Last update: December 23, 2025

Undergraduate students enrolled at Temple University have the right to appeal any academic or non-academic matter in which they feel they have been treated unfairly. While each school and college at Temple University has established and adheres to its own grievance procedure, all have in common the following steps:

1. Students attempt resolution through discussion with the instructor.
2. Failing agreement, students present appeals to the chair of the department, specifying the nature of the grievance, the result of the previous discussion, and the resolution sought.
3. Failing agreement at the department chair level, students may appeal to the Office of the Dean of the College.
4. When appeals warrant review beyond the school or college, students, faculty members, or the dean's office may appeal to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies.

Details that may vary from school to school include the involvement of a student-ombudsperson; the constitution of grievance hearing committees, which may be a part of either step two or three; and time limits, both for students' filing and for the administrative response.

Students should be advised that filing a formal grievance, that is, beyond the level of the instructor, is serious and should be avoided until all informal methods of adjudication have been used.

Student Grievance Procedures 

These procedures have been developed for students who wish to appeal an academic matter, including final course grades, comprehensive or preliminary exam results, or dismissals. 

The student grievance officer for Temple University, Japan Campus is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs ([click-for-email])

Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 requires that each college or university establish due process for the resolution of academic grievances. This is to protect students from prejudiced and capricious academic evaluation. All undergraduate students enrolled at Temple University, Japan Campus have a right to appeal grades which they deem unfair and unreasonable. The student must provide evidence indicating a mistake, fraud, or bad faith on the part of an instructor.
Students will not be able to grieve a grade unless it is accompanied by such evidence.

The procedures outlined here are for the resolution of academic grievances related to courses taught at Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) at the undergraduate level and graduate Communication Management, Master in Management (MiM), and Graduate College of Education Master’s level. Students in the Beasley School of Law program should contact their Program Director.

Non-academic undergraduate grievances (for example, related to housing, affirmative action, student financial services, disability services, and so forth) should be referred to the Office of Student Services at [click-for-email]. Graduate program non-academic issues should be referred to the respective graduate Program Director.
An academic grievance is a grievance related to the evaluation of academic work in a course. This may include, but is not limited to, a grade, attendance, and compliance with course guidelines. The standards and assessment of academic performance are reserved for faculty responsible for teaching the course in question. These standards should be clearly delineated in the course syllabus. In a review of academic cases, policies stated on a course syllabus will be understood to have been viewed and accepted by the student concerned.

All undergraduate, Communication Management, Master in Management (MiM), and Graduate College of Education Master’s level students enrolled in courses offered at TUJ may grieve any academic matter in which they believe they have been treated unfairly. At any time a student may withdraw his or her grievance, thereby halting the grievance process. Once the grievance has been halted it cannot be reinstituted on the same basis.

All efforts will be made to settle grievances within the semester of filing the grievance with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (ADAA). However, grievances must be filed by the following dates:* 

• February 1 of the next calendar year following the end of a Fall semester
• July 1 of the same calendar year following the end of a Spring semester
• October 1 of the same calendar year following the end of a Summer semester

Students cannot appeal grades after they have graduated.
This Grievance Procedure will be made available to students on the TUJ website, and will be provided to students by the Dean of TUJ, the ADAA, the Academic Advising Center, Graduate College of Education Executive Director,  Master in Management Director, or the Registrar’s Office on request.

All documents and hearings related to a student grievance will be treated as confidential, with disclosure limited to those involved in the grievance process. Documents are to be maintained by the Grievance Coordinator.

* If circumstances warrant, students may appeal for an extension of time to file a grievance. Appeals should be in writing and sent to the ADAA for consideration.
 

1. Attempting Informal Resolution

A student who believes they have been treated unfairly or graded in error should first contact the course instructor and ask for clarification on the specific issue of concern. If the instructor is no longer employed by Temple University, Japan Campus or is, for other reasons, unavailable, the student should first meet with the Division Chair, Program Director/Coordinator, or a designee.

Should the parties reach an agreement about the dispute, they will write and sign a document showing the steps each party will take to resolve it. Copies of the signed agreement will then be distributed to the student, the instructor, and the Division Chair or Director.

If no resolution can be found, the student may file a formal grievance in accordance with Step 2 of the Grievance Procedure, as described below.

2. Filing a Formal Grievance

Students wishing to take their dispute further should send a written request to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs ([click-for-email]) outlining: 1) the grounds for a grievance, 2) the steps taken to date, and 3) the desired resolution. Students must include their contact information including name and TU ID number.

The ADAA will forward the student's statement to the faculty member concerned, with a copy to the Division. At this point the ADAA will be responsible for the workflow, for informing those involved of the process, and for keeping records. All documents and related correspondence are to be treated confidentially, with disclosure limited to those involved in the grievance process.

The Chair, or a designee, will arrange to meet with the student and the instructor within seven (7) calendar days of the receipt of the written grievance.
If an agreement is reached, or if the student decides not to pursue the grievance further, the Chair will draft a statement detailing the resolution, signed by the student and the instructor. The Chair should send this to the ADAA.

If the grievance is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student will indicate this in writing to the Division Chair (or director of the program) within seven (7) calendar days from the date of the meeting. At this point the Grievance Committee is convened.

3. The TUJ Grievance Committee

The TUJ Grievance Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and at least three full-time faculty members, one staff appointed by the ADAA and renewed annually. In the event that a member of the Grievance Committee is grieved against, that member shall withdraw from the Grievance Committee for the consideration of that grievance, and a substitute shall be appointed by the ADAA. It shall be the duty of the Grievance Committee to solicit, receive, and consider information from parties involved in a grievance and conduct any hearings it deems necessary. The ADAA or their designee may also attend any hearings and review any documentation collected by the Grievance Committee. The process shall be as follows:

• The ADAA will forward copies of the grievance and all previous proceedings, documents, and correspondence to the Committee for review and arrange a meeting of the Committee.
• The Grievance Committee shall prepare a written report with recommendations for the resolution of the grievance. This report may include majority and minority opinions, should any members of the Grievance Committee so desire.
• The Grievance Committee report shall be sent to the Dean for disposition, and the Grievance Coordinator shall be informed.
• After reviewing the opinions of the TUJ Grievance Committee, the Dean shall render a decision and will communicate the decision to the student.
• The grievance report and relevant correspondence and documentation will be kept on file by the Grievance Coordinator.

Decisions of the Dean of TUJ on grievances by undergraduate students may be appealed to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, within seven (7) calendar days of notification, but only on the grounds that procedural defects substantially prevented the student from obtaining a full and fair hearing on the merits of the case. Appeals to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies shall be in writing and delivered via the office of the ADAA.

Students in TUJ’s Graduate College of Education master’s level courses should follow the same appeal procedure as undergraduate students, but should appeal to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Education. Students in TUJ’s Communication Management and Master in Management courses should follow the same appeal procedure as undergraduate students, but should appeal to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.