Students are the primary focus in campus life. Their welfare and the conditions under which they study, work, and relax must be safeguarded to preserve their rights under the United States Constitution, federal laws, and California statutes. Campus policies and procedures seek to guarantee these civil liberties. Student understanding and cooperation are essential to the successful implementation of this legal structure.
The university has initiated and implemented procedures for appeals by students with the intent of assuring fairness and objectivity. The procedures are not designed to incorporate all of the due process safeguards that the courts of law require. The purpose is to provide a system that will represent “fairness and the absence of arbitrariness.” The university makes every effort to see that appeal procedures are clear to students and that their avenue of appeal is not burdensome.
Any student alleging failure of the university to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. Students are encouraged to use the internal university grievance procedures to resolve complaints prior to contacting outside agencies. A student or any member of the public may file a complaint about this institution with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education by calling (888) 370-7589 or by completing a complaint form, which can be obtained on the bureau’s Internet Web site (www.bppe.ca.gov).
When students pursue academic studies at the university, they should be free of unfair and improper action by any member of the academic community. A grievance may be initiated when a student believes there has been an unjust action or denial of rights as stipulated in university policies. Such action may be instituted by the student against another student, a faculty member, an administrator, or other university staff.
Students may initiate a grievance for any of the following reasons:
Merit University encourages students, faculty, and staff members to informally resolve differences. If an issue cannot be resolved informally, a formal grievance may be filed. Complaints under this policy may be brought for alleged discrimination based on, but not limited to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services. It is also appropriate to use this policy to file complaints about grades, academic procedures, student behavior, and other campus concerns except for sexual harassment.
Procedural due process is the method established to resolve faculty, staff, and student conduct issues in a clear, fair, and orderly manner. These procedures apply to actions that interfere with or exert a harmful effect upon the functions of the university. Due process is intended to achieve an equitable solution that will resolve the issue with due regard for the rights of the accused, the protection of the student body, and the interest of the university. Any action taken by a student under a due process procedure shall preclude any further action.
The procedure for the resolution of student complaints is a three-step process. The university anticipates that most disputes either will be resolved through step No. 1, via informal discussions or step No. 2, by the intervention of an ombudsman. Only a few cases should proceed to step No. 3, the judgment of an informal hearing panel.
The Dean of Academic Affairs will act promptly in assigning an ombudsman and informing the President of the grievance. The Dean of Academic Affairs will outline some possible steps to the ombudsman in solving the problem. These may include interviewing the grievant, contacting the offending party, and/or convening all parties to the grievance. The ombudsman will notify the Dean of Academic Affairs in writing of the outcome of the intervention with recommendations. These will be sent to the President who will confer with the Dean of Academic Affairs to guarantee that the cause of the grievance is removed.
To sustain a high quality of instruction at the university, students are expected to evaluate each class and instructor in which they are enrolled. Evaluation forms are distributed toward the end of each quarter. The evaluation forms, filled anonymously, are collected and returned to the Administration Office by a designated student. Student evaluations are tabulated by the university, and the results are analyzed by the Dean of Academic Affairs and distributed to the individual instructors.