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Complaint and Grievance Process

Eastern Maine Community College recognizes that differences may arise between two parties that cannot be resolved informally or without third party intervention.  In these situations, individuals may seek resolution by following the process established for their particular type of concern.

Academic Standing Appeals:

Students wishing to appeal academic dismissal may do so by following the process outlined in the academic dismissal letter.  Typically, this requires the student submit a written appeal with supporting documentation to the Vice President of Academic Affairs within the time period prescribed in the academic dismissal letter.  Appeals are reviewed by a cross-functional team representing Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Enrollment Management.

ADA Accommodation Concerns:

Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Maine Human Rights Act, Eastern Maine Community College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to those employees and employment applicants who are both disabled and otherwise qualified within the meaning of those laws. The goal of EMCC is to balance on a case-by-case basis the specific needs of its employees with the operational integrity and administrative resources of the College. An employee request for accommodation can be made to Dusty Adams, Director of Human Resources using the following contact information: email – dadams@emcc.edu; phone – (207) 974-4637.

Non-Discrimination:

Eastern Maine Community College does not discriminate as prescribed by federal and/or state law on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, disability, marital, parental or Vietnam era veteran status in specified programs and activities. Inquiries about the College’s compliance with, and policies that prohibit discrimination on, these bases may be directed to:  Non-Discrimination Officer, Human Resources, Maine Hall, Room 140, 354 Hogan Road, Bangor, Maine 04401, telephone number 207-974-4637, voice/TDD 207-974-4658, fax number 207-974-4884, e-mail at dadams@emcc.edu or Vice President of Student Affairs, Katahdin Hall, Room 125, telephone number 207-974-4673, e-mail at etrue@emcc.edu, internet at www.emcc.edu.

United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Bldg, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, telephone 800-421-3481, TTY/TDD 800-877-8339, fax 202-453-6012, e-mail OCR@ed.gov, internet at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html.

Maine Human Rights Commission (MHRC), 51 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0051, telephone 207-624-6290, TTY/TTD 207-624-6064, fax 207-624-8729, http://www.maine.gov/mhrc/ and/or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 475 Government Center, Boston, MA 02203, telephone 1-800-669-4000, TTY 1-800-669-6820, ASL Video Phone 1-844-234-5122, fax 202-653-6056, internet http://www.eeoc.gov/.

Accessibility Services:

Eastern Maine Community College is dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act and Amendments of 2009 (ADAA).  Students requesting accommodations have the responsibility of registering with Accessibility Services in order to request accommodations.  Reasonable accommodations are granted on an individual, case-by-case basis by the Coordinator of Accessibility Services to students with documented disabilities. Questions about accessibility services can be directed to Elizabeth Daigle, Coordinator of Accessibility Services at (207) 974-4868 or via email at edaigle@emcc.edu. Appeals of decisions made by the coordinator must be submitted in writing to the Vice President of Student Affairs at etrue@emcc.edu within 7 days of the decision.

Financial Aid Appeal:

Under some circumstances students may appeal a financial aid decision that impacts their eligibility and/or awarded aid amount. To obtain information about the appropriate appeal process (Changes in Financial Circumstances, Request to Change Self-Supporting Status, Unusual Enrollment History, Spending Plan appeals, Appeal of Satisfactory Academic Process, Request for Time Frame Extension), contact the financial aid office at 207-974-4625 or faid@emcc.edu.

Grade Appeals:

EMCC 310.9:  The academic appeals process for students who have concerns about grades or course activities consists of a three part process:

  1. The student starts by talking with the responsible instructor.
  2. If resolution of the issue is not satisfactory to the student, then the student may appeal to the department chair of the faculty member’s department.
  3. As the final step of the appeals process, the student may then appeal to the Dean of Academic Affairs.

EMCC 310.91:  Students who have evidence that a course or assignment grade was unfairly or inappropriately assigned may appeal the grade.  The burden of proving a claim of an unfair or inappropriate grade rests with the student.  No course grade may be appealed more than 60 days after the end of the semester in which the grade was assigned and no assignment grade may be appealed more than 10 days after the graded work is returned to the student.

An instructor’s grade may be changed for the following reasons:

  1. The instructor contradicts or violates her or his own syllabus.
  2. The instructor has not been consistent in applying grading rules to students.
  3. The grading rules in the syllabus or for the assignment were not followed by the instructor.
  4. The instructor contradicts or violates the student’s rights printed in the student handbook and college catalog.
  5. The instructor contradicts policies/procedures of the Maine Community College System, the policies/procedures of Eastern Maine Community College, or contradicts the policies/procedures of the Academic Department in which the instructor is teaching.
  6. The instructor violates the student’s legal rights in some way including a breach in federal or state statutes, regulations, case law or a breach of constitutional rights.

An instructor’s grade should not be changed simply because the administrator or chair disagrees with the grading rules or applications of rules by the instructors for reasons other than above.

Safety Concerns:

Eastern Maine Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees. The OSH Act created by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers provide their employees with working conditions that are free of known dangers. New hire orientation and annual training is provided to all employees and all students are informed of resources regarding campus emergencies and protocol during orientation. If there is a safety concern, parties may contact the Safety and Security Department at (207) 745-6090. If there are complaints that individuals feel have not been addressed properly, they may contact Dusty Adams, Director of Human Resources at email – dadams@emcc.edu or phone – (207) 974-4637.

Student Code of Conduct:

The College requires students to conduct their affairs with proper regard and mutual respect for the College and the members of its community. In seeking to encourage responsible conduct, the College will rely upon counseling and admonition. When necessary, the College will use this Code in a prompt, fair and impartial manner to: 1) ensure the orderly administration of the College’s academic, athletic and social offerings; 2) secure the opportunity of all students to pursue peacefully their educational objectives; 3) protect the health, safety and welfare of the College and the members of its community; and 4) maintain and protect the real and personal property of the College and the members of its community. This Code applies in addition to other College and System policies and regulations, local ordinances, and state and federal laws. Students whose conduct violates those authorities may also be subject to their sanctions and penalties. Finally, the Residence Hall Agreement between a student and the College imposes similar but additional responsibilities and obligations, and students whose conduct violates both that Agreement and this Code may be disciplined by the College under either or both.

A full description of the code and the procedures in which the code operates under and the full appeal process may be found here:

https://mymccs.me.edu/ICS/icsfs/Policy_501.pdf?target=a35c2b11-2218-49f2-9327-3b2d782220dc

Title IX Concerns (Harassment, Discrimination on the basis of sex, gender):

Eastern Maine Community College has zero tolerance for any forms of harassment or discrimination of our students, employees or visitors.  The College recognizes the dignity and the right of individuals to work, learn, play and live in an environment free of harassment and discrimination.  If you feel you have been or are being harassed, contact Elizabeth True, Title IX Coordinator, by phone at 207-974-4673 or by email at etrue@emcc.edu OR Dusty Adams, Affirmative Action Officer, by phone at 207-974-4637, or by e-mail at dadams@emcc.edu.  The Affirmative Action Officer is located in Room 140 Maine Hall.  These individuals will listen to your concerns, explain your rights, and assist you through the grievance process. To the extent possible, the confidentiality of complaints will be protected.  College policy prohibits retaliation or retribution against someone reporting harassment, sexual harassment, or discrimination.  Additionally, you may file complaints with the Maine Human Rights Commission or the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.

See Student Handbook for more information.  The Student Handbook can be found on the College’s website at https://www.emcc.edu/student-life/resources/student-handbook/.