five (5) college working days of the hearing date.
4. Details of the hearing procedure are available in the student handbook, the Cat Country Guide.
5. In the event that the student is not satisfied with the outcome of his decision, an appeal may be made to the College President within ten (10) working days. The College President’s role in the appeal process will be to determine if policy and procedure was followed.

If, after appealing to the College President, the student is not satisfied with the outcome of this decision, the student may file a complaint with the Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation (MCCA) at mississippi.edu/mcca.  

Updated on August 16, 2023

Each community college president is asked to bring two (2) wrapped door prizes, minimum value of $50 each. We will have a station set up at the conference for you to drop off the door prizes.

Each community college is asked to provide name tags for their Board members, administration, and staff attending the conference.