Dean of Students

​Student Grievances and Academic Complaints

Pursuant to the United States Department of Education's Program Integrity Rule and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point internal policies, any student may file a formal complaint. This form may be used by students enrolled at the Marshfield, Stevens Point, or Wausau campuses, as well as students enrolled in 100%-online programs.

​Complaint Requirements

Only complaints submitted through the online system (Complaint Form), or sent through the student's official university email and addressed to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs/Dean of Students (dos@uwsp.edu), will be accepted as Official Complaints. In the complaint, it will be necessary for the student to demonstrate that they have already attempted and not achieved resolution through other University procedures and/or as documented in the University Handbook.

Student names, email addresses, or other identifying information will not be shared beyond the scope necessary to investigate the complaint. However, if the complaint does not contain identifying information, the institution's ability to investigate and response to the concern may be limited.

NOTE: Reports of alleged behavioral or academic misconduct by a student, to include reports of alleged sexual misconduct / Title IX violations, should be submitted using the appropriate report found at https://www.uwsp.edu/dos/Pages/Anonymous-Report.aspx

Tracking Complaints

Official Complaints are tracked by the Office of the Dean of Students who will note the nature of the complaint, the date it was first formally submitted, and then assign the complaint to the appropriate University authority for resolution. Once the outcome of the complaint has been determined, the assigned authority will submit a brief summary to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs/Dean of Students including the following:

1. The steps taken to resolve the complaint.
   
2. The University's final decision regarding the complaint, including referrals to outside agencies.
   
3. A list of any external entities contacted by the student to investigate the complaint, if known by the University (e.g. the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, attorneys, etc.).
   

Complaint Tracking System

The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs/Dean of Students or an assigned designee within the Office of the Dean of Students will maintain and compile an annual report of student complaints. The annual report will contain the following information:

1. The total number of complaints received per administrative division (e.g. Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, Student Affairs, etc.).
   
2. The types of complaints received by generic category (e.g. grade dispute, concern about faculty/staff behavior, complaint about a process, etc.).
   
3. The total number of complaints referred to external agencies for final resolution.
   

4. A summary record of each complaint received, the actions taken by the University, and any information concerning a referral to an external agency for final resolution.
   

The annual report will be used to track only current and recent student complaints, not complaints made by parents, employees, etc., even if the complaint relates to a student.

Individual student identities and names will not be included in the annual report and will not be shared with any external entities. 

Institutional Use of Complaint Tracking System

1. The annual report will identify and summarize any trends/issues in student complaints and what the University learned from them.
   
2. The annual report will be submitted to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness as well as to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for use in making data-informed decisions focusing on continuous institutional improvement.
   
3. Upon request to the institutional HLC Accreditation Liaison Officer, the annual report will be made available to the Higher Learning Commission reviewers.