Grievance Procedure

De Anza College strives to treat all students fairly, but as in any complex organization, conflicts and misunderstandings can arise from time to time. 

Students have certain rights under the rules and regulations of the college, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District and the state of California.

If you feel that your rights have been violated by the college, you have the right to seek a resolution. The district board of trustees established Administrative Procedure 5530: Student Grievances to provide an avenue for relief. De Anza’s student grievance procedures are summarized in the following steps.

Step 1: First try to solve the problem informally with the instructor or staff member. You must confer with the others involved and try to resolve the problem.

Step 2: If you are unable to resolve the issue after Step 1, you must meet with the manager of the other person involved in the dispute – either the division dean for a faculty member or the supervisor for a college administrator or classified professional staff member.

Step 3: If the situation is still unresolved, you must confer with the vice president who oversees the division dean or supervisor, or with the vice president’s designee.

Step 4: If you still aren't satisfied, you may consult with the dean of Student Development or designate, and if they advise that your complaint is appropriate for the grievance process, you may file a formal grievance form. 

Step 5: Fill out and submit the online Student Grievance Form, which you can access at deanza.edu/student-complaints. You can ask any faculty or staff member to assist you with completing the form.

• You will need to list the specific rule or law that you feel was violated, as well as the details of the situation and copies of any pertinent documents. 
• You must file no more than 30 days after learning of the event or the latest of a series of events that form the basis of the grievance. 
• In addition, you must file within a year after the alleged violation occurred, regardless of when you learned of it. 
• You may only file a grievance if you are a current student or if you were a student no more than 30 days before filing.

Step 6: After you submit the online Grievance Form, you will receive an immediate acknowledgement of your submission at the email address you provided on the form.

Step 7: The Grievance Review Board will review your grievance and decide if it meets the standards for filing and for further consideration. The Office of Student Development will contact you if the board agrees to schedule a hearing.

Step 8: The nature of the hearing will vary according to the circumstances and the discretion of the grievance officer. You and the others involved can be accompanied by, or represented by, any other individual who is not an attorney. You may purchase a copy of the official record of the hearing.

Step 9: The Grievance Review Board will try to decide – within 14 days after the hearing – the outcome of your grievance and whether you are entitled to any relief. The board will forward its recommendation to the dean of Student Development, who will forward it to the college president.

Step 10: The president or the president’s designee will have the final decision regarding the outcome of your grievance. If any violation is determined to be the result of a district rule, or some other factor outside the college’s control, the president or the president’s designee will recommend appropriate action to the district chancellor or trustees. The president’s office will notify you in writing of the outcome.