Notice of Availability

Students enrolled at Culver-Stockton are entitled to the following information upon request and may obtain copies by contacting the offices referenced below.

Complaint Procedures Disclosures

For guidance on procedures and complaints, students should refer to the Student Handbook.

Code of Conduct Complaints

Any student may file a complaint against any student for misconduct. Complaints should be prepared in writing and directed to the Dean of Student Life or Vice President for Academic Affairs, if in an academic setting. Any complaint should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place, preferably within three business days of the event. When a student is faced with a complaint of Prohibited Conduct:

  1. The student shall be notified of the complaint in writing – these will be sent via email and it is the responsibility of all students to check their Culver-Stockton College email on a regular basis;
  2. The student shall be referred to the appropriate document regarding his/her rights and responsibilities;
  3. A hearing shall be set at a suitable time and place. Conduct meetings will be heard by the Dean of Student Life or designee or the conduct panel;
  4. The student shall be permitted to present witnesses;
  5. If the student desires, an advisor from the faculty or staff, who is not serving on a hearing committee, may be assigned to assist the student in preparation for the hearing. If the complaint involves sexual misconduct (Title IX) the student may be accompanied by an advisor of their choice, who may be, but is not required to be, an attorney. Upon advance request, the college will assign an advisor to the student; the Dean of Student Life must be notified if the student chooses this option. See the Policy on Sexual Misconduct (Title IX) for additional information regarding hearing procedures. Please click here for more information on Title IX complaints.
  6. Formal rules of evidence applicable in a court of law do not apply; the judicial body’s determination shall be made on the basis of whether it is more likely than not that the accused student violated the Student Code;
  7. The student shall be assured of procedural fairness; and
  8. In the event of an adverse decision or a penalty that the student considers excessive, the student has the right of appeal.

All complaints will be investigated and outcomes will be kept on file in the Student Life Division. You may contact Brian Walker, Interim Dean of Student Life, by emailing bwalker@culver.edu or by calling 573-288-6334. It is the responsibility of students to read and understand the rules outlined in the Student Handbook.

Academic Complaints

If students have specific complaints about a course or grading practices, students are encouraged first to talk to the faculty member teaching that course to resolve the issue. If students are uncomfortable meeting with the instructor then they can contact the department chair and/or the division chair and they can work with the student to resolve the issue. If that still does not resolve the issue the student is asked to contact Dr. Kim Gaither, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College, by emailing kgaither@culver.edu or by calling 573-288-6325.

In addition, Culver-Stockton College students who wish to appeal to the Academic Standards Committee in matters of variance (substitution of classes, waivers, exemptions from requirements, etc.) from the established policy may do so, in writing, through the Office of the Registrar. Such petitions should show endorsement or acknowledgement by the student’s academic advisor.

Students wishing to file a complaint about grades should refer to the Academic Catalog for information regarding that process. Click here to be taken to the Academic Catalog.

Miscellaneous Complaints

If the complaint does not meet a code of conduct violation or an academic complaint then students are encouraged to still contact Brian Walker, Interim Dean of Student Life, at bwalker@culver.edu to determine the best area to handle the complaint. For example, financial complaints will be directed to the CFO for response and possible resolution, human resource complaints will be directed to the Executive Director of Human Resources, facility complaints will be directed to the Director of Campus Safety and Facilities, etc. Financial Aid has an appeal procedure for students that is outlined in the Academic Catalog. Click here for a link to the Academic Catalog.

All complaint procedures should take less than two weeks for a response and resolution. Title IX complaints, as they have required time guidelines that are dictated by federal law, may take longer to resolve.

Any appeals that deal with the code of conduct are outlined in the code of conduct appeal process in the Student Handbook. Academic Appeals are heard by the Academic Standards Committee, as outlined in the Academic Catalog. Any appeals that are outside of the code of conduct can be brought to the Senior Leadership Group for a final decision. The Dean of Student Life will see that all complaints are resolved in a timely manner.

As an accredited institution of higher education through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), students, faculty, staff and members of the public may submit a complaint about any HLC accredited institution. The link for an HLC complaint can be found at https://www.hlcommission.org/Student-Resources/complaints.html.

Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures to comply with FERPA. The link to file a FERPA complaint is located at https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/file-a-complaint.

All inquiries and complaints will be responded to in an orderly fashion.