If you are uncertain about the most appropriate place to direct your concerns about an academic problem here are several suggestions:

• Talk to your professor. In some cases, the professor may not be aware of your difficulty, and your insights may help others in your class.
• Talk to your academic advisor about your concerns. Your advisor will have excellent advice about addressing the problems you have encountered.
• Talk to your program director or academic dean. If the professor has not addressed your concerns or if you are not comfortable discussing your problem with your professor, the director of your program or the dean of your school would be a good person to discuss your issues with.
• If you are experiencing harassment or discrimination by an instructor, you may discuss your concern with staff in the Office of Human Resources, Office of the Dean of Students, or the academic dean of your school.

Academic Appeals Process 

Students who are experiencing problems with a grade or other conditions of the course should first discuss the matter with the professor. It is the professor’s responsibility to explain fully all grades and requirements of the course.

If the problem is not resolved, the student or professor should consult the program director. Should further action be required, the matter should be brought to the dean of the school. Any grievance concerning a grade that has not been satisfactorily resolved by the instructor, the program director, or the dean may be appealed in a written statement to the Senior Vice President and Provost.

This appeal must take place within eight weeks of receiving the grade or initially experiencing the problem. Grades may be appealed on the basis of a question concerning (1) clerical or numerical error or (2) personal bias or arbitrary grading.

Requesting a Late Withdrawal or Leave of Absence

Exceptions to the deadline will be considered upon appeal for medical or other documented emergencies and must be appealed to the Senior Vice President and Provost, to whom the student will provide documentation demonstrating his/her inability to withdraw by the designated deadline. Acceptable documents include, but are not limited to, medical records, a letter from a treating physician or counselor, or documentation of a family medical emergency.

Contact Information for Deans & Program Directors

School of Arts & Humanities
Dean: Sarah Roth snroth@meredith.edu

• Director, Criminal Justice: Bianca Harris bhharris@meredith.edu
• Director, Digital Communication: Alan Buck dabuck@meredith.edu

School of Business
Dean: Kim Burke kgburke@meredith.edu

• Director, MBA: Darren Masier djmasier@meredith.edu

School of Education, Health & Human Services
Dean: Melinda Campbell campbellm@meredith.edu

• Director, Dietetic Internship: Cathie Ostrowski ostrowski@meredith.edu
• Director, Education: Courtney George georgeco@meredith.edu
• Director, I/O Psychology: Joseph Mazzola jjmazzola@meredith.edu
• Director, Nutrition: Tracy Smith smithtra@meredith.edu

School of Natural & Mathematical Sciences
Dean: Liz Wolfinger wolfingere@meredith.edu

• Director, Pre-Health: Karthik Aghoram aghoramk@meredith.edu

Paralegal Program

Director of Graduate Programs: Monica McKinney mckinneym@meredith.edu

• Director, Paralegal: Marisa Campbell campbellma@meredith.edu

Additional information about academic rules, regulations, and policies can be found in the Graduate Course Catalogue.

Students can access the Disability Services Policies and Procedures page that includes the Grievance Policy and the Grievance Flow Chart.

Meredith College has applied to participate in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement – North Carolina (SARA-NC). If you are enrolled at Meredith College but do not reside in North Carolina, you may choose to file a complaint by filling out the complaint form on the SARA-NC website or contact the appropriate authority in your state.

If the matter is unresolved after following the informal complaint process, the graduate student may complete a formal written complaint by completing a Graduate Student Formal Complaint Form available in the Office of the Dean of his or her school or in the Office of the Provost. The formal complaint form must be submitted to the Office of the Dean of his or her school, or to the Office of the Provost in the case where the student’s program is not housed within a school headed by a dean or where the complaint concerns staff in the Office of the Dean, within ten (10) College working days following the date that the informal complaint process is completed. The Provost will assign an academic Dean to process the complaint. The formal complaint must contain the following information:

• Name of graduate student filing the formal complaint
• Name of the faculty or staff member or department involved
• Date(s) of the incident(s)
• Statement of facts and nature of the concern/complaint
• Description of steps already attempted to resolve concern through informal procedures
• Resolution being sought by student
• Student signature, contact information, and date Procedures for Resolution of Formal Complaints

The Office of the Dean in each school will log all general formal complaints and assign the complaint to the appropriate administrator for review, investigation and decision. The responsible administrator will usually respond in writing within ten (10) working days to the complainant. Depending on the nature of the complaint, the responsible administrator may call together involved parties to mediate the situation and determine a solution or decision. The administrator will inform the student of the decision in writing. When a decision is made about a formal complaint, a copy of the written decision should be sent to the Dean, who maintains the general complaint log. If the resolution is unsatisfactory to the student, he or she may then contact the Dean for a referral to the Provost. The Provost shall respond to the complaint within twenty (20) College working days after receipt of the formal complaint and inform the student of the decision in writing. Decisions and resolutions made by the Provost are final. If the complaint is submitted about the Provost, the complaint will be referred to the President for response and decision. No person against whom a complaint is filed shall intimidate, threaten, coerce, or discriminate against any student submitting a complaint. Complaints about retaliation may be communicated to the Office of the Provost.

Meredith College prohibits discrimination and harassment in the administration of any of its educational programs, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school administered programs as well as employment.

Student violations of harassment and discrimination are also defined in the Graduate School Catalogue.

Sexual violence committed by a Meredith College community member violates the Sexual Misconduct Policy.  Students may refer to the Meredith College Title IX page for detailed information about the policy, reporting violations, grievance procedures, seeking confidential support, and gathering information about interim actions that the College can put in place to ensure safety.

To report violations of sexual misconduct/Title IX, persons may contact Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Dean of Students Ann Gleason at (919) 760-8521 or Title IX Coordinator and Director of Human Resources Pam Davis at (919) 760-8760.

Grievance policies and procedures for work study students can be found on MyMeredith  the College’s Intranet. Go to the Financial Assistance site under Supervisors, Contracts, and Job Descriptions.

Meredith College is a candidate for accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and masters degrees. Questions about the status of Meredith College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website.

As an institution accredited by SACSCOC, Meredith College publishes and follows procedures for dealing with student complaints. Details of these procedures are provided on the Dean of Students website.

Individuals may submit complaints against the institution to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the University’s regional accrediting body at the address listed above. Prior to filing a complaint, please carefully review the SACSCOC Complaint Procedures Policy Statement, then complete and submit the required form: SACSCOC Complaint Procedures and Complaint Form.

Additionally, if you are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint, you may choose to file a complaint by filling out the North Carolina Post-secondary Education Student Complaint document.