Resolving Concerns and Complaints as a Student
Students are the central focus at Oklahoma State University, and OSU wants all students to feel welcome and experience a positive environment. OSU’s policies, including those appearing in the University Catalog, the Student Code of Conduct, and OSU’s Policies and Procedures, help ensure the university can serve its students as well as possible. The information below is designed to help students understand the best way to resolve concerns they might have.
Process for an Informal Complaint
Frequently, issues can be addressed successfully through a conversation between the parties. Before pursuing a formal complaint, students should talk with those closest to the situation. For example, if a student has a concern about a class, they should first talk with the instructor, and if that does not resolve the concern, they should discuss the issue with the head of the academic department offering the class and, if needed, the relevant dean’s office. Some examples of common areas in which concerns might arise and initial steps to take include:
- Advising: Talk with your advisor first, and, if needed, the dean’s office of the college in which you are enrolled.
- Bursar bill: If the concern is about a specific charge, contact the entity that charged your bursar account. If the concern is general, contact the Office of the Bursar (405-744-5993, bursar@okstate.edu).
- Classes: Contact the instructor of the course, and, if needed, the head of the department offering the course.
- Financial Aid: Contact Scholarships and Financial Aid (405-744-6604, finaid@okstate.edu).
- OSU Housing: Contact Housing and Residential Life (405-744-5592, reslife@okstate.edu).
- Parking: Contact Parking Services (405-744-6525, parking@okstate.edu).
Process for a Formal Complaint
If the problem is not resolved through an informal complaint process, students may pursue additional options. For certain situations, OSU has specific processes for students to use to pursue a complaint, and students should consult the policies and resources below for information about the policies and the relevant processes students can follow.
Commonly Used Policies and Resources:
- Academic Integrity
- Discrimination or Harassment
- Grade Appeal
- Graduate College Student Resources
- Student Code of Conduct
- Undergraduate Academic Petitions
- Undergraduate Student Resources
For any concern that is not resolved informally and for which the formal processes above do not apply, students may file a formal complaint. The complaint will be routed to the appropriate OSU employees, who will strive to provide a timely resolution. Students should file the complaint in reasonable proximity to the time they identify the concern, generally within a month of being unable to come to a resolution using other steps, to give the best chance to solve the problem.
When a student files a formal complaint, it will be logged in OSU’s complaint tracking system. At the end of each calendar year, the university’s student complaint review committee will meet to review complaints, identify any patterns, and discuss whether any university processes or policies ought to be revised in light of student complaints. The student complaint review committee will consist of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Vice President for Enrollment Management, a representative from the Office of Legal Counsel, and other representatives as may be needed based on the complaints received.
The Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural & Mechanical Colleges has a strict non-retaliation policy, and OSU will not tolerate retaliation against any student who files a complaint.