Complaint Policy

Purpose

A complaint is a written concern or formal charge of dissatisfaction with a person, service, or process of the university that requires clarification, investigation, and resolution.  Consistent with its mission, York University welcomes opinions and feedback about our policies, programs, and services in order to make changes that contribute to success, development, and goal attainment. The University is accountable to its students, its other constituents, and its institutional accrediting body to provide a mechanism to ensure that students have access to appropriate procedures for registering complaints.

Policy: Student Complaints

York University designates the Office of Student Life as responsible for receiving, investigating and potentially resolving student complaints. When related to academic grade disputes, academic integrity issues, non-academic misconduct, financial need, disability, affirmative action, or sexual violence, harassment and discrimination, complaints will be referred to the appropriate University office(s) per York University policies and procedures. No retaliation of any kind shall be taken against a student who articulates a complaint.

This policy applies to all University students regardless of school, or college, status, classification, type, or location.

Filing a Formal Complaint

If a student would like to seek guidance from someone regarding the complaint process, both formal and informal, they may email studentlife@york.edu  

A. Informal Resolution

Students are strongly encouraged to resolve any concern by talking with the staff member/administrator and his/her supervisor if necessary. Assistance is available from the Vice President of Student Life. Prompt reporting of all formal complaints is critical and necessary as it is often difficult to trace the facts of an incident or incidents long after they have occurred. Students are advised that a formal complaint will be most effectively addressed if the formal complaint is brought forward within sixty (60) College business days of the alleged incident. Students must complete each step in the process before proceeding to the next one.

B. Filing a Formal complaint

A formal complaint is a request for assistance with a problem, conflict, concern, or issue that negatively impacts students that could not be addressed by informal resolution with the staff member/administrator and his/her supervisor.

Formal complaints must be filed using YU’s online formal complaint form. When using the online form, a student may choose to remain anonymous. Though anonymous formal complaints are permitted, doing so may limit the College’s ability to investigate and respond to a formal complaint. Formal YU Student Formal Complaint Processes complaints will be forwarded to the appropriate administrator responsible for the individual, process or department involved.” Documentation of the formal complaint should include:

• A detailed description of the issue and negative impact
• The date, time, and place of the event(s) pertaining to the formal complaint
• The name and contact information for any witnesses with knowledge of the formal complaint or subject of the formal complaint.
• Specific details regarding the instance(s) of non-compliance with the policy or procedure applicable.
• A proposed solution or action.

If the formal complaint is not a violation of policy, law or standard practice guideline, the appropriate campus administrator will assist the complainant in resolving the issue with the appropriate college resource, employee or employee group (i.e. human resources, supervisor, and campus designated contact person).

If the formal complaint demonstrates a violation, or potential violation of policy or standard practice guideline, the appropriate campus administrator will begin a formal resolution process. This process could include investigation and/or coordination with appropriate College contacts.

All formal complaints must be submitted using the Student Complaint Form.