Complaint Resolution or Appeals

Georgia Northwestern Technical College is committed to ensuring an environment that is fair, humane, and respectful for all students, an environment that supports and rewards students on the basis of relevant considerations, and that is free from illegal or inappropriate conduct.

In an instance of perceived violation of college policies, standards of professional conduct or state or federal law, a student may file a complaint, which shall be resolved as addressed in these policies and procedures. Individuals may follow an informal and/or formal process to reach resolution of the complaint. (At no time will college policy contradict policy and procedure as determined by the Technical College System of Georgia as listed in the TCSG Policy and Procedures Manual at www.tcsg.edu. If a contradiction is realized, the TCSG Policy will prevail.)

Retaliation in any form against individuals bringing grievances is prohibited and will subject the retaliating individual to disciplinary action. An individual who initiates a fraudulent or bad faith claim or charge shall also be subject to disciplinary action.

Informal Process

Complainants are encouraged to seek informal resolution of their grievances or concerns. This procedure is intended to encourage communication between the parties involved, either directly or through an intermediary, in order to facilitate a mutual understanding of different perspectives regarding the complaint. An individual is not required to seek resolution nor does the seeking of an informal resolution prohibit the individual from filing a formal grievance or complaint. Contacts for filing grievances or complaints are discussed below.

Formal Process

If resolution is not satisfactory at the informal levels, or if a student does not wish to follow the informal process, a student may submit a formal complaint. A formal complaint must be in writing and must specifically state the basis for the complaint and the remedy that the student seeks.

The procedures for formal complaint and the person to whom the student addresses a formal complaint may be different based on the type of formal complaint. Types of complaints and procedures for seeking resolution are addressed below.

Student Disciplinary Procedure

Any person may file a complaint with the Vice President for Student Affairs against any student for an alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct. The individual(s) initiating the action should complete a Student Code of Conduct Complaint Form, and forward it directly to Stuart Phillips, Vice President for Student Affairs:

For additional information about the Student Disciplinary Policy and Procedure, please consult pages 51 - 56 of the Student Handbook.