Petitioning for Exceptions

The Faculty Council will act on petitions from students requesting exceptions to academic policies or graduation requirements except that the Core Curriculum Committee will act on all appeals regarding exceptions to the Core Curriculum and the Newberry Online Core Curriculum. The Faculty Council will also act on appeals from students who are academically ineligible to return to Newberry College and wish to be reinstated.  In all situations (academic policies, graduation requirements, academic ineligibility), students must submit a written petition to the Office of the Registrar that then presents petitions to Faculty Council or to the Core Curriculum Committee. Normally, the student petitioner will not appear in person before the Faculty Council.

Academic Complaints/Grievances

Students who have concerns regarding classroom practices and procedures are encouraged to

  1. First attempt a resolution through discussion with the faculty member.
  2. Students may also contact the faculty member’s Department Chair (or, if the faculty member is the Department Chair) the Office of Academic Affairs to assist in seeking resolution.
  3. If the issue is not resolved the student may file a written grievance/complaint with the Department Chair or the Office of Academic Affairs.
    1. If filed with the Office of Academic Affairs the complaint will be assigned to a department chair or if the complaint is against a Department Chair the complaint will be assigned to an Associate Academic Dean.
    2. The chair or associate dean will talk with both parties as a fact finder and then issue a resolution in writing in a timely fashion. 
    3. The student has a right to appeal the resolution to the Office of Academic Affairs. Findings of a Department Chair will be handled by an Associate Dean and findings of an Associate Dean will be handled by the VPAA.
    4. The decision of the VPAA on an appeal is final.

Please note:  This policy does not apply to issues of academic integrity.

If the complaint/grievance is not resolved by the institution, the student may reach out to the South Carolina Commission of Higher Education at: https://www.che.sc.gov/CHE_Docs/academicaffairs/SARA/ComplaintForm.pdf