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Any student has the right to submit a written report to the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs regarding any concern or complaint about a violation of PHSU policies and/or professional ethics, without fear of retaliation or consequences.
Violations of PHSU regulations will not be tolerated. Verbal, psychological, or physical abuse, including insulting language, actions intended to undermine a person’s self-esteem, discriminatory practices, or any other adverse behavior-will not be accepted.
Procedure Any member of the academic community may report an incident of abuse or a violation of PHSU policies. The incident should be reported to the Vice President for Student Affairs (or designee).
The Vice President for Student Affairs (or designee) will collect all pertinent information related to the reported case. Early communication and intervention will lead to the resolution of the incident.
If the incident is resolved, no further action will be taken. A description of the incident must be in writing. The report of a resolved incident will contain the description of the action plan followed. A follow-up will be conducted between six to eight weeks to ensure that there has been no retribution.
If the incident is not resolved, the Vice President for Student Affairs will appoint a three-member Investigation Committee to review the case. All parties involved will be informed of the composition of the committee and will have the opportunity to present any disagreement on the membership of the committee and the reasons for the challenge. If necessary, the School’s legal counsel will be notified of the case and will be kept informed of the progress of the investigation. The Investigation Committee will review the information and make a recommendation to the Vice President for further action. The Vice President for Student Affairs will inform the student of the decision. The entire process should be completed within three months.
After receiving the notification by the Vice President, the student has the right to appeal the decision in writing to the President of PHSU within five working days.
The appeal must follow the Due Process outlined below.
Appeal Process (Due Process)
The Vice President for Academic Affairs will evaluate the appeal and the investigation report. A rejection of the appeal by the Vice President for Academic Affairs is final. However, the Vice President for Academic Affairs may overturn the original decision. If the Vice President for Academic Affairs has reasonable doubt regarding the student’s allegation or the investigation process, they may appoint an Ad Hoc Committee, comprised of members of the faculty, student body, and administration, to re-evaluate all evidence.
The Ad Hoc Committee will notify the students in writing of the date and time the case will be reviewed. The committee may, at its discretion, re-interview the individuals involved, if
necessary. The committee has seven (7) working days to submit its report to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
The President will receive the Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendation and will make the final decision within forty-eight (48) hours.
All decisions, whether favorable or unfavorable, will be communicated to the student in writing. All decisions made by the Vice President for Academic Affairs are final.
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