Grievance Procedures

A student may wish to present a grievance against a faculty or staff member, or another student, when the issues cannot be resolved informally or by use of other regular College procedures. A grievance is a concern related to an alleged illegal or improper action not otherwise addressed in policies contained within the College Student, Staff, or Faculty Handbooks. CBC has set procedures for students who wish to present grievances and are listed below. Academic related grievances (i.e., appealing a course grade) should go through the Academic Dean’s office.

  1. Any student who would like to file a formal grievance must submit a written report to the Dean’s Department as promptly as possible, within 12 months of the occurrence of the incident, and should include the following information:
    • The date and place of the incident;
    • A description of what took place;
    • Why it is considered a grievance;
    • The date on which the grievance was recorded; and
    • The name and signature of the grievant.
  2. A thorough investigation of the grievance will be conducted and CBC may take disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
  3. Should anyone be dissatisfied with an imposed sanction as a result of the investigation, an appeal may be made to the Academic Dean and eventually the President of the College. (see Student Appeal of Disciplinary Sanctions below)
  4. If the complaint is with or against the Dean of Students or the Dean of Women, then the complaint should be reported to the Academic Dean.

Students filing a written grievance with the Dean’s Department may be required to meet with a staff member face-to-face to answer questions and provide more contextual information related to the alleged incident. If the student chooses not to submit their grievance in writing and/or chooses not to meet with College staff when requested to do so, the College reserves the right to not respond to the filed grievance (except in gender-based misconduct); although a copy of the report will be left in the student’s file in the Dean’s Department.

When filing a complaint it is important that the accuser state the nature of the grievance, bring witnesses (if able), and be able to clearly state the facts, accusations, and situations. If the accusation against another student, staff, or faculty member is determined false or malicious, the student may be subject to discipline or dismissal. In all cases, confidentiality of the accuser and accused will be strictly adhered to except as required by applicable law. Any crimes violating federal, state, or local law will be referred to the appropriate enforcement agency.

The college is committed to the scriptural principles found in Matthew 18:15-17. However, the College understands the difficulty inherent in discussing an offense with persons in a position of authority. Therefore, the student is encouraged, but not required, to discuss the matter privately with the person in an effort to resolve the matter. If the student is in a situation where they are unsure how to proceed, please seek counsel from the Dean’s Department. The Dean’s Department is always available to provide advice and support for students who are uncertain as to how they should proceed in confronting someone.

At CBC we believe we are in a partnership with parents as we aid students in their developmental process. Therefore, parents of dependent children may be notified when their student is subject to significant disciplinary actions.