The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences follow the graduate school policy. Any student with a grievance should first try to resolve the problem directly with the individual involved.
At the departmental level, if that fails, and if the grievance does not involve the student’s major advisor, the advisor should be approached for advice and to perhaps serve as a mediator.
If that fails, please see the sequence of steps outlined below.
Step 1: The student who believes that the grievance is severe or has been unable to obtain an acceptable consultative resolution should submit in writing to the department chair (or program director where there is no chair oversight) a description of their complaint, including any evidentiary or supporting materials and a request for a hearing. (If the department chair or program director is a party against whom the grievance is brought, either as a teaching faculty member or as chair or director, or where the department chair or program director can demonstrate that it will best serve the interests of the parties, direct petition to the school or college level may be pursued.)
Step 2: The department chair (or program director where there is no chair oversight) shall begin to assemble a Departmental or Program Grievance Committee within 20 academic days of receipt of the student’s appeal. The department chair or program director shall give the Departmental or Program Grievance Committee and each principal a copy of the written grievance, including any evidentiary or supporting materials and a copy of the Academic Grievance Policy and Procedures for graduate students.
Upon initial review of the materials and statements presented by the grievant, if the Departmental or Program Grievance Committee finds the grievance does not have reasonable supporting grounds, the committee shall conclude the grievance is without merit. In this initial review the committee may also consider materials or statements submitted by the teaching faculty member(s) against whom the grievance is lodged. If the grievance is found without merit, the committee shall report this denial to the department chair or program director. The committee shall complete this initial review within 15 academic days of its receipt of the grievance. The department chair or program director shall then submit a Statement of Decision to the principals (via certified, return receipt mail), the college or school dean and the dean of the Graduate School within 10 academic days of receipt of the committee’s decision.
If the Departmental or Program Grievance Committee finds the statement of grievance has reasonable supporting grounds, the committee shall begin to assemble a hearing (as provided below) within 20 academic days of the committee’s receipt of the written grievance.
Step 3: The Departmental or Program Grievance Committee shall convene hearing(s) as necessary to allow both principals the opportunity to present their positions and shall allow each principal the right to question the presentation(s), written and verbal, of each principal and of others who contribute information to the committee. Principals shall be notified of the hearing date, location, and Grievance Committee member names at least 72 hours prior to a scheduled hearing.
The hearing(s) shall be conducted in a fair and expeditious manner, but shall not be subject to the rules governing a legal proceeding. Each principal shall have the right to be present (under unusual circumstances, if either party is considered to pose a physical threat to the other or to the committee, the chair of the committee may request that either the student or instructor participate by phone) and to have one advisor present at all hearings. In no such case shall the advisor be an attorney, unless they are a member of the UB faculty who is not acting in a legal capacity on behalf of a principal. An advisor may not speak on behalf of or advocate for a principal or otherwise address members of the hearing committee. Hearing(s) shall be conducted in confidence.
Step 4: The Departmental or Program Grievance Committee shall submit its recommendation(s) in writing, including findings and reasons for the recommendations, to the department chair (or program director where there is no chair oversight) within 10 academic days¹ of the final meeting of the committee.
Step 5: The department chair or program director shall consider the committee's findings and recommendations and render a final decision. This Statement of Decision and an indication of the student's right to appeal the department chair's or program director’s decision (including time limit) shall be submitted, in writing, from the department chair or program director to the principals (via certified, return receipt mail), the college or school dean and the dean of the Graduate School within 10 academic days¹ from receiving the Departmental or Program Grievance Committee's written recommendations.
Files shall be maintained in the offices of the dean and the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School.
The direction of higher levels of appeal may differ depending upon the nature of the grievance, but might include the Dean of the School of Pharmacy, the Dean of the Graduate School, or the Chairman of the Health Sciences Divisional Committee of the Graduate School. The School follows the Graduate Academic Grievance policy.