Complaints and Grievances Policy

Wilmette Institute will review and address complaints according to the procedures set out below. Students are encouraged to exercise this right and will not be penalized for doing so.

Non-Academic Grievance Procedure

If, for any reason, a student has a complaint, grievance, or dispute with the Wilmette Institute, the student has the right to seek a satisfactory resolution through the following process:

1) Notification – The student must submit a written letter or email to: Associate Director, Wilmette Institute, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201; cgolestani@wilmetteinstitute.org. The letter/email must state the basis for the complaint, grievance, or dispute, provide details of the matter, and describe the requested remedy. The Associate Director shall respond with a decision in writing within 15 days of receipt of the written letter or email.

2) Appeal – If the student is unsatisfied with the response, they may appeal in writing via mail or email within a 30-day period to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, Kenneth Bowers, secretary, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201; secretariat@usbnc.org. Failure to submit an appeal letter within the 30-day period will indicate that the student has accepted the initial decision as final, and the matter shall be closed. Upon submission of the appeal letter, the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly shall review the grievance and render a decision. The decision of the secretary shall be final.

Students still dissatisfied with any action or decision of the Wilmette Institute may also elect to contact the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Their Institutional Complaint System may be found here: http://complaints.ibhe.org/.

Contacts

Students may seek advice on any of the above issues from the head of the relevant area, the Registrar/Student Services Specialist, or the Associate Director. See the table below for details of the primary responsibilities of each staff member.

Academic Grievance Policy and Procedure

Any Wilmette Institute certificate program student who believes that he or she has been subject to an improper decision on an academic matter may file a grievance to obtain an independent review of the allegedly improper decision, followed by corrective action if appropriate. An academic grievance is a written complaint made to the Academic Program Coordinator of Wilmette Institute concerning an academic decision made by a person or group acting in an official WI capacity that directly and adversely affects the student as an individual in his or her academic capacity.

This grievance procedure applies only in those cases involving a perceived academic impropriety arising from a decision taken by (1) an individual faculty member or researcher, (2) a department or program, (3) a committee charged to administer academic policies of a particular department, or program; or (4) the Registrar. For any other grievances, please refer to the Non-Academic Grievance Policy above.

The Office of the Director is available to all Wilmette Institute students, faculty, and staff to discuss and advise on any matter of WI concern and help expedite the resolution of such matters. All final decisions are made by the WI Executive Committee and issued by the Office of the Director.

Academic Grievance and Appeal Procedures

Informal Attempts at Resolution: The student first should discuss the matter, orally or in writing, with the individual(s) most directly responsible. If no resolution results, the student should consult the individual at the next administrative level, such as the Academic Program Coordinator. At this stage, the Academic Program Coordinator may inform the Office of the Director that the consultation is taking place and may solicit his or her advice on ensuring adequate steps are taken to achieve a fair result. Efforts should be made to resolve the issues at an informal level without the complaint escalating to the status of a formal grievance.

The Filing of an Academic Grievance

1. If informal means of resolution prove unsatisfactory, the student should submit in writing a statement of the decision that constitutes the subject matter of the dispute, the grounds on which it is being challenged, and the reasons why the grievant believes that the decision was improperly taken. The statement should also include a description of the remedy sought and the informal efforts taken to date to resolve the matter. It is at this point that the complaint becomes a formal grievance
2. The grievance document should be submitted to the Academic Program Coordinator. A grievance must be filed promptly, no later than 30 days after the end of the academic term in which the adverse decision occurred or should reasonably have been discovered. Except in extraordinary circumstances, delay in filing a grievance will constitute grounds for rejection of the grievance.
3. The grievance process does not relieve the student from their obligation to meet course or certificate requirements. The student should continue to fulfill course and certificate requirements following submission of the grievance and throughout the time required for the decision on the grievance. Additionally, the grievance process does not pause or otherwise delay departmental actions taken for academic or other reasons that may impact student status or other WI services or resources.

The Response to an Academic Grievance

1. The Academic Program Coordinator will review and consider the grievance. They may attempt to resolve the matter informally or make whatever determination of the grievance he or she deems appropriate. In appropriate cases, they may remand the grievance to a lower administrative level (including the level at which the grievance arose) for further consideration.
2. The Academic Program Coordinator may also refer the grievance, or any issue therein, to any person who will consider the matter and report to the Office of the Director as the latter directs. The Academic Program Coordinator will inform the grievant (and the party against whose decision the grievance has been filed) in writing of any referral of the matter and will specify the matters referred, the directions to the person or persons to whom the referral is made (including the time frame within which the person is to report), and the name of that person.
3. In undertaking the review, the Academic Program Coordinator may request a response to the issues raised in the grievance from any individuals believed to have relevant information, including faculty, staff, and students.
4. Should attempts to resolve the matter informally not be successful, the Academic Program Coordinator will decide the grievance and will notify the grievant (and the party against whose decision the grievance has been filed) in writing of the decision reached on the grievance and the grounds for the decision at the earliest practicable date after his or her receipt of the grievance.
5. Except in extraordinary circumstances, no more than 60 days will elapse between filing a grievance and the decision rendered by the Academic Program Coordinator. If, because of the absence of key persons from the campus or other circumstances or exigencies (including those due to breaks in the academic calendar), the Academic Program Coordinator decides that rendering a decision on that schedule is not possible, they shall inform the grievant (and the party against whose decision the grievance has been filed) of that in writing, explaining the situation and providing an estimate of when a decision can be expected.

The Filing of an Appeal

1. If the grievant is dissatisfied with the decision reached on the grievance, he or she may appeal in writing to the Office of the Director.
2. The appeal must specify the particular substantive or procedural bases of the appeal (that is, the appeal must be made on grounds other than general dissatisfaction with the decision). It must be directed only to issues raised in the grievance filed or to procedural errors in the grievance process, not new issues. The appeal must contain the following:
   1. A copy of the original grievance and any other documents submitted by the grievant in connection therewith.
   2. A copy of the initial determination made.
   3. A statement of why the decision was not satisfactory to the grievant.
3. The grievant will file his or her appeal at the earliest practicable date after the grievant’s receipt of the initial decision. No more than 30 days should elapse between the transmittal of the Office of the Director’s decision on the grievance and the filing of the appeal. Except in extraordinary circumstances, delay in filing an appeal will constitute grounds for rejection of the appeal.
4. The appeal process does not relieve the student from their obligation to meet course or degree requirements. The student should continue to fulfill course and degree requirements following submission of the appeal to the Office of the Director and throughout the time required for determination of the appeal. Additionally, the appeal process does not pause or otherwise delay WI or departmental actions taken for academic or other reasons that may impact student status or other WI services or resources.

The Response to the Appeal

1. The Office of the Director may attempt to resolve the matter informally or will consult with relevant staff members who shall consider the matter and report back to the Office of the Director as the latter directs.
2. The Office of the Director will decide the appeal and will notify the grievant (and the party against whose decision the grievance has been filed) in writing of the determination made and the grounds for the decision. The decision of the Office of the Director on appeals is final.
3. No more than 45 days will elapse between filing the appeal and the decision by the Office of the Director. If, because of the absence of key persons from the campus or other circumstances or exigencies (including those due to breaks in the academic calendar), the Office of the Director judges that rendering a decision on that schedule is not possible, they will inform the grievant (and the party against whose decision the grievance has been filed) of the fact in writing, explaining the situation and providing an estimate of when a decision can be expected.

Standards for Review and Procedural Matters

1. The review of grievances or appeals will usually be limited to the following considerations:
   1. Were the proper facts and criteria brought to bear on the decision? Were improper or extraneous facts or criteria brought to bear that substantially affected the decision to the detriment of the grievant?
   2. Were there any procedural irregularities that substantially affected the outcome of the matter to the detriment of the grievant?
   3. Given the proper facts, criteria, and procedures, was the decision one that a person in the position of the decision maker might reasonably have made?
2. The time frames set forth herein are guidelines. They may be extended by the Office of the Director at their discretion.
3. Questions concerning the filing and appeal of grievances should be directed to the Office of the Director.