Policies for Graduate, Research and Teaching Assistants

For any questions about the policies, please contact the Deputy Provost for Graduate Education.

General Policy FAQs

Click on the policy links above to read the full policies.

The changes take effect in Academic Year 2022-2023, beginning on August 22, 2022.

No. These policies apply only to GAs, TAs, RAs, and GFs in academic or administrative roles, with the exceptions of Athletics and Greek Life.

Please contact Taryn Gall, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Administration, at taf6@lehigh.edu or 610-758-4607.

Please contact Chloe Soloman, Assistant Dean/Director, Fraternity & Sorority Affairs, at cma219@lehigh.edu or 610-758-4157.

 

Grievances and Complaints

While many disagreements and concerns can be resolved by informal discussion among the parties, on occasion it may be necessary to initiate a more formal grievance resolution process.  The Colleges or programs may have more detailed procedures than are outlined below, please defer to those details when navigating a grievance.  

Generally speaking, for issues regarding grades, courses or other aspects of a graduate program, students should first seek resolution directly with the faculty member(s) involved. If resolution cannot be reached with the faculty member(s), the student should next bring the issue to the attention of the program’s graduate director and if needed, the department chair. If resolution cannot be reached within the department, the student should bring the issue to the attention of the appropriate College Dean’s Office.

We encourage all relevant parties to try to resolve issues first by meeting to discuss the situation. If this is unsuccessful, students should submit formal grievances in writing, with a description of their concerns and a requested course of action. The faculty member(s) and (if subsequently involved) the graduate director and department chair will evaluate the student’s request and provide written responses. If resolution is not reached within the department/program, these written records should be submitted in full to the appropriate college Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will gather information and provide a decision.

If at any point in this process you are unsure how to proceed or have concerns about raising issues within your department/program, we encourage you to reach out to your College Dean’s Office for advice.

You may also skip a step in the hierarchical grievance process (e.g., go straight to the department chair or Dean’s Office) if you have serious concerns about approaching a particular individual.

For advice outside of your College Dean’s Office, you may contact any of the following:

Appeals regarding course grades are governed by the Rules and Procedures of the Faculty. These state:

A student has the right to have all written materials submitted to meet the requirements of a course returned or made available for inspection. To be "made available" does not guarantee the right to a photocopy, but the materials may be examined in the faculty office or academic department office. All written materials not returned to the student must be retained by the faculty member or the department office for at least one long-session term following the completion of the course. A student questioning the validity of a grade must file the appeal to the faculty member of the academic department before the last class day of the long-semester term following the completion of the course. This does not limit the ability to correct a grade based on miscalculation or data entry error.

Students who are not satisfied by the resolution provided by the procedures above may appeal by petition to the Committee on Standing of Graduate Students (SOGS).  Please note, however, that this committee deals only with academic issues. The SOGS committee includes the graduate associate deans of the colleges, the Associate Deputy Provost for Graduate Education, and a representative from the Graduate and Research Committee. The committee meets regularly with the Registrar and considers all graduate petitions. The Registrar’s Office notifies the petitioner of the committee’s decision.

If a student is not satisfied with the decision of the SOGS committee, he or she may appeal the decision to the Graduate and Research Committee (GRC), an elected committee of the University Faculty. Appeals to the GRC are, however, rare and the petitioner must make clear in writing why the decision of the SOGS committee was inappropriate and why the resolution proposed by the petitioner is more appropriate.

Lehigh University upholds the Principles of Our Equitable Community and is committed to an educational, working, co-curricular, social, and living environment for faculty, staff, and students. The University does not discriminate in its admissions practices, employment practices, or educational programs or activities on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin (including shared ancestry), pregnancy or related conditions, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and veteran or military status. Harassment or discrimination is unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. The University strongly encourages (and, depending upon the circumstances, may require) students, faculty, or staff who experience or witness harassment or discrimination, or have information about harassment or discrimination in University programs or activities, to immediately report such conduct.

If you have questions about Lehigh’s Policy on Harassment and Non-Discrimination or need to report harassment or discrimination, contact the Equal Opportunity Compliance Coordinator:

(610) 758-3535
eocc@lehigh.edu

Reports of harassment or discrimination can also be made:

• To the Lehigh University Police Department (610-758-4200)

• To any member of the faculty (e.g., your advisor or graduate director) or university administration (e.g., the Associate Dean’s Office).

• Online at go.lehigh.edu/harassment

Before a disclosure is made, an individual who wishes to talk about these issues confidentially and without initiating a report or investigation can contact:

Lehigh University Counseling & Psychological Services

Lehigh University Chaplain’s Office

Lehigh University is a member of NC-SARA. As such, if an issue is unresolved by the university procedures outlined above, the student may lodge a complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of Education.  

PDE Complaint Link: Students Complaints | Department of Education | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Or Contact:
Division of Higher Education, Access, and Equity
Pennsylvania Department of Education
607 South Drive, 3rd Floor | Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: 717-783-6786 | RA-HigherEducation@pa.gov