If a student has a grievance or a complaint regarding a faculty member, it should be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean for Faculty. If the Associate Dean determines that there is a basis for formal inquiry and the grievance cannot be resolved informally, it will be forwarded to the Dean's Advisory Committee for appropriate action. The Dean's Advisory Committee will make a recommendation to the Dean regarding the disposition of the matter.
If a student has a grievance or a complaint regarding a disability accommodation or related matter, it should be reported to the Office of Student Affairs. If the Office of Student Affairs is unable to resolve the matter informally, the student will have the opportunity to present his/her concerns to the Dean of Students. If the student is dissatisfied with the resolution of the matter by the Dean of Students, the student should submit a written complaint to the Associate Dean for Faculty. If the Associate Dean is unable to resolve the matter or if the student is dissatisfied with the resolution, the written complaint will be forwarded to the Vice President for Human Resources for investigation and decision.
A student having a grievance or a complaint regarding an issue other than an academic or disability one should present that issue to the Office of Student Affairs. If the Office of Student Affairs is unable to resolve the matter informally, it will be forwarded to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs for appropriate action. If the matter cannot be satisfactorily resolved by the Associate Dean, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean.
Complaints Implicating ABA Standards Policy – ABA Standard 510
As an ABA-accredited law school, Loyola Law School must comply with the American Bar Association Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools (ABA Standards). Any Loyola student who wishes to bring a complaint to the attention of the law school of a significant problem that directly implicates the school’s program of legal education and its compliance with the ABA Standards should take the following steps:
- Submit the complaint in writing to the Dean of Students. The writing may be in the form of an email, U.S. mail, or by personal delivery.
- The writing should describe in detail the practice, program, or other matter that is the subject of the complaint. The writing should also explain how the matter directly implicates the law school’s program of legal education and its compliance with a specific ABA Standard or Standards.
- The writing must provide the student’s name and e-mail address for further communication about the complaint.
If the Law School determines that the complaint directly implicates its program of legal education and its compliance with an ABA Standard, the Law School will respond according to the following process:
- The administrator will acknowledge in writing receipt of the student’s complaint by email. The administrator, or the administrator’s designee, will either meet with the student or respond to the substance of the complaint in writing. In this meeting or in this writing, the administrator will provide a substantive response to the complaint, or information about steps being taken by the law school to address the complaint or further investigate the complaint. Usually a student can expect a meeting or written response to the complaint within two weeks of the submission of the complaint.
- Within 30 days of this response, the complaining student may appeal the decision to the Dean of the law school. The appeal must be in writing and explain the basis of the appeal; it should be in the form of an e-mail, U.S. mail, or by personal delivery. The Dean will either meet with the student or respond to the substance of the appeal in writing. Usually a student can expect a meeting or written response to the appeal within three to four weeks of the submission of the appeal. The Dean’s decision will be final.
- A copy of the complaint and a summary of the response and resolution of the complaint will be recorded and archived by the law school Office of Student Affairs in compliance with the ABA Standards for a period of eight years from the date of final resolution of the complaint.