*3.13.3. “Complaint Procedures Against the Commission or Its Accredited Institutions”
Applicable Policy Statement. Each institution is required to have in place student complaint policies and procedures that are reasonable, fairly administered, and well-publicized. (See FR 4.5). The Commission also requires, in accord with federal regulations, that each institution maintains a record of complaints received by the institution. This record is made available to the Commission upon request. This record will be reviewed and evaluated by the Commission as part of the institution’s decennial evaluation.
Documentation: When addressing this policy statement, the institution should provide information to the Commission describing how the institution maintains its record and also include the following: (1) individuals/offices responsible for the maintenance of the record(s), (2) elements of a complaint review that are included in the record, and (3) where the record(s) is located (centralized or decentralized). The record itself will be reviewed during the on-site evaluation of the institution.
Compliance Status
Louisiana State University and A&M College is in compliance with this principle.
Narrative
Louisiana State University and A&M (LSU) complies with the policy of SACSCOC as it applies to “complaint procedures against the commission or its accredited institutions.” LSU has established procedures for addressing written student complaints. As noted in Federal Requirement 4.5, LSU has student complaint and appeals policies and procedures that are reasonable, equitably administered, and well publicized. LSU addresses formal student complaints through processes that allow for complaints to be filed and addressed at the lowest possible administrative level. In an effort to assist students to know and understand how concerns can be addressed, staff members have the authority to act definitively and as quickly as practicable. LSU maintains records of the complaints and appeals received by the institution.
It is important that students understand the types of complaints and appeals that can be filed and how to file them. Recognizing that students have a great deal of information and policy to know and navigate, LSU has made an effort to provide a Web-based format, first made available in 2011, for complaints and appeals on the Website of the Office of the Dean of Students. The dean’s Website is the logical focal point for a process designed to assist students throughout their tenure at LSU [1]. In spring 2013, the Student Complaint and Appeals submission option was added to the Division of Student Life and Enrollment Website to allow for an additional point of entry and exposure for students to submit information regarding complaint or appeal procedures [2]. The Website clearly lists types of complaints and appeals and details specifically how and where to file them. The Student Complaints/Student Appeals link on LSU A-Z on the main LSU Website also will lead students to the Website of the Office of the Dean of Students. The dean’s Website or LSU A-Z can also be used to access Policy Statement 48 (PS-48): Student Appeal Procedures [3]. The Website also has the Student Code of Conduct [4] and a Student Bookshelf to help them understand LSU’s policies [5].
LSU operates a decentralized process, as complaints of an academic nature are handled through academic departments and colleges at the initial level; depending on the type and resolution of the complaint, these can go higher—to the level of the Office of the Dean of Students or to the Office of Academic Affairs. Complaints and appeals that are non-academic in nature are handled by the office/unit that oversees these services, although the portals into these other units are readily found at the Student Complaint and Appeals Web page of the Division of Student Life and Enrollment Website. Questions regarding individual student records are directed to the appropriate location. Table 1 shows the various locations of complaints/appeals records at LSU, as well as the custodian(s) of these student records.
Table 1. Location and Custodian(s) of All Student Complaints/Appeals Records |
|||
Position or Office |
Location | Custodian |
Notes |
Academic Affairs, Office of [6] |
Room 135G, Thomas Boyd Hall |
Provost Stuart Bell; Rebecca Caire is the provost's designee for academic appeals |
|
Admissions, Graduate [7] |
Room 114, David Boyd Hall |
Renee Renegar |
The Graduate School (GS) keeps a log of all exceptions to policies that are sent from the academic departments or colleges. The GS does not have the authority to approve or disapprove degree-seeking students’ complaints/appeals. Exceptions made by the academic units are recorded. Records of these exceptions are kept in a digital log. |
Admissions, Undergraduate [8] |
Room 1146, Pleasant Hall |
Lupe Lamadrid |
|
Agriculture, College of [9] |
Room 138, Woodin Hall |
Jennifer Neal is the custodian of the complaint log |
Kenneth Koonce (dean) |
Art & Design, College of [10] |
102-A2 Design Building |
Tom Sofranko, the associate dean, keeps files on deans-level grade appeals. |
Kenneth Carpenter (dean) |
Athletics [11] |
Financial Aid—Dave Kurpius (Enrollment Management) and the athletic department keeps a file. Appellate Documents are kept in 601D Athletics Administration. |
Bo Bahnsen |
Grievance Procedure—procedure in student athlete handbook including financial aid and transfer to go to another school. Joseph Louis Alleva (vice chancellor, athletics) |
Bursar Operations, Office of [12] |
Room 125, Thomas Boyd Hall |
Laurence Butcher |
Late registration appeals originate in this office; they then go to the Registrars’ Office and then back to the Bursar’s Office. |
Business, E. J. Ourso, College of [13] |
Room 1053, Business Education Complex |
Ashley Junek, the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs handles complaints/appeals |
Richard White (dean) |
Coast & Environment, School of [14] |
Room 1002U, Coast and Environment Building Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences— Environmental Sciences—Charlotte St. Romain 8-8522 |
Chris D’Elia (dean); Gaynelle Gibbs handles student complaints/appeals in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences Charlotte St. Romain handles complaints/appeals in Environmental Sciences. |
|
Continuing Education, Division of [15] |
Distance Courses—2238 Pleasant Hall Appeal of Managers Decisions—2148 Pleasant Hall |
Donald Beale
Doug Weimer |
Student complains are handled and maintained in the program group within the Continuing Education Division that is responsible for the program activity. |
Disability Services [16] |
Room 115, Johnston Hall Records are electronically kept on Server in Frey Hall |
Benjamin Cornwell, Director of Disability Services |
Records are electronically kept on server in Frey Hall. Note that Disability Services Reports to the Office of the Dean of Students, although LSU Human Resource Management may also become involved. |
Engineering, College of [17] |
Room 3139, Taylor Hall |
Richard Koubek |
Lisa Launey formally logs the appeals. |
Enrollment Management [18] |
Room 1146, Pleasant Hall |
David Kurpius |
|
Financial Aid, Office of [19] |
Room 1146, Pleasant Hall |
Amy Marix |
|
Freshman Year, Center for [20] |
Room 150, Allen Hall |
Paul Ivey |
UCAC records are located in 150 Himes Hall |
Graduate School [7] |
Room 114, David Boyd Hall |
Gary Byerly (dean) |
|
Human Sciences & Education, College of [21] |
Room 236, Peabody Hall |
Damon Andrew (dean) |
Beginning in July 2012, when the College was created, Lisa Newman, assistant dean in the office of student services was in charge of complaints or appeals for undergraduates in all schools of the college. She keeps student files locked in 236 Peabody Hall, and she keeps an Excel file with the student’s name, the date appeal is received, and the date of decision and outcome. Students who are inactive have archived files in the dean’s office. The Excel file is kept on a computer in a locked office in Peabody 236. |
Humanities and Social Sciences, College of [22] |
Room 119, Hodges Hall |
Gaines Foster; Assistant Dean Rebecca Caire is the custodian |
Rebecca Caire is the provost's designee for academic appeals |
Honors College [23] |
Room 205, French House |
Dr. Nancy Clark (dean) is the custodian; Michael Blandino, assistant dean, keeps a log of the records on the server of the Honors College. |
|
LSU Libraries [24] |
Room 102, Middleton Library |
Elissa Plank formally logs the complaints. |
Elaine Smyth (interim dean) |
Mass Communication, Manship School of [25] |
207B of the Journalism Building |
Helen Taylor, assistant dean, is responsible for student complaints. |
Jerry Ceppos (dean) |
Music & Dramatic Arts, College of [26] |
Music: Room 102, School of Music Building Theater: Room 105, Music and Dramatic Arts Building |
Stephen Beck; Joshua Ledet, administratiive assistant Interim Dean Kristin Sosnowsky; David Rodriguez is the assistant |
|
Office of Research and Economic Development [27] |
130 David Boyd
131 A David Boyd |
Jason Pasqua—Institutional Review Board (IRB); Robert Matthews, chair, Department of Psychology, is also the chair of the IRB Non-IRB research misconduct |
The only complaints about students conducting research concern failing to go through the IRB for a thesis or dissertation. The graduate school checks for this. In the past six years, only two students failed to go through the IRB. The chair of IRB investigates these studies and sends a report to the Graduate School (GS). GS also files a copy of the chair’s report, along with with the IRB protocol that these students submit to the chair. A similar process would be used for an undergraduate; however, no such case has ever been reported at LSU. Undergraduate, graduate, and Veterinary Science students are also subject to research misconduct policies, although no incidents have been reported. |
Residential Life [28] |
Room 99, Grace King Hall |
Steve Waller |
|
Science, College of [29] |
Room 351, Hatcher Hall |
The primary contact is Martha Cedotal. |
Guillermo Ferreyra (dean) |
Student Advocacy & Accountability [30]
|
Room 340, LSU Student Union |
Matt Gregory |
Electronic records (Room 340 Student Union); prior to January 2012, a paper file (in locked cabinets in Dean of Students White’s office (Room 333 Student Union) was also kept. Greek complaints (housed in Greek Life, Room 472, LSU Student Union); student organization complaints (housed with Campus Life, Room 350, LSU Student Union); student organization conduct records, hazing, and discrimination against a student (all housed in Room 340, LSU Student Union); faculty/staff complaints (Room 340, LSU Student Union), then to HR. |
Student Life & Enrollment [31] |
Room 240, Thomas Boyd Hall |
Kurt Keppler |
See Disability Services and Residential Life |
Student Health Center [32] |
Room 176, Student Health Center |
Ashley Clement |
|
Traffic/Parking [33] |
131-B-1 Public Safety Building |
Gary Graham |
|
LSU Recreation, LSU UREC [34] |
Suite 200 SRC |
Laurie Braden |
A Google doc tracks questions or complaints. These come to urec@lsu.edu. Documents and responses are kept in a file, by year. They are maintained in the UREC administrative suite. Braden also has an electronic file for any email complaints; both initial and follow-up correspondence are kept in her email files. |
University Registrar, Office of the [35] |
Room 112, Thomas Boyd Hall |
Robert Doolos, FERPA; the registrar may remove a Buckley Hold; Rachel Ostrenko, residency appeals |
Late fees, FERPA; if residency cannot be resolved, residency appeals go to the LSU System —for handling by Robert Rasmussen. |
Veterinary Medicine, School of [36] |
Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Room 1821 Pathobiological Sciences Room 3315 Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Room 2510 Research and Advanced Studies, Room 1102 Student and Academic Affairs, Room 1213 |
Dale Paccamonti, head
Ronald Thune, head
Joseph Francis, interim head James Miller, interim associate dean Joseph Taboada, associate dean |
The School of Veterinary Science maintains records in the unit in which the event happens. Research misconduct is managed by ORED. Peter Haynes, Dean of the School of Veterinary Science, maintains records that reach the school level in Room 1102, Veterinary Medicine Building. |
File Management of Student Appeals and Complaints
The information that is kept is generally the information requested in the complaints/appeals that are filed. Individual departments/units may handle the storage of files in different ways. Many keep electronic log files, whereas some keep paper logs in student files, some keep both, and some recently started keeping electronic logs. An example of an electronic log is provided from the College of Agriculture [37]. Files are kept using password-protected electronic files or locked file cabinets.
Complaint/Appeal Forms and Where Students Can Find Them
The Website of the Office of the Dean of Students includes an Advocacy & Accountability site that provides students with either the forms to file complaints and appeals or the links to the appropriate resource, as follows:
Student Advocacy & Accountability (Appeals) [2] [38]
Admissions decisions: (email) Undergraduate Admissions
Code of Student Conduct: (email) Office of the Dean of Students
Financial aid & scholarships (form): (email) LSU Financial Aid
Grade appeals: LSU General Catalog
Graduate student concerns: (email) LSU Graduate School
Housing contracts/lease terminations: (email) LSU Department of Residential Life
Library appeals: Appropriate library department head
Parking citations and tows: (email) Office of Parking, Traffic & Transportation
Residency appeals: PM-31:, Residence Regulations, LSU System [39]
Sexual harassment: PS-95: Sexual Harassment of Students [40]
Student employment: LSU Financial Aid; PS-33: Student Employment [41]
Student workers: Questions/Termination, Human Resource Management
Student Advocacy & Accountability (Complaints) [2] [42] [43]
Academic dishonesty Admissions decisions (undergraduate)
Campus Life, Code of Student Conduct [4]
Career Services
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Center for Academic Success, Grade appeals
Conduct violations (academic & non-academic)
Graduate student issues
Disability Services
Housing contracts/lease terminations
Discrimination incidents
First Year Experience
Parking citations and tows
Greek Life
Hazing
Residential Life student workers
Specific offices may have appeal/complaint forms available; for example, the Office of Academic Affairs Student Appeals [44], Disability Services Appeals [45], Library Appeals [46], or Parking or Towing Appeals [47]. The Student Health Center Surveys clients and follows up on any complaints [48] [49].
Students also have the right to file a complaint if they feel that their Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) (also known as the Buckley Amendment) rights have been violated [50]. They can also appeal to view their records and have their records amended or corrected. As stated above, the Registrar’s Office maintains these requests [35]. Students can waive their FERPA rights, in writing, to allow parents, other family members, attorneys, or others (specified) to view student records [51].