Office of Origin: Academic Services
Responsibility: Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs
Date Adopted: 10-24-08
Dates Reviewed: 09-26-2016, 10-29-2019, 5-14-24, 5-21-25 (C)
Last Date Board Approved: 09-27-2016, 11-13-2019

Lake Michigan College (the College) strives to resolve all student complaints in a fair and expedient manner. This policy and procedure pertains to complaints that involve instruction or academic matters. 

An academic complaint is any non-civil rights* related complaint generated by an individual student concerning the work-related activities of a faculty member (e.). Academic complaints may include, but are not limited to, issues regarding evaluations of academic work (e.g., exams, quizzes, papers, final course grades, etc.), and/or failure of a faculty member to follow College policies and/or procedures as they relate to instruction or academic matters. 

Students who have complaints that involve issues that are general in nature and are not related to instruction or academic matters, such as complaints about non-teaching College staff, the parking lot, snow removal, bathroom maintenance, facility issues, etc., should refer to the Student Complaint – General.

Step 1

Students with concerns or complaints about an academic matter must first submit their complaint in writing to the appropriate faculty in an effort to resolve the issue(s). If the faculty member does not respond within 7 calendar days, continue to Step 2.

Step 2

If, after discussion with the faculty, the dispute is not resolved, or if the faculty does not respond to the written complaint within 7 calendar days, the student may appeal in writing to the supervising department or program chair within 10 business days of notification of the faculty's decision. The written complaint must specifically address the date and time of the alleged conflict or action, the date and time of the student meeting with the faculty, a summary of the complaint along with any relevant documentation and specific resolution the student is seeking. The department or program chair will meet with the persons involved, attempt to resolve the issue, and then render a decision within 5 business days. The decision will be communicated to the student in writing with a copy to the faculty.

Step 3

If the dispute is not resolved in Step 2 in a manner acceptable to the student, the student may appeal the decision in writing to the supervising academic dean within 10 business days of notification of the department or program chair’s decision. The written complaint must include the written complaint submitted to the department or program chair, the department or program chair’s written decision, and any additional supporting documents, the academic dean will meet with the persons involved in an attempt to resolve the issue and then render a decision within 5 business days, which will be communicated in writing. The decision will be communicated to the student in writing with a copy to the faculty. The decision of the academic dean is final and cannot be appealed. 

Grade Appeal Decision Guidelines:

When appealing a grade, the student is responsible for providing factual information and documentation in writing to support the grade modification they are seeking. If appealed beyond step 1 of the student complaint process herein, the department or program chair and academic dean will carefully consider whether or not the grade and the decisions leading up to it (a) were within the scope of the authority of the individual making the decision, (b) were made in accordance with established policies and procedures, and (c) were neither arbitrary, capricious, nor in bad faith. 

If a student appeals their final grade for a course, the formal appeal is to be submitted within the semester or term immediately following the one in which the course grade was received. No grade appeals will be considered after this time. All other complaint(s) must be submitted within 10 business days of the date of the issue(s) that led to the complaint. 

No act of retaliation will be made to any student filing an appeal regarding instruction or academic matters.

*Civil Rights Issues:

This policy and procedure does not apply to issues related to sexual harassment, civil rights, Title IX, and disability concerns. Complaints or concerns related to civil rights issues should be discussed with the Executive Director of Human Resources at 269-927-8102.

Out-of-state Students Taking Distance Learning Courses:

Distance education students wishing to file a formal complaint must first seek resolution through the College’s Student Complaint policies and procedures. If a student's complaint cannot be resolved internally at the College, the student may file a complaint with the state of Michigan – Labor and Economic Opportunity Department.

For the MI-LEO complaint procedure visit here.
 

For the MI-LEO complaint form visit here.

Sharing Disclosure:

All complaints submitted in writing, signed by a student, and addressed to or submitted to an academic administrator will remain on file for a minimum of 10 years and may be shared with agencies that accredit the College or its programs. The College will make reasonable efforts to anonymize complaints before sharing. Students who wish to prohibit the sharing of their complaints must submit a written request to the Office of Academic Affairs.

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