UNC Charlotte Academic Procedure: Student Concerns about Courses and/or Faculty
I. Executive Summary
Students may experience specific issues or concerns for which University resources, policies, and procedures have been established. We encourage students to review any specific policies and information that may be applicable to their specific complaint regarding their student experience. If the concern falls within an established policy, we recommend that the student follow the outlined procedures and contact the specific office or unit responsible for assisting students with their concern. However, in the instance that a student has a concern about an individual course or faculty member, this outlines the procedure for students and academic departments.
II. Procedure Statement
Concerns expressed by students regarding courses and/or faculty are typically addressed at the academic department/school level by the Department Chair/School Director (or sometimes the Associate Chair/Director or Program Coordinator). Students (individually or in a group) may discuss concerns about a specific course with the Department Chair/School Director. After speaking with the student(s) the Chair/Director will, if needed, meet with the faculty member involved and discuss the concerns raised by the students. The Chair/Director may also meet again with the student(s) who filed the complaint to describe the resolution.
Chairs/Director also receive input from students about concerns through the required end-of-semester student course evaluations. Chairs/Directors look for patterns (multiple students with the same concerns) and, again, will typically meet with the faculty member and discuss the concerns raised by the students. Additionally, in cases where there are clear patterns of persistent problems, the Chair/Director will reference these concerns in the faculty member’s annual evaluation and will direct them to appropriate campus resources to help them improve their teaching. In the following year’s annual review, the Chair/Director will “close the loop” by confirming that concerns have been successfully addressed. In instances in which a student bypasses a Chair/Director and goes directly to an Associate Dean or Dean with their concerns, the Associate Dean or Dean will work with the Department Chair/School Director to address the student’s concerns.
III. Definitions
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IV. Policy and Procedure Contact(s)
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V. History
- Revised: January 27, 2023
VI. Related Policies, Procedures and Resources
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VII. Frequently Asked Questions
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