The Graduate College and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have established policies and standards for academic, professional, and personal conduct. Students are responsible for being familiar with these policies and standards (see the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, the Provost’s Office on Campus Conduct, and the Student Code). Conduct that violates these policies and standards may result in serious consequences including dismissal. In addition to the information in this chapter, also see the Graduate College Web site for resources on problem solving and conflict mediation. Students should also review the section on Academic Integrity, located in chapter I of this document.
The policies, requirements, and deadlines of the Graduate College have been put in place to uphold high academic standards. Exceptions may be justified under extenuating circumstances. Students who wish to request an exception to Graduate College policies may submit a petition providing an explanation or justification for the action requested. The more unusual or major the request, the more detailed the explanation should be from the student and the adviser and/or other appropriate members of the Graduate Faculty or staff. Requests for exceptions to the deadline to deposit a thesis for a certain conferral date and for exceptions to the requirement to be enrolled during the semester that a dissertation is defended are never granted. Students with questions about exceptions to fellowship policies should contact the Fellowship Office instead of submitting a petition.
The University has procedures to provide assistance to students experiencing conflict. Policies and procedures for conflict resolution are overseen by several offices on campus, including the Graduate College, the Office of the Dean of Students, International Student and Scholar Services, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access, and, in some cases, individual departments. The type of conflict will determine from which University office the student should seek assistance.
Academic conflict may be addressed through informal processes or through a formal grievance process. Some graduate programs have established grievance procedures and students should be aware of whether their program has such a procedure in place. The Graduate College has a grievance policy and procedure in place to assist students and graduate programs. It is recommended that students first explore the option of informally resolving an academic conflict. A student who believes he or she has an academic grievance should first discuss it with his or her adviser. If discussion with the adviser is inappropriate or unfruitful, discussion with a senior faculty member, director of graduate study, or a department or unit head is recommended.
A student may elect to file a formal grievance within the unit in which a problem has arisen if the department has a written grievance procedure approved by the Graduate College. The student may also choose to file the grievance directly with the Graduate College. Students should be aware of differences between the Graduate College and departmental grievance policies, as well as what types of grievances are appropriately addressed by these policies. More information and resources related to grievance policies and procedures can be found on the Graduate College Web site.
Course work-based charges of academic integrity infractions against graduate students will be handled according to applicable procedures in the Student Code.
Charges of academic integrity infractions against graduate students that involve research and/or publication will follow procedures contained within the Bylaws of the Graduate College and the University of Illinois Policy and Procedures on Academic Integrity in Research and Publication.
The Student Code contains information for specific procedures for student grievances alleging discrimination, see the non-discrimination policies in Article 1, Part 1.
Information on capricious grading and the departmental procedures for investigating capricious grading complaints can be found in the Student Code, section 3-107.
Jurisdiction of the University discipline system is outlined in section 1-301 of the Student Code. The Subcommittee on Graduate Student Conduct of the Senate Committee on Student Discipline has the right to impose sanctions including, but not limited to dismissal, suspension, conduct probation, censure, and reprimand. More detailed information concerning the operation of the procedures in the Student Code may be obtained from the Office for Student Conflict Resolution at 333-3680.
When a serious conflict between an assistant and a supervisor occurs, reasonable attempts should be made to resolve the conflict informally. If there is a conflict between a supervisor and an assistant that cannot be resolved by informal means, the most practical solution may be to reassign the student to new responsibilities. If reassignment is not feasible or does not appear to be warranted, the assistantship appointment may be terminated by following the procedures given below. The assistant may also choose to resign the appointment by submitting a letter of resignation, (see chapter VIII.A.6)
Most conflicts between a supervisor and a student can be prevented if the student is given a clear description of responsibilities and expectation for performance and if the student receives regular supervision and evaluation. If conflicts surface, however, the Graduate College encourages and supports concerted informal efforts toward resolution within the department, beginning at the supervisor-student level. For procedures to provide guidelines for resolving and mediating conflicts informally, see Procedures for Graduate Student Assistantship Conflict Mediation and Appointment Termination.
Additional resources for students experiencing employment related conflict include the following: