Student Complaint Policy

It is the policy of The University of Akron to provide the best educational experience possible for all students consistent with all applicable Board of Trustees’ rules and university polices. In the event that a student, student family member, faculty, staff or others have a complaint about conduct or the educational experience while at the university, a complaint may be made either in writing or verbally. Aggrieved individuals should be aware that some complaints about conduct may be the subject of a Board of Trustees’ rule, which may set forth a procedure for initiating a complaint. In those cases, please follow the published complaint procedure. If you are unsure whether such a rule or procedure exists, please contact Student Affairs or the Office of Academic Affairs for guidance.

For complaints of a general nature or those not covered by rule, the university’s policy is to resolve complaints at the lowest level and in as informal method as is possible. For example, if a student has a question about a grade for a course or exam, the student should first attempt to resolve the issue with the faculty member. If the student is unable to satisfactorily resolve the matter, the student should contact the faculty member’s supervisor (usually the Department Chair or Director). If at any time the complaining party feels uncomfortable discussing the matter with an individual, a complaint may be made to the Dean or to the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA).

When a complaint is received by OAA, it is assigned to an appropriate person in the OAA. Contact is then attempted to be made with the complaining party by phone or email, usually within 24 hours if possible. A meeting with the complaining party is held if necessary or requested. Complaints are logged into a database with the relevant information which includes, date, nature of the complaint, college/department, and individuals assigned to investigate and resolve the complaint and status. The database is maintained by an individual in OAA.

Each specific complaint is researched and the relevant information is gathered from the appropriate department or individuals. The investigations are conducted in an expedited manner. The process may include further contact with the complaining party, who will be advised of the next step(s) and/or resolution. Upon completion and closure, a notation is made in the database and hard copies are filed in OAA in a secure filing system. The applicable unit or Vice President will be notified of the outcome.

If a student feels that they did not receive satisfactory attention, they may also register the complaint with the Ohio Department of Higher Education.