GRIEVANCE CELL

DEFINITION

  1. a) The term ‘Grievance’ pertains to any discontent or discord that an employee has with any facet of the activities and services within the College, which could involve other employees or individuals.
  2. b) The term ‘Employee or Person’ refers to a college member belonging to the academic staff, an officer, or non-teaching staff, all of whom are officially associated with the College.
  3. c) ‘Students / Parents / Guardians’ denotes students who are currently enrolled in the College and their respective parents or guardians.

AIM

The objective of these regulations is to establish and uphold an efficient, timely, just, and impartial system for addressing grievances involving employees, students, and their parents/guardians. The following principles will guide this process:

  1. a) Instilling a culture of comprehension, timely resolution, and proactive prevention of recurring issues.
  2. b) Establishing a grievance resolution mechanism that prioritizes the concerns of students and employees.
  3. c) Ensuring that grievances are handled swiftly, objectively, and with care, while maintaining the highest level of confidentiality possible.
  4. d) Guaranteeing respect for the perspectives of both the complainant and the respondent, and preventing any form of discrimination or victimization against any party involved in a grievance.
  5. e) Maintaining uniformity in responding to grievances.

            To promote transparency in management and guarantee a smooth educational process within the College, as well as to handle concerns from various parties (students, teaching faculty, and administrative staff), it is essential to create a Grievance Redressal Committee. This committee aims to eliminate any grievances that might emerge due to biases related to factors such as religion, caste, color, gender, linguistic origin, region, or age.

TYPES OF CONTENTS

(1) Faculty Concerns

  1. a) Disagreements regarding actions taken by the Peer Group, Head of Department, or Principal
  2. b) Complaints about the behavior of any officer or support staff
  3. c) Issues related to service conditions, performance evaluations, promotions, compensation, and allowances, etc.
  4. d) Concerns about workplace facilities
  5. e) Dissatisfaction with library operations
  6. f) Complaints about shared amenities like transportation, canteen services, etc.

(2) Employee Concerns

  1. a) Complaints against the Human Resources, Administration & Finance departments
  2. b) Actions taken by any member of the faculty or staff
  3. c) Issues arising from interactions with the reporting officer
  4. d) Shared services such as transportation, canteen services, etc.
  5. e) Conditions of facilities in the workplace.

(3) Student Concerns

  1. Academic-Related Grievances
  2. a) Discontent related to academic content, quality, and course materials
  3. b) Disagreements regarding class scheduling and the timetable
  4. c) Concerns about student progress, including internal assessments, attendance requirements or exceptions, and advancement to the next class.
  5. d) Shortcomings or unavailability of learning resources like library books, journals, laboratory equipment, IT facilities, maintenance-related problems, etc.

Grievance Resolution Procedure

(1) Informal Resolution before Formal Grievance Submission

  1. a) Complainants will be urged to address concerns or issues directly with the relevant person(s) or department through personal discussions or counseling.
  2. b) Efforts will be made to resolve grievances of faculty and staff by their respective reporting authority whenever possible.

(2) Mechanism for Handling and Resolving Grievances

  1. a) A matrix outlining the Grievance Redressal mechanism for faculty and staff is provided in these regulations.
  2. b) The Grievance Redressal mechanism comprises three levels, with Level-III serving as the Appellate Authority.
  3. c) Formal grievances must be presented in writing, including all relevant details, to the First Level Grievance Handling Authority, as outlined in the Matrix.

(3) Procedure & stages in Grievance Handling

  1. a) The aggrieved party will submit a written formal complaint to the Level-I Grievance Handling Authority.
  2. b) Upon receiving the matter, the relevant authority will initiate the redressal process within two working days.
  3. c) The designated authority might provide the complainant with an opportunity to present their case formally, supported by relevant documentation. This authority might also seek clarifications from the complainant or request additional material facts that pertain to the matter. Such clarifications could be sought through written or verbal communication, or via a face-to-face interview with the complainant.
  4. d) The concerned authority will then strive to resolve the grievance as promptly as possible, with a maximum timeframe of 5 working days. The outcome or action taken will be communicated to the complainant or forwarded to the level-2 authority.
  5. e) The Level 2 authority may involve a designated subcommittee to investigate the matter if it is deemed necessary to arrive at a decision.
  6. f) Whenever deemed necessary, the College will implement preventive or corrective measures within a reasonable timeframe and inform the complainant accordingly.
  7. g) If the complainant receives no response from either the level-1 or level-2 handling officer, or if the response is deemed unsatisfactory, the complainant may escalate the matter to the next higher level or the Appellate authority.
  8. h) The concerned Appellate Authority will communicate its decision within five working days of receiving the appeal.
  9. i) The decision of the Appellate Authority will be conclusive, and no further appeals will be entertained under any circumstances.

Safeguarding Confidentiality

  1. a) All authorities will ensure that neither the complainant nor the respondent face victimization or discrimination.
  2. b) The implementation of this procedure will not show bias toward any party.
  3. c) At all stages of this procedure, a comprehensive explanation of decisions and actions taken during the process will be provided upon request by the complainant or respondent.
  4. d) Throughout the process, the highest level of confidentiality and privacy will be maintained, and all records related to such complaints will be treated as private.
  5. e) Records of grievances managed through this process and their outcomes will be retained for a duration of one year.
  6. f) Utilizing this grievance and appeals process will not incur any costs for the complainant.
  • Concerns Regarding Faculty (Including Heads of Departments)
  • a) Issues pertaining to academic delivery and quality
  • b) Behavior within the classroom
  • c) Matters concerning regularity and punctuality
  • d) Instances of discrimination or victimization of students
  •  Concerns About Registration and Examinations
  • a) Matters relating to registration and examinations
  • Non-Academic Concerns (Facilities and Services)
  • a) Insufficiencies in shared services like transportation, canteen services, etc.
  • b) Evaluations of food quality and hygiene standards in hostels and mess areas
  • c) Shortcomings in extra-curricular activities and facilities
  • d) Issues concerning financial assistance for students
  • e) Matters pertaining to identity card functionality
  • Grievances Regarding Internships and Placements
  • a) Complaints of bias in the selection process for internships
  • b) Concerns about discrimination or failure to adhere to placement rules and procedures
  • Financial Concerns
  • a) Concerns about fees and outstanding dues
  • b) Matters related to fee concessions
  • c) Issues related to scholarships
  •  Student-to-Student Disputes
  • a) Clashes between students within the same course or class
  • b) Conflicts arising within the college
  • c) Conflicts extending between different colleges

GREIVANCE FORMS

STUDENT
PARENT
FACULTY
ALUMNI