General Grievance Guidelines
In case of grievance, the student should talk to the other entity (student, faculty, or staff) privately according to the spirit of Matthew 18:15-22 and resolve the issue at the initial onset of the incident. If the student does not think he/she can resolve the issue on his/her own, then they can proceed with the following guidelines:
- If the student cannot resolve the issue on his/her own, he/she can request the assistance of the Dean of Students or the advising professor, under strict confidentiality, to resolve the issue; and the relationship shall terminate after the issue is resolved. When necessary, the parties involved may sign on the resolution agreement and keep a copy for themselves; the third copy should be sent to the Office of Student Development for record keeping.
- If the grievance cannot be resolved, the student shall submit a written report to the Dean of Students within two weeks, detailing the history of the incident and ways of settling the issue.
The Dean of Students shall interview the parties involved and do a thorough investigation, and then meet with all parties involved to seek resolution. If the grievance can be resolved, the Dean of Students shall present a written report within two weeks, and all parties involved shall sign on the report. The original copy shall be kept on file at the Office of Student Development, and each party involved shall have one copy to keep. - If the grievance is with violation of seminary regulations, or the student did make offence and does not show remorse, the Dean of Students shall refer the case to the Student Character Committee for a hearing. If the case has to do with faculty and staff, then related department head(s) and Director of Human Resources shall sit in at the hearing.
- If the grievance is not resolved with all the procedures listed above, the student can appeal to the Seminary Business Council within two weeks. The chairperson of said Council shall call a hearing to resolve the grievance. The Council may invite other members (such as the president of the student body) to sit in. The committee shall reach a decision within thirty days, and the verdict, signed and dated by all involving parties, shall be delivered to all parties. The Office of Student Development shall keep the verdict and hearing records on file. The verdict shall not be changed, and shall be presented at the Seminary Business Council or the Faculty Council. If the member of the committee is involved, the Dean of Students shall assign other faculty/staff for replacement.
If the Dean of Students is involved, the Seminary President shall assign someone else for replacement and take care of the issue.
Sexual Harassment Grievance Guideline:
The seminary adheres to the California state government’s stipulation to provide a safe learning and working environment for all students, faculty, and staff. Any sexual harassment act is deemed damaging to our educational environment. Our seminary will do all it can to prevent and eliminate the occurrence of such acts. Any violator shall take responsibility for their own behavior and accept punishment. This guideline applies to all students, faculty, and staff. Outside entities, such as visitors and contract workers, shall submit to this guideline as well.
- Definition:
direct of indirect sexual aggravation, which includes uninvited sexual conduct, sexual demand, and inappropriate verbal language or physical act related to sex. - Whom to appeal in case of sexual harassment:
a. The Dean of Students will handle sexual harassment grievance concerning students or faculty/staff.
b. The Seminary President will handle sexual harassment grievance concerning department heads. - Grievance Procedure:
When sexual harassment is encountered or in question, you may bring your grievance to the person in charge. After discussion, you may proceed with the following:
a. Informal grievance: First, try your best to solve this issue by informal grievance. If a resolution cannot be reached, you may bring “Formal Grievance.” Discussion with the person in charge does not constitute a “Formal Grievance.”
b. Formal Grievance:
(1) You must state your grievance concretely in a written petition; after signing the petition, you may present your grievance to the person in charge.
(2) During investigation, you must tell the name of the accused and the content of your complaint. The person in charge must notify the accused immediately and what he/she is being accused of. Everything should be kept in confidentiality during investigation.
(3) After investigation, if punishment is required, the seminary will abide by its own rule. The accused has the right to request counseling. Only after proven guilty will the record be kept in personal file. - Revenge:
No individual shall carry out revenge or threats of revenge in any form to the person(s) executing the seminary’s rule. If revenge or threats of revenge is suspected, further punishment will be executed. Punishment for revenge or threats of revenge shall not be changed no matter what the outcome may be from the grievance investigation. - Punishment for False Accusation:
If the grievance is proved to be false after investigation, the false accuser shall receive punishment according to the seminary’s rule.
