Complaint Policy for Certification Programs

Students, staff, faculty and district partners have the right to register complaints or concerns regarding their experience at the University of Houston and the College of Education and to receive a timely response from the appropriate University official.

Allegations of unlawful discrimination, harassment or sexual misconduct must be filed with the Office of Equal Opportunity Services in accordance with the University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy ( SAM 01.D.08) or the University’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy ( SAM 01.D.07).

Policies and procedures to address all other concerns are described below.

Complaint Policy for Students

The College of Education encourages students to make every effort to resolve their concerns directly and informally with the faculty or other involved parties. If the problem is not resolved between the parties, the student may request a meeting with the department chairperson, faculty member(s) and/or any other personnel involved in the situation.

If the informal meetings are unsuccessful in reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the student’s complaint, the student must follow the formal grievance process described in the Student Grievance Policy of the student’s academic department. The departments’ grievance policies are posted on the College of Education website at the following links:

If the nature of the complaint includes the department chair, students may skip the departmental grievance process and follow the formal process for hearing students’ grievances described in the College of Education Grievance Policy for Undergraduate Students or Graduate Students.

Complaint Policy for Staff and Faculty

The UH Office of Ombuds Services provides faculty and staff with an informal mechanism to resolve workplace conflicts and address questions and concerns related to their employment with the University. The ombudsperson is a UH faculty member appointed by the Provost’s Office who strives to promote fairness and foster a positive work environment by facilitating conflict resolution and problem solving. Faculty and staff members may consult the ombudsperson concerning interpretations and applications of University policy, as well as matters of personal conflict with administrative personnel, colleagues or other members of the University community.

While the Ombudsperson does not participate in formal grievance processes, she/he can serve as a resource for staff and faculty members involved in a formal grievance process.

Employees may consult the University ombudsperson by emailing ombudsperson@uh.edu. The ombudsperson is independent, neutral and maintains confidentiality. The only exception to this privilege of confidentiality is where there appears to be imminent risk of serious harm.

Grievance Policy for Staff

UH expects that supervisors and employees communicate frequently and effectively, which will likely reduce misunderstandings and conflict and best serve the interests of the employees and the University. However, when a disagreement with management on an adverse employment action cannot be resolved informally, UH provides employees a prompt, orderly and fair response to their grievances as outlined in 02.04.01 Staff Grievance Policy.

Intimidation, harassment, coercion or reprisal in any form against any employee for presenting the grievance or for participating or assisting another employee in the presentation of a grievance pursuant to this policy is strictly prohibited.

Grievance Policy for Faculty

UH requires that all faculty members receive fair and consistent treatment in all matters related to their employment. When faculty complaints are not resolved via informal means, faculty may file a formal grievance following the process outlined in COE Faculty Grievance Policy and Procedures. If the situation is not resolved to the grievant’s satisfaction at the College level, faculty may appeal at the University level following the steps described in the University of Houston Grievance Policy .

Retaliation in any form against any faculty member for presenting a grievance is prohibited and may itself be grieved.

Complaint Policy for District Partners

UH encourages all partners to discuss concerns and complaints regarding any aspect of our programs through informal conferences with the respective program’s staff. Concerns should be expressed as soon as possible to allow early resolution at the lowest possible administrative level. If the complaint is not resolved via informal means, a formal complaint should be submitted in writing via email to the College of Education associate dean of graduate studies who will respond no later than two weeks after receipt of the complaint. In the event that the issue is not resolved, the complaint should be sent to the Texas Education Agency.

Regarding All Complaints

If you feel your issue has not been resolved by UH, please contact the Texas Education Agency or follow the TEA complaint policy. The official Texas Education Agency complaint process can be found here.

Texas Education Agency
1701 Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 463-9734
ComplaintsManagement@tea.texas.gov

Certifications