Grievance Procedures

To address complaints of various kinds, the following procedures have been adopted.

Complaints of Sexual Harassment: A standing committee reviews complaints of sexual harassment brought by graduate students against administrators, faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, other instructors of graduate students, postdoctoral appointees, or other graduate students.

The Graduate School Procedure for Student Complaints: This procedure governs any case in which a student has a complaint, including but not limited to a complaint of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sexual preference, or handicap, against a member of the faculty or administration of the Graduate School. Complaints that involve a misapplication of Graduate School policy are also appropriate for consideration by the Dean's Advisory Committee on Student Grievances. Complaints that require an emendation of policy will be referred to the Graduate School Executive Committee.

The Provost's Procedure: The Provost's Procedure governs in cases in which a student has a complaint, including but not limited to a complaint of sexual harassment or of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sexual preference, or handicap, against a faculty member who is not a member of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences; or against an employee who is not an administrator in the Graduate School or who is not subject to discipline by the student's dean.

Disciplinary Procedure: All graduate students are governed by the "Regulations for Academic and Personal Conduct" laid out in the Graduate School Programs and Policies bulletin. These procedures will be used whenever there appears to have been a breach of these regulations, with the one exception of cases where there is an allegation that the graduate student has committed academic fraud (including falsification or fabrication of data and plagiarism) in the course of proposing, conducting, or reporting research supported by the Federal Government. In such cases, the allegation will instead be addressed under the "Policies and Procedures for Dealing with Allegations of Academic Fraud at Yale University." A student accused of a breach of the Regulations will be presumed innocent unless and until found by the Dean's Advisory Committee on Reguations and Discipline, pursuant to these procedures, to have breached the Regulations.

Copies of the grievance procedures of the Graduate School are available online, at registration and may also be obtained at other times from the office of each of the associate deans of the Graduate School. You can also obtain a copy from the Information Office (139 HGS). The deans may be consulted for further information and advice.