Complaints/Grievances

When a disagreement or issue arises between a student and an instructor or clinical supervisor:

• In the classroom- When a disagreement or complaint arises between a student and an instructor, the student should first approach the instructor /faculty member to discuss the situation. If resolution does not occur the student should contact the Program Director to discuss the complaint.
• In the clinic- when a disagreement or complaint arises between a student and a supervisor, the student may first approach the supervisor to discuss the situation; or if the student prefers, she/he may first contact the Clinic Director. If a student contacts the supervisor first and resolution does not occur, the student should contact the Clinic Director to discuss the complaint.

If the complaint is not resolved in this manner, the student has the option of filing a formal grievance within the School of Medicine (our academic unit).

Filing a formal Grievance in the School of Medicine

The steps to file a grievance are outlined here; and are shown completely online: https://catalog.louisville.edu/graduate/general-policies-procedures-requirements/graduate-student-academic-grievance-procedure/

Preliminary Steps  To pursue a grievance concerning academic matters within the academic unit (School of Medicine), the following steps of the grievance procedure should be observed:

1. If the student has not been able to obtain a resolution (following discussion with the instructor, clinical supervisor, clinic director, and/or program director), the student may request the Student Grievance Officer (S.G.O.) to attempt informal mediation of the problem.
2. If the matter has not been satisfactorily resolved through the informal process, the student shall submit a written statement of the grievance to the Unit Academic Grievance Committee through the Office of the Dean. The statement shall contain:
   1. A brief narrative of the condition giving rise to the grievance;
   2. Designation of the parties involved; and
   3. Statement of the remedy requested.

Committee Action  Upon receipt of the written statement, the Unit Academic Grievance Committee, or its representatives, shall:

1. Contact the student and the Student Grievance Officer to obtain assurance that all steps of the above informal process were completed.
2. Notify the parties named in the statement of the grievance; and send a copy of the statement to the named parties and to all committee members.
3. Notify the grievant and the respondent of the right to challenge committee members for cause.
4. Meet within 20 working days after receiving the written statement of any grievance and recommend to the dean of the unit whether sufficient grounds exist to accept a case for hearing.
5. The action of the grievance committee as to whether to grant a hearing when accepted by the dean of the unit shall be final and binding except when subject to the condition of appeal.
6. If a hearing will be held, notify in writing all the parties involved of the date, time and place of the hearing (which shall be within 30 working days of receipt of the written grievance).
7. Request in writing from all parties involved any pertinent material deemed necessary for review by the committee prior to the hearing.
8. Maintain confidentiality throughout the entire grievance process. All communications among the committee, the grievant(s), and the person(s) named in the statement of grievance will be confidential.

Hearing Process  All hearings conducted by the Unit Academic Grievance Committee shall be conducted confidentially in the following manner:

1. The grievant(s) and the respondent(s) must be present during the information-gathering portion of the hearing. Witnesses will be available and will be called when needed.
2. All statements during the information-exchange phase of the hearing will be tape-recorded.
3. Any committee member may question any of the participants at the hearing.
4. The grievant will present his or her statements and/or witnesses to the committee.
5. The respondent will have the opportunity to question the grievant(s) and the witnesses.
6. The respondent will present his or her statements and/or witnesses to the committee.
7. The grievant will have the opportunity to question the respondent(s).
8. The committee will meet in closed session to decide upon its recommendation(s) to the dean.
9. The committee shall submit its report with recommendation(s) and reasons for the recommendation(s), to the grievant(s), the respondent(s), and the dean.

10. The student's grievance will not be included as part of the student's record, unless it results in a change in student status or the student voluntarily inserts the information.

11. Until the grievance is resolved, the student may continue the natural academic progression through the academic unit, subject to the requirements of Article 6.6, "Academic Review, Advancement, Probation, and Dismissal of Students," and Article 6.7, "Nonacademic Disciplinary Procedures," of The Redbook.

Decision  The dean shall approve or reject the committee's recommendation(s) within 28 days after receiving it (them).

Rehearing  A grievance committee, within 21 days after delivery of its report, may be petitioned to reconsider its decision upon the basis of evidence of misrepresentation of materials, facts, or upon the basis of newly discovered evidence clearly not available at the original hearing.

Appeal  Any party to the grievance may appeal to the University Student Grievance Committee within 21 days from the date of the final decision of the dean if the dean's decision does not concur with the recommendation of the grievance committee.

If the complaint is not resolved in this manner, the student has the option of filing a formal complaint with the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. 

Filing a formal complaint against the Program with the CAA

The steps to file a formal complaint are outlined here; and are shown completely online: https://caa.asha.org/?s=grievance

Complaints about programs must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be against an accredited graduate education program in audiology
• Relate to the Standards for Accreditation of Entry-Level Graduate Education Programs in Audiology in effect at the time that the conduct for the complaint occurred
• Be clearly described, including the specific nature of the charge and the data to support the charge
• Be within the timelines specified below:
  • If the complaint is being filed by a graduate or former student, or a former faculty or staff member, the complaint must be filed within one year of separation  from the program, even if the conduct occurred more than 4 years prior to the date of filing the complaint
  • If the complaint is being filed by a current student or faculty member, the complaint must be filed as soon as possible, but no longer than 4 years after the date the conduct occurred

Submission Requirements:

• Complaints against a program must be filed in writing using the CAA’s official Complaint Form. The Complaint Form must be completed in its entirety.
• The complainant’s name, address, and telephone contact information and the complainant’s relationship to the program must be included in order for the Accreditation Office staff to verify the source of the information. The CAA does not accept anonymous complaints.
• The complaint must include verification, if the complaint is from a student or faculty/staff member, that the complainant exhausted all pertinent institutional grievance and review mechanisms before submitting a complaint to the CAA.
• Documented evidence in support of the complaint must be appended, including as appropriate relevant policies/procedures, relevant correspondence (including email), timelines of referenced events, etc.
• All complaints and supporting evidence must be submitted in English
• The complaint form must be signed and submitted with any relevant appendices via U.S. mail, overnight courier, or hand delivery—not via e-mail or as a facsimile—to:

Chair, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

2200 Research Boulevard, #310

Rockville, MD 20850

The complainant’s burden of proof is a preponderance, or greater weight, of the evidence. It is expected that the complaint includes all relevant documentation at the time of submission.

Copies of the CAA’s complaint procedures, relevant Standards for Accreditation, and the Complaint Form are available in paper form by contacting the Accreditation Office at accreditation@asha.org or 800-498-2071. All complaint materials (completed and signed complaint form and relevant appendices) must be typewritten or printed from a computer.