Student Life
Complaint and Grievance Policy
The University defines a formal student complaint as any grievable issue between a student and a unit faculty or staff member that good faith efforts have failed to resolve, and has been submitted in writing by the student to that faculty or staff member’s supervisor for further consideration and resolution. Grievable issues are defined as being subjected to an arbitrary, capricious, or unreasonable standard of academic performance (in the case of grades) or of a specific university policy.
Students expressing a grievance about the application of University policy, academic or non-academic, should attempt to seek informal resolution of the matter with the faculty or staff member involved, following that with the immediate supervisor of the faculty/staff member if necessary. If such informal procedures do not effect an equitable resolution of the matter, the student may submit a formal grievance form.
A formal grievance will be submitted to the Student Affairs Officer, who will treat the complaint as a high priority. The Student Affairs Officer will contact the staff/faculty members directly involved and attempt to reach a resolution. If a suitable remedy for the grievance cannot be reached, a grievance committee will be formed to arrive at a successful resolution.
Grievance Procedures:
Within five weekdays of the date on which the concern occurred, the student is encouraged to meet with the staff member and discuss the concern. It is hoped that most concerns can be resolved within this step. If the staff member and the student are not able to resolve the concern OR if the student feels uncomfortable meeting with the staff member, the matter may be escalated to the next level, and the grievance form should be completed.
To File a Grievance
- Obtain the student grievance form in the Files tab of your Populi student Account (Student Files) or from the Office of Student Affairs. Fill it out completely, stating your case in full, and return it to the Office of Student Affairs. The grievance form should be submitted as soon as possible and no later than 60 calendar days after the situation took place.
- If it is determined that the student has a valid grievance, a grievance committee will be convened. Its head will be a member of the University’s administrative staff. It will also consist of one faculty member and one student selected at the beginning of the academic year for this task. If this grievance concerns a grade, the faculty member must be an actual instructor at the University.
- After reviewing the report, the grievance committee will conduct an investigation, as may be appropriate, and make a judgment. The committee’s decision will be communicated in writing within 15 calendar days to all involved parties.
- If the decision made by the grievance committee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the student may appeal the decision to the Student Affairs Officer within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response.
- Within 30 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Student Affairs Officer will meet with the student to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the Student Affairs Officer will respond in writing with a final resolution of the complaint.
All complaints will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law and every effort will be made to assure that no adverse action will be taken against the student filing the complaint. Such action will be subject to investigation and possible disciplinary sanctions.
Any complaint a student may have that has not been satisfactorily answered by the University may be
directed to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education at:
101 West Ohio St., Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204-1984
Email: complaints@che.in.gov
Students may file a complaint by completing a complaint form in accordance with the instructions, which
can be obtained on their website, https://www.in.gov/che/student-complaints/ .
Students may also file a complaint with TRACS (Transnational Association of Christian Colleges) on their website, https://www.tracs.org/complaints#:~:text=Complaints%20may%20be%20submitted%20in%20ei-
ther%20of%20the,and%20submit%20the%20Complaint%20Processing%20Form%20online%20%28be-
low%29
Complaint Log
Each University division is required to maintain an active student complaint log and must be prepared to present such a log for review by appropriate university officials. Student Complaint Log Form provides a template for policy compliance and reporting. The log contains the following elements: Date of complaint, name of complainant, description of the complaint, date of response, responder and description of the response.
A formal resolution of the complaint will involve a grievance committee, comprised of either the Academic Dean or the Student Affairs Officer (for student complaints), two faculty members, and two students or alternates and includes both men and women. The grievance committee will review the information to determine if harassment is evidenced, and will resolve the matter with all involved parties. Formal resolution involving written reprimand, disciplinary action, or dismissal must be approved by the University President. Any appeal of the grievance committee’s action will be made to the University President.
Subscribe & Follow us
Subscribe & Get More Information
Stay up to speed knowing the most current state and direction
5755 IN-9 Howe, IN 46746
- +(1) 260.217.4712
Great Commission University serves the global church by educating mission leaders to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
Copyright © 2025 Great Commission University. All rights reserved. Great Commission University is not affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention.