Student Empowerment
I know students can feel frustrated because they don't know their rights, don't know what forms they need to complete to graduate, or they feel they have no way to complain about or praise a professor. So, I developed this page to provide students with ways that they can feel empowered.
Empowerment Through Knowing Your Rights
- Steps to Resolving a Grievance or Grade Appeals (if
the issue is not resolved sufficiently, then move to the next step)
- Try to resolve the matter with the faculty member.
- Speak to the appropriate department chair and/or chair of the department personnel committee.
- Speak to the college dean or designee.
- File a formal grievance or grade appeal (Note: The grievance or appeal must be filed before the end of the following semester after the issue occurred or the grade was assigned).
- Academic Grievance and Grade Appeals Procedures
- Student Conduct
- Procedures for Addressing Allegations of Sexual Harassment
- Student Disciplinary Procedures, etc.
- Students should refer any complaints of discrimination, harassment, and/or sexual harrassment to the Office of Equity and Diversity
- Students can file a complaint against another student for violating the Student Conduct Code by filing a Student Misconduct Complaint Form
Empowerment Through Student Evaluations
- Student evaluations are
important:
- for Faculty Promotion, Tenure, and Retention;
- to acknowledge faculty accomplishments;
- to assist faculty in making their classes better; etc.
- Students have the right to give written and/or verbal evaluations regarding faculty members who are up for promotion, tenure, or retention.
- All written letters regarding a faculty member's performance should be sent to the Department Chair, and the letter should be signed.
- During in-class student evaluations, the faculty member can NOT be in the room, and a student should distribute the evaluations and hand-deliver them to the department office.
- http://ratemyprofessors.com - This web page gives students the opportunity to provide feedback for their peers about a professor. Also, many professors check out their ratings/comments as well. My suggestion is that you try to describe your experience in a way that will be helpful to other students and to the professor - as compared to wasting space with personal attacks or declaring your lust/love.
- CSUN Faculty Awards - If you know a faculty member who has gone out of his/her way to help you, has provided excellent instruction, and/or mentoring, then take the time to nominate the faculty member for some type of recognition.
- CSUN Don Dorsey Faculty Mentoring Award - Has a faculty member mentored you? If so, nominate her or him for the Don Dorsey Mentoring Award.
Empowerment Through Knowledge
- Admissions and Records - all the forms you need to graduate :)
- Financial Aid
Empowerment Through Involvement
- One of the main ways students can be empowered is through being involved in student organizations, especially student governing bodies.