New York University - Tisch School of the Arts
I. Coverage
These grievance procedures are available to any Tisch School of the Arts student to resolve any grievance involving an alleged violation directly affecting that student, by any member of the University community while acting in an official capacity, of any of the written policies of the University or theTisch School of the Arts. Grievances may include but are not limited to issues of conduct in classrooms, School facilities, or projects; or disputes that arise from supervisory relations or interpretation of School policy. (Graduate assistants, teaching assistants, and technical assistants with grievances related to the duties, stipends, or perquisites of their respective positions should consult the “Grievance Procedures for Graduate Assistants,” available from the Tisch Office of Student Affairs.) Complaints of harassment are not handled under this procedure and should be referred to the associate dean for student affairs for investigation.
II. Informal Resolution
Students wishing to grieve an alleged violation of the University’s policies shall first contact, within fifteen (15) working days of any occurrence giving rise to the grievance or the time they could reasonably have learned of such occurrence, the person responsible for the matter being grieved (the respondent) and attempt to resolve the grievance informally. Students uncertain about how to proceed may consult the associate dean for student affairs, who shall identify the appropriate person.
At the request of the grievant or respondent, the associate dean for student affairs shall arrange for a meeting of the parties, attend such meeting(s), and attempt to aid in the resolution of the grievance.
III. Formal Complaint
A. If the grievance is not resolved informally within fifteen (15) working days after the grievant contacted directly the appropriate person to attempt an informal resolution, a student may obtain review by submitting a written complaint within twenty (20) working days of the first direct contact to the associate dean for faculty. The complaint should state the University or School policy that allegedly has been violated, describe the facts and evidence supporting the alleged violation, indicate what redress the grievant seeks, and provide a brief history of the attempts to resolve the grievance.
B. Upon receiving a complaint, the associate dean for faculty shall promptly schedule a meeting of the Tisch School of the Arts Student Grievance Review Panel, consisting of the vice dean, the associate dean for faculty, a faculty member of the Tisch School of the Arts Discipline Committee, and a student member of the Tisch School of the Arts Discipline Committee to hear the grievance; the meeting shall take place within fifteen (15) working days of the receipt of the written complaint. Both the grievant and respondent shall attend the meeting, and each may be accompanied by one other person who may advise the grievant or respondent but may not directly participate in the meeting. The associate dean of faculty may request the presence of the associate dean for student affairs at the meeting and may request that the meeting be recorded. The associate dean for faculty may contact such other persons as he or she shall deem appropriate for the purpose of ascertaining the facts and evidence in the case.
C. At the conclusion of the meeting the Student Grievance review Panel shall meet in camera to determine a resolution of the grievance. The associate dean for faculty shall provide a written report of the Panel’s determination to the grievant, the respondent, and, if the matter had been previously addressed to the department, to the department.
D. If the grievant or respondent is not satisfied that the Student Grievance Review Panel’s procedures were properly and fairly executed, he or she may appeal the Panel’s determination to the dean of the Tisch School of the Arts within ten (10) working days of receiving the letter from the associate dean for faculty. The dean will not reevaluate the evidentiary record but will address only questions of whether the process resulting in the Student Grievance Review Panel’s finding was fair and impartial and followed the rules and policies of theTisch School of the Arts.
E. A grievant to wishing to appeal the dean’s decision may do so by filing an appeal with the University Judicial Board.
IV. University Judicial Board
The University Judicial Board is a standing committee of the University Senate. The Board consists of twenty-one members all of whom are members of the Senate including six students who are chosen by the Student Senators Council; six faculty members who are chosen by the Faculty Senators Council; six Deans who are chosen by the Deans Council; and three members chosen by the Administrative Management Council. Any case referred to the Board shall be heard and decided by a four-person panel consisting of one Senator from each constituency. Student and respondent may appeal the decision of the appeal officer, or the highest decision provided for by the school in which the student is enrolled, within ten (10) working days of receiving it, by submitting the decision and the complaint to the chairperson of the University Judicial Board. The University Judicial Board may dismiss the complaint without a hearing if it determines that there would be no violation of University policy even if the facts alleged by the grievant were true. It shall conduct such proceeding as it deems appropriate, provided that
A. It shall not consider any matters not included in the written complaint. If the committee feels the grievant did not have access to the facts necessary to make his complaint complete when first submitted, the panel of the University Judicial Board may allow the grievant to submit an amended complaint.
B. Both parties shall have access to all documents submitted to the committee and shall have the right to question all witnesses.
C. It shall not hold public sessions unless both parties and a majority of the panel’s members agree to do so, and shall not do so without all members present.
D. The grievant may be accompanied by another person before the committee. The Review Board shall render a written decision within thirty (30) working days of the day it was designated, with copies to the grievant, the respondent, the Office of the Executive Assistant to the President, and the President. The decision shall include findings of fact, a statement of the policy that is alleged to have been violated, an opinion on the validity of the grievance and, if appropriate, remedial recommendations.
V. Final Review by the President
Any part of the University Judicial Board’s decision which calls for redress for the grievant shall be subject to review and change by the President. The President shall act on the remedial recommendations, if any, of the Judicial Board within fifteen (15) working days of receiving the decision. The President’s decision as to the appropriate remedy and whether the Judicial Board has accurately determined University policy shall be in writing and final, and copies shall be sent to the grievant, the respondent, the chairperson of the University Judicial Board, and the Office of the Executive Assistant to the President.
VI. Time Limits
The Office of the Executive Assistant to the President may grant extensions of the time limits under this grievance procedure of up to ten (10) working days.
VII. Record-keeping
The Office of the Executive Assistant to the President shall retain a copy of the complaint, any amended complaint, any decision of the hearing committee, and any decision of the President for five full calendar years following the year in which the grievance is resolved.
