Clemson University students, faculty and permanent staff have informal and formal methods available for resolving concerns and complaints whether academic or employment-related. The information below is a summary of the available procedures and is not intended to replace or amend the actual policies and procedures.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students are encouraged to seek the assistance of the Undergraduate Student Ombudsman to resolve complaints and conflicts informally. For more information about the services of the Undergraduate Student Ombudsman or to request assistance, contact Lois Petzold at (864) 656-1353 or by e-mailing lpetzol@clemson.edu.
For those matters that cannot be resolved informally or with the assistance of the Undergraduate Student Ombudsman, the Academic Grievance Committee may hear grievances regarding:
- complaints of discrimination in academics (excluding student employment) against a faculty or staff member based upon race, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or other legally protected status;
- complaints of a personal or professional nature involving an individual undergraduate student and a faculty member;
- claims of inequitable final grades; and
- claims of unfair treatment in an attendance related issue.
Detailed rules and procedures for filing an academic grievance, including important time periods and appeal rights, are set forth in the Undergraduate Announcements.
Graduate Students
Graduate students are encouraged to seek the assistance of the Faculty Ombudsman as an informal method for resolving complaints, problems and conflicts. For more information about the Faculty Ombudsman or to request assistance, call (864) 656-4353 or e-mail ombudsman@clemson.edu.
For matters that cannot be resolved informally or with the assistance of the Faculty Ombudsman, the Graduate Student Academic Grievance Committee may hear grievances regarding:
- complaints of a personal or professional nature involving an individual graduate student and a faculty member;
- claims of inequitable final grades;
- cases involving graduate student employment; and
- cases involving graduate student academic dishonesty.
Detailed rules and procedures for filing an academic grievance, including important time periods and appeal rights, are set forth in the Graduate Announcements.
Faculty
The Faculty Senate, through the Provost, provides an Ombudsman to help resolve disagreements or faculty issues before they reach the formal grievance process. The Faculty Ombudsman, a professor knowledgeable about the grievance process, may be reached at (864) 656-4353 or at ombudsman@clemson.edu.
For those matters that cannot be resolved through informal methods or with the assistance of the Faculty Ombudsman, there are two grievance procedures available to faculty members and academic administrators with faculty rank – Faculty Grievance Procedure I (GP-I) and Faculty Grievance Procedure II (GP-II). GP-I is reserved for grievances regarding:
- the dismissal or termination of tenured faculty;
- the dismissal or termination of non-tenured faculty prior to the expiration of their “employment” contract;
- complaints of discrimination based upon race, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or other legally protected status; and
- complaints by non-tenured faculty that violations of academic freedom significantly contributed to a decision to cease, in any manner, his/her appointment with the university.
GP-II is available for grievances not covered by GP-I, such as complaints of inequitable work assignments, unfair performance reviews, or improper implementation of policies and procedures.
Grievance counselors appointed by the Faculty Senate advisory committee are available to assist faculty in understanding which grievance procedure to use; however, they do not have the authority to render a decision on the merits of the grievance. For more detailed information regarding the Faculty Grievance Procedures, including important deadlines and the right to appeal, please refer to the Part V of the Faculty Manual.
Staff
Employees are encouraged to meet with their immediate supervisor in an effort to resolve any complaint informally. Alternatively, staff may wish to work with the Staff Ombudsman at http://www.clemson.edu/ombudsman to resolve complaints and conflicts informally. For more information about the Staff Ombudsman or to request assistance, call (864)656-5353 or e-mail tomward@clemson.edu.
When informal resolution is not possible, permanent, non-faculty employees may seek resolution through one of two formal grievance procedures. Employee Grievance Procedure I is generally available for complaints involving: terminations, suspensions, involuntary reassignments, demotions, reclassifications alleged to be of a punitive nature, failure to be considered for a promotion for which the employee was qualified, salary decreases based on performance and discrimination based upon race, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or other legally protected status. Employee Grievance Procedure II is available to grieve those matters not covered by Grievance Procedure I, except performance appraisals. For more detailed information regarding the Employee Grievance Procedures, including important deadlines and the right to appeal, please refer to the Clemson University Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.
Athletic coaches and employees in temporary, temporary grant and time-limited positions do not have grievance rights.