Part 1. Definitions
Informal Complaint – A concern or issue alleging improper, unfair, or arbitrary treatment that is brought forward and resolved through conversation.
Formal Complaint – A concern or issue alleging improper, unfair, or arbitrary treatment, unable to be resolved by informal means, that is submitted through the Complaint and Grievance electronic form and addressed through institutional review and decision-making.
Grievance – A written claim submitted by a student alleging improper, unfair, or arbitrary action by a College employee involving the application of a specific provision of a RCTC or Minnesota State Board Policy or Procedure.
Retaliation – Retribution of any kind taken against a student for participating or not participating in a complaint or grievance process.
Student – An individual enrolled in the College, or a group of such individuals, or student government.
Part 2. Informal Complaint Procedure
- The student discusses and attempts to resolve their concern with college employee responsible for the concern. If the student is uncomfortable discussing the concern with employee on their own, they may request the presence of another staff member, or they may speak to the employee’s supervisor. Timeline: 10 business days from the event giving rise to the complaint.
- If no resolution is reached in step 1, the student must discuss the concern with the employee’s supervisor in an attempt to resolve it. Timeline: 5 business days after the conversation in step 1.
Part 3. Formal Complaint/Grievance Procedure
If no resolution is reached in step 2, the student may elect to file a formal complaint or grievance by completing the online Formal Complaint and Grievance form. Timeline: 5 business days after the conversation in step 2 of the informal complaint procedure.
- The complaint/grievance is routed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs for academic matters (excluding grade appeals) or to the Vice President of Student Affairs for non-academic matters.
- The Vice President reviews all documentation associated with the case and may request additional information or a meeting with the student. The Vice President renders a decision. Timeline: 10 days from receipt of complaint/grievance. The timeline may be extended if additional information is required. The extension of the timeline will be communicated to the student.
- If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the Vice President, they may appeal to the President if they believe that the information provided concerning the complaint/grievance was not given adequate consideration. Timeline: Student must appeal to the President within 5 days of receiving the Vice President’s decision.
- For a complaint, decisions by the President are final and binding.
- For a grievance, the student may appeal to the Minnesota State Chancellor’s office if the grievance concerned a Minnesota State System policy or procedure that does not have an embedded appeal process. Decisions by the Chancellor of the Minnesota State System are final. Timeline: Student must appeal to the Chancellor within 5 days of receiving the President’s decision.
Date of Implementation: Immediate
Date of Adoption: 10/2/2026
Revisions Adopted: