Program Procedures

Grievance Procedures. When experiencing difficulty with another student, faculty, or university employee, students are encouraged strongly to address these conflicts with that individual directly. In the event that this approach is not effective or a serious fear of retribution exists, students are expected to follow the formal grievance policies outlined in the Program Handbook. Depending on the nature of the conflict and the nature of the relationship of the individuals involved in the conflict, different procedures may need to be implemented.

Termination.  Students can be dismissed from the program for either of two types of violations: institutional or academic: 

1. Institutional dismissal can result from violations including stealing, drug abuse, plagiarism, falsifying records, and cheating. Students are responsible for learning about all university, college, school, section, and program policies regarding disciplinary action.

2. Academic dismissal occurs when students are lacking in growth in personal, professional, academic and/or skill-related areas. This type of dismissal is under the jurisdiction of the program. Although students are allowed due process, court decisions at the state and federal level have determined that trained faculty have the right to evaluate students as they see fit as long as evaluation is not done in an arbitrary, unfair or capricious manner. When students choose to appeal any academic action taken by a faculty member or the program, the burden of proof is on the student.

Termination Appeals.  If a student is being terminated from the program after failure to complete a remediation plan, the student may appeal the decision as follows:

1. Appeal the decision to the Department Chair.  This appeal should be in writing and include an explanation of why the student should not be terminated.  

2. If the decision of the Chair is not satisfactory, the student may present the appeal to the Dean of the College.

3. If the decision of the Dean is not satisfactory, the student may present the appeal to the Graduate School.

4. The final appeal may be made to the Committee on Academic Standing of the Graduate Council, and its decision shall be binding on all parties involved in the appeal.

Violations of Ethics or Professional Standards. If professional ethics or standards are violated, consequences AND a remediation plan will be implemented. Consequences may include, but are not limited to, a reduction of points in a class, additional supervision or other preparatory assignments, being removed from the practicum site and failing the class, and/or removal from the program. Violations of ethical behavior shall result in consequences, depending upon the severity, frequency, and nature of the violation.

Academic Misconduct: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Among the aims of education are the acquisition of knowledge and development of the skills necessary for success in any profession. Activities inconsistent with these aims will not be permitted. Students are responsible for knowing what constitutes academic dishonesty. If students are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism or cheating they should seek the instructor’s advice. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to: 

• Plagiarizing or representing the words, ideas or information of another person as one’s own and not offering proper documentation or citation;

• Giving or receiving, prior to an examination, any unauthorized information concerning the content of that examination;

• Referring to or displaying any unauthorized materials inside or outside of the examination room during the course of an examination; 

• Communicating during an examination in any manner with any unauthorized person concerning the examination or any part of it;

• Giving or receiving substantive aid during the course of an examination;

• Commencing an examination before the stipulated time or continuing to work on an examination after the announced conclusion of the examination period;

• Taking, converting, concealing, defacing, damaging or destroying any property related to the preparation or completion of assignments, research or examination;

• Submitting the same written work to fulfill the requirements for more than one course.

A student found to be academically dishonest by a faculty member may appeal according to procedures approved by the College of Health and Human Services. The procedures for making a final appeal to the Student Grievance Committee may be found in the Graduate Student Handbook.  Violations of academic misconduct will be dealt with using the procedures set forth by the College of Health and Human Services. These procedures can be found in the Graduate Student Handbook. All students are expected to be familiar with these procedures and what constitutes academic misconduct. Violations of academic conduct shall result in consequences, depending upon the severity, frequency, and nature of the violation.

Grade Appeals: In the event that a graduate student has an academic grievance or wishes to appeal a retention decision, he or she should attempt to resolve the problem by adhering to the following procedure:

• Discuss the problem with the instructor involved. If no resolution can be achieved, the student should present his or her grievance to the Chair of the Department.  

• If the problem is still not resolved, the student should see the Dean of the College.  

• If a resolution has been unsuccessful at the College Dean’s level, the student may present the grievance to the Graduate School.  

• The final appeal can be made to the Committee on Academic Standing of the Graduate Council and its decision shall be binding on all parties involved in the grievance or appeal.  

Note: Graduate students must file the initial grievance with the instructor and a copy with the department no later than one semester after the occurrence of the incident. Initial appeals of retention decisions must be filed with the department chairperson no later than one semester after the retention decision is made.