23
Academic Regulations
23.8
Appeals and Grievances
23.8 Appeals and Grievances
General Faculties Council (GFC) is the University governing body which has statutory authority over academic matters and student affairs.
23.8.1 Academic Appeals
General Faculties Council (GFC) has established an Academic Appeals Committee (GFC AAC). GFC has delegated to GFC AAC the authority to hear appeals from students against Faculty decisions which affect their academic standing.
Students are required to exhaust the provisions for appeal at the Faculty level before taking an appeal to GFC AAC.
The GFC AAC is not authorized to hear an academic standing appeal arising from a Practicum Intervention. There are other instances where GFC AAC is not authorized to hear an appeal; these instances are articulated in the Academic Appeals Policy, Jurisdiction of the Committee.
The GFC Academic Appeals Policy is available electronically on the University Governance website at www.governance.ualberta.ca.
Students who wish to appeal to the GFC AAC should consult with the Appeals Coordinator in order to learn procedures to be followed and deadlines to be met.
23.8.2 Practicum Intervention Policy
The University has an obligation to protect the public interest, public safety, and public health by ensuring that students in practicums conform to accepted standards of professional, competent and safe practice in their work with patients, clients, and co-workers. The Practicum Intervention Policy provides Deans with the authority to intervene in the practicum of a student and/or an associated professional program because of such concerns. The Dean’s authority is balanced by the granting of appeal rights to a Student who is the subject of a Practicum Intervention.
The Practicum Intervention Policy is available electronically on the University Governance website at www.governance.ualberta.ca.
Students who wish to appeal to the GFC Practice Review Board (PRB) should consult with the Appeals Coordinator in order to learn procedures to be followed and deadlines to be met.
23.8.3 Requirement for Criminal Record Checks
The Protection for Persons in Care Act (proclaimed January 1998) includes a requirement that persons working or volunteering in designated agencies (hospitals, nursing homes, lodges, group homes, etc.) must provide results of current criminal record check (also known as a security clearance check). Accordingly, students serving work experience placements in the form of internships, clinical practica, academic practica, cooperative program work placements, etc., in any of these designated agencies may be required to obtain a criminal record check from the appropriate law enforcement agency and/or the Solicitor General's office. A fee to obtain this check may be charged (see §22.2.3 Miscellaneous Fees). This fee will be determined by the law enforcement agency or Solicitor General's office. Details on whether or not a criminal record check is needed and the process to obtain this check are available from the Faculty or department which sponsors the placement.
Students who are entering a program which requires this type of placement and who have concerns related to their ability to satisfy a criminal record check should consult with their Faculty or department program office immediately upon being admitted to the program. Students who fail to provide a clear criminal record check may be required to withdraw from their program. Although faculties and departments will attempt to assist students seeking placements, the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that required placements can be made lies with the student.
23.8.4 Grievances Concerning Grades
The assignment of marks and grades is the initial responsibility of a course instructor. Any grievances concerning grades should first be discussed with the instructor. If the problem is not resolved, the student is encouraged to talk with the chair of the department where the course is taught, and then with the dean of the Faculty where the course is taught.
This informal process is meant to precede and to avoid formal appeal, but does not preclude formal appeal to the faculty council. Students should contact their Faculty office for complete grade appeal procedures and deadlines in order to learn the procedures which must be followed and the deadlines to be met. Students who are unsure of the validity of their grievance should contact the Student Ombudservice.
