Policy 5.2: Student Grievance & Appeals Process  

I. Policy Statement

The School of Nursing (SoN) provides a process for students to seek resolution of academic grievances, defined as concerns involving unfair treatment or inconsistent application of academic policy or decision-making. This policy ensures that student concerns are reviewed promptly and fairly, provides clear steps for informal and formal review, and protects students from retaliation when concerns are raised in good faith.

This policy is implemented in alignment with University of Washington requirements. All grievance and appeal processes in the School of Nursing operate within the authority of University policies, which govern the final resolution of student academic grievances:

• Undergraduate/professional grievances follow Executive Order 58.
• Graduate student grievances follow UW Graduate School Policy 3.8.

This policy supplements the University procedures and does not displace them. When this policy and a University policy differ, the University policy governs.

To carry out these University policies at the school level, the SoN appoints a Student Academic Grievance Panel for each formal grievance filed under this policy.

• Appointment: The Executive Dean appoints the Panel within 10 business days of receipt of the grievance. If the Panel cannot be appointed within that period, the Executive Dean notifies the student in writing before the period expires, states the reason, and sets a revised appointment date.
• Composition: The Panel comprises two faculty members and two student members and is chaired by one of the appointed faculty members. Student members are ordinarily drawn from the student members already serving on Program Coordinating Committees but may be drawn from the broader School of Nursing student body.
• Exclusion: A person who participated in the decision or action being grieved does not serve on the Panel. A student member does not serve on a Panel if the student who filed the grievance is in the same cohort or course section, or if a faculty or staff member named in the grievance currently teaches, evaluates, or supervises that student member, or is scheduled to do so.
• Authority: This satisfies Executive Order 58 Section 2.B and UW Graduate School Policy 3.8 Section 3.8.2, which require a Student Academic Grievance Committee composed of both faculty and students. Student membership is required and is not optional.

Conflicts of Interest

If a Panel member has a conflict of interest or recuses from a grievance review, the Executive Dean appoints a substitute member to ensure impartiality and maintain required faculty and student representation.

If the Executive Dean participated in the earlier process that produced the decision being grieved, including by concurring in a Program Drop under UW School of Nursing Policy 4.1: Essential Qualifications and Behaviors, the Executive Dean is recused and, in consultation with the Faculty Council Chair, designates a senior faculty administrator of the School who took part in neither that earlier process nor informal resolution in the same matter under UW School of Nursing Policy 5.1: Communicating Concerns About Instruction.

The designation is recorded in the case record and does not extend the timelines in Section II.E. Recusal of the Executive Dean does not change the composition of the Panel, which is appointed as stated above and makes its recommendation to the designee.

When the grievance concerns a determination made by a Program Coordinating Committee, the Committee Chair provides the Panel with the record of that determination, including the materials the Committee considered and the basis for its decision. The Committee Chair does not serve on the Panel.

II. Process

A. Scope

Covered matters include:

• Academic-policy decisions (e.g., progression, transfer, or course equivalency, committee determinations).
• Application of program policies.
• Faculty or staff actions alleged to be arbitrary, capricious, or inconsistent with published policy. Disputes over the assignment of individual course grades are not covered by this bullet; they are addressed under “Not covered under this policy” below.
• A decision to remove a student from a clinical placement under UW School of Nursing Policy 3.1: Clinical Placement Standards, Compliance, and Expectations, and the application of clinical evaluation criteria under UW School of Nursing Policy 3.3: Clinical Evaluation when the concern is not the resulting course grade.
• A Program Drop under UW School of Nursing Policy 4.1, and an academic standing or progress-status determination under UW School of Nursing Policy 1.1: Academic Performance and Progress.
• Instructional concerns should first be raised under UW School of Nursing Policy 5.1. If not resolved, they may advance to this formal grievance process.

Not covered under this policy:

• Individual course grade appeals (UW Student Governance and Policies, Chapter 110 applies; such appeals are not processed under this policy). The School process for a grade appeal is stated in UW School of Nursing Policy 1.3: Grading and Incompletes. This policy is available when a student claims that the grade appeal procedure itself was not applied uniformly.
• Discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, or disability accommodation disputes (refer to Executive Order 81 and the UW Civil Rights Compliance Office (CRC)/Title IX, or to Disability Resources for Students). UW employees, including School of Nursing faculty and staff, are required to report claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation to the CRC. A student may submit a report by name or anonymously. See UW Employee Reporting Obligations.
• Student disciplinary proceedings for misconduct, including plagiarism and cheating, fall under the provisions of the Student Conduct Code contained in UW Student Governance and Policies, Chapter 209 and Chapter 478-121 WAC.
• Disputes related to a student’s employment relationship with the University, for example as a Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, or other Academic Student Employee, are governed by the UAW Academic Student Employee (ASE) collective bargaining agreement and not by this policy. Students should consult the ASE union for guidance on employment grievances.

Timing and student status

• A student initiates the grievance process, whether informal resolution under UW School of Nursing Policy 5.1 or a formal grievance under this policy, by the end of the academic quarter following the quarter in which the incident or decision occurred, unless the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs (ADAA) approves an extension for extenuating circumstances.
• Timelines in this policy are stated in business days.
• Quarter breaks, summer quarter for students not registered in summer, and University holidays do not count toward a business-day deadline.
• This policy is available to a student who was enrolled, on an approved leave, or between active quarters at the time of the incident or decision; for graduate students, UW Graduate School Policy 3.5: On-Leave, Reinstatement, and Re-Entry defines these statuses.

B. Informal Resolution

Students are encouraged to attempt resolution through UW School of Nursing Policy 5.1 before filing a formal grievance. Informal steps include:

1. Student–Instructor discussion
2. Department Chair
3. Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs (ADAA)

The UW Ombud may be consulted at any stage. UW School of Nursing Policy 5.1 states how a student proceeds when the concern is about a Department Chair or about the ADAA, and when a student does not wish to raise a concern directly with the person involved.

Filing window after informal resolution: When informal resolution under UW School of Nursing Policy 5.1 does not resolve the matter, the student files a formal grievance under this policy within 15 business days of the conclusion of informal resolution.

C. Initiating a Formal Grievance

• A formal grievance must be submitted in writing by the student.
• The written grievance should include:
  • Student name and program of study
  • Course or context of concern (if applicable)
  • The specific program, School, or University academic policy alleged to have been violated or unevenly applied
  • Faculty or staff members already involved in informal resolution discussions, if any, so the Panel can avoid redundant outreach
  • A clear description of the issue
  • Steps already taken to resolve the concern informally
  • The outcome or resolution sought by the student
• Grievances should be submitted to the School of Nursing Dean’s Office at SoNDean@uw.edu with a cc to sonadaa@uw.edu.
• The Dean’s Office will log the grievance and forward it to the Executive Dean, who appoints the Student Academic Grievance Panel as stated in Section I and refers the grievance to it.

D. Grievance Panel Review

• Upon receipt, the Panel Chair will acknowledge the grievance on behalf of the Panel.
• In appointing the Panel, the Executive Dean screens each prospective member for conflicts of interest with the parties named in the grievance and with the decision being grieved.
• Panel members who identify a conflict during deliberations will recuse themselves, and the Executive Dean appoints a substitute as stated in Section I.
• If the Panel Chair is named in the grievance or has a conflict of interest, the Dean’s Office may consult with the Faculty Council Chair to designate an alternate faculty member to chair the Panel.
• The ADAA advises the Panel on the requirements of this policy and on School and University procedure. The ADAA does not take part in the Panel’s deliberations on the merits.
• Student members of the Panel take part in the review on the same terms as faculty members. Before being seated, a student member completes FERPA training and confirms they have no conflict of interest with the parties or with the decision being grieved.
• The Panel will review the grievance either on written materials alone or through a hearing, as stated in Hearing Procedures below, and prepare a written recommendation for the Executive Dean. Program-specific requirements for undergraduate and graduate students are described in Section II.E.
• The Panel seeks consensus on its recommendation. If the Panel is divided, the written recommendation states each position and the reasons for it. Consistent with Executive Order 58, the Panel’s recommendation is advisory and the Executive Dean decides.

Hearing Procedures

Consistent with Executive Order 58 Section 2.C and Graduate School Policy 3.8.2, hearing procedures are available in every formal grievance under this policy. The Panel may proceed on written materials alone, hold a hearing on its own motion, or hold a hearing at the written request of the student or of a faculty or staff member named in the grievance.

Hearings convened under this policy are closed and confidential. They are not open to the public, and Panel members, the student, named parties, and any advisers maintain the confidentiality of information shared during the hearing.

When a hearing is held, the Panel Chair or designee ensures that the following protections apply:

• Notice: The student and any named parties receive written notice of the hearing date, time, format, and the issues to be addressed, no fewer than 10 business days in advance.
• Committee composition: Consistent with Executive Order 58 Section 2.B, the Panel includes both faculty and student members. Members confirm they have completed required FERPA training before serving on a hearing involving confidential student records.
• Opportunity to be heard: The student has a fair opportunity to present the grievance in person or in writing, including the opportunity to submit relevant documents and to respond to information the Panel considers. A faculty or staff member named in the grievance has a comparable opportunity to respond.
• Adviser: The student may be accompanied by an adviser of their choice, for example the UW Ombud, a faculty member, or another support person, in a non-representational capacity. The adviser may consult quietly with the student but does not address the Panel on the student’s behalf.
• Record and recommendation: A written summary of the hearing is maintained as part of the case record. The Panel’s recommendation to the Executive Dean is advisory and is submitted in writing within the program-specific timelines in Section II.E.

E. Formal Grievance Procedure

1. Undergraduate Students (A/BSN)

• Grievance Committee: A Student Academic Grievance Panel appointed under Section I serves as the grievance committee, meeting EO 58 requirements for faculty and student membership.
• Recommendation: The Panel submits its written recommendation to the Executive Dean (sondean@uw.edu) with a cc to ADAA (sonadaa@uw.edu) within two business days of concluding its deliberations.
• Decision: The Executive Dean issues the formal unit-level decision within 10 business days of receiving the Panel’s written recommendation and communicates the decision to the student, instructor, department chair, Panel Chair, and ADAA.
• Appeal: Consistent with Executive Order 58, the Dean’s decision may be appealed to the Provost within 15 business days for review of procedural uniformity. An appeal is limited to a claim that the School did not apply this grievance procedure uniformly. It is not a mechanism to re-decide the merits of the unit-level decision or to express dissatisfaction with the outcome. Contact the Office of the Provost.

2. Graduate Students (MS-CIPCT, DNP, PhD, and GCPAPN)

• Grievance Committee: A Student Academic Grievance Panel appointed under Section I serves as the grievance committee, consistent with UW Graduate School Policy 3.8.
• Recommendation: The Panel submits its written recommendation to the Executive Dean (sondean@uw.edu) with a cc to ADAA (sonadaa@uw.edu) within two business days of concluding its deliberations.
• Decision: The Executive Dean issues the formal unit-level decision within 10 business days of receiving the Panel’s written recommendation and communicates the decision to the student, instructor, department chair, Panel Chair, ADAA, and the Dean of the Graduate School.
• Appeal: Consistent with UW Graduate School Policy 3.8, if the student believes procedural uniformity was lacking, they may appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School within 15 business days. Per Graduate School Policy 3.8.3, the appeal is limited to a claim that the School did not apply this grievance procedure uniformly; it is not a mechanism to re-decide the merits of the unit-level decision or to express dissatisfaction with the outcome. The student’s written appeal must identify the specific procedural deviation, the date or dates on which it occurred, and the relief requested. Contact the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School.

F. Records and Support

• Documentation: Once a written grievance or appeal is filed, all subsequent actions are documented and retained by OSAA in compliance with UW records-retention schedules.
• Support: OSAA staff are available to assist with documentation and process guidance. Students may also consult the UW Ombud at any stage.
• Availability and notice: This policy is published at students.nursing.uw.edu, which satisfies the requirement in Graduate School Policy 3.8.2 that the unit make its grievance procedures readily available to students. The ADAA provides the current procedure, and any subsequent revision, to the Graduate School Office of Academic Affairs.

III. Flowchart

IV. Roles & Responsibilities Summary

Last updated: September 2026