Complaint Procedures

The School Psychology Program provides each student with several avenues to question, clarify, or challenge policies and practices that affect the student.  No matter how the student proceeds, confidentiality—in keeping with ethical guidelines and practices—is maintained.  Four broad paths offer the student opportunities to resolve issues or questions:

• The student is encouraged to talk with his or her advisor.  For example, a student may be unclear about how to satisfy specific program requirements or may seek to receive a waiver of a particular requirement.  The advisor can often help the student understand how policies and practices affect the student's choices.  The student and advisor may be unable to agree on resolving a question; at which point, the core School Psychology faculty can be approached.

• The core School Psychology faculty meets monthly to plan and to consider an array of issues.  Each month during the fall and spring semesters, faculty members are available to consider petitions from students.  A student may ask the faculty for clarification or waiver of a policy, or the student could request the opportunity to address the faculty on any issue of concern to that student.  Decisions by the faculty are by majority vote.  The Student Association Co-presidents attend each meeting of the core faculty and thus can raise concerns from students during any monthly session.

• Students in the College of Education may appeal any program decision that affects them.  The appeal procedure is spelled out in the College of Education's Complaint Procedures for Undergraduate and Graduate Students (see appendices).

• The Office of the Ombudsperson offers informal resolution, mediation, and/or negotiation to faculty, staff, and students.  Appointments are encouraged and can be made by e-mail (ombudsperson@uiowa.edu) or by telephone (335-6048).  Further information can be found at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ooombuds/.