CIA is committed to treating all members of the community equitably and transparently in regard to their personal and professional concerns. Nevertheless, students sometimes feel they have been treated unjustly, and CIA is committed to listening to and acknowledging their complaints. The following procedures have been designed to help ensure that students are aware of the way in which their complaints with college policies, programs, services, and/or faculty and staff members can be addressed informally or through a more formal conciliation process when needed.

Each student must be given adequate opportunity to bring problems to the attention of the faculty or staff member with the assurance that those problems will be given due consideration and treatment. This process also exists to inform the faculty or staff member of the details of a complaint and gives them an opportunity to respond in a reasonable manner.

Complaint: A complaint is a written statement alleging that the treatment a student has received is not consistent with the College’s policies as stated in the Student Handbook. Complaints are investigated by the appropriate administrator(s) who determine the outcome of the issue. A student may not use the Complaint Procedure for complaints related to the following matters:

1. Alleging violations of the Student Code of Conduct and appealing disciplinary proceeding outcomes, which are resolved in accordance with the Student Conduct Process.
2. Appealing a final course grade, which are resolved in accordance with the Final Grade Appeals procedure.
3. Alleging discrimination on the basis of sex or gender, which are resolved in accordance with the CIA Gender Based and Sexual Misconduct Policy: Title IX.
4. All matters covered under other CIA policies that contain grievance, hearing and/or appeal procedures, such as the FERPA policy and financial aid appeal procedures.
5. All matters concerning the student in their capacity as an employee of CIA, which are resolved in accordance with the employment policies of CIA.

For complaints involving a faculty member, if unable to resolve through the informal complaint process, the complaint will move to the formal complaint process. The faculty member in question and the Faculty Senate Personnel Committee will be involved in all deliberations, consultations and mediations, and in all resulting recommendations.

For complaints between a student and faculty member which escalate to this level, the student is afforded the opportunity to seek assistance from a non-legal advisor. This individual must be a member of the CIA community (faculty, staff, or student). The complaint process is an internal proceeding; therefore, the advisor may not be an attorney or anyone outside of the CIA community. The advisor may assist the student in preparation for meetings/conversations and may be present in a supportive role during these meetings/conversations. Students participating in a formal complaint process are responsible for presenting their own information, and therefore, advisors may be present but are not permitted to participate in meetings/conversations.

Any CIA student may file a complaint. All CIA faculty, staff, and students will refrain from any reprisal or threat of reprisal against any student registering a complaint.

Students who have concerns and complaints about academic progress policies, academic standing, or academic and grade appeals must file their complaint with the Assistant Dean of Students. While discussing this matter in person is welcomed, it will assist the Assistant Dean of Students if you also describe the issue in writing.

All other complaints regarding faculty, staff, or administration of CIA will follow the process below:

Process 1: Informal Complaint

In general, any time a student feels the treatment they have received is not consistent with the College’s policies as stated in the Student Handbook, the student should follow the Informal Complaint Process.

• Step 1: The student should state their complaint in writing to the Assistant Dean of Students by completing the Student Complaint Form.
• Step 2: The student should contact the faculty/staff member to discuss the problem and attempt to resolve it. If the student is uncomfortable discussing the complaint with the faculty/staff member in question, the student should move to Step 3.
• Step 3: If, following Step 2, no mutually satisfactory solution can be reached with the faculty/staff member, or the student is not comfortable working with the faculty/staff member directly, then the student should discuss the problem with the faculty/staff member’s division chair/supervisor to attempt a resolution of the problem. If you are unsure who the division chair of that department is, please consult the Assistant Dean of Students.
• Step 4: If the problem cannot be resolved in discussions with the faculty/staff member or division chair/supervisor, or if the faculty/staff member and the division chair/supervisor are the same individual, the student may discuss the complaint with the Assistant Dean of Students.

Any student needing advice on how to begin an informal complaint should consult the Assistant Dean of Students.

Process 2: Formal Complaint

If a student has a complaint against a faculty/staff member that has not been resolved through the Informal Complaint Process, the student may then seek resolution through the following Formal Complaint Process. Such complaints are made with the expectation that the college will formally investigate and provide a written summary of findings and action steps, if any. Students are normally required to go through the Informal Complaint Process before initiating the Formal Complaint Process.

• Step 1: If not already submitted via the Informal Complaint Process, the student should state their complaint in writing to the Assistant Dean of Students by completing the Student Complaint Form.
• Step 2: The complaint will be routed to the appropriate administrator who will investigate the complaint, which may include interviews with relevant persons, a record review, or other efforts that are necessary to form an accurate and factual basis for the resolution of the complaint.
• Step 3: Once the investigation is concluded, the College will prepare a written report that summarizes the complaint, the College’s decision regarding the validity of the complaint, and a description of the remedial action, if any, that will be taken. The written report will normally be provided to the student complainant and any relevant persons within 20 business days of the filing of the formal complaint.

Appeal Process

Students may appeal the outcome of a Formal Complaint Process by submitting a request to the Dean of Students within three business days of the decision on specific grounds. Disagreement with the decision alone is not sufficient for an appeal. Depending upon the issue, the appeal may be routed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs + Provost. Appeals must be submitted via CIA email to [email protected] and must include the student’s name and ID number and must indicate on which grounds the student believes the outcomes should be appealed (options below):

1. Through no fault of the student, information/documentation pertinent to the decision was missing at the time of the decision. Note: The student will be required to submit the additional information/documentation as part of the appeal along with an explanation of why the information/documentation was not provided in the original request.
2. Through no fault of the student, College policy or procedure was not followed and had a direct impact on the decision at the time of the decision. Note: The student will be required to identify which policy or procedure was not followed, documentation showing the policy or procedure was not followed, and a description of how the decision may have been different if policy or procedure had been followed.
3. Belief that there was impartiality due to alleged bias of those involved in resolving the complaint. Note: The student will be required to provide supporting documentation of the alleged bias and impartiality.

All appeal decisions are final and binding.