Problems or conflicts may arise during a student's graduate education. Students should take responsibility for informing the appropriate faculty of any such problem. All parties involved should work together amicably with the goal of resolving the problem informally if at all possible. If appropriate, a student may petition to replace the thesis adviser or a member of the dissertation committee. When attempts to resolve a problem informally do not meet with success, the following grievance procedure should be adopted.

1. The student should submit the grievance in writing to the Departmental Chair, who will then attempt to resolve the problem.
2. If the student remains unsatisfied, the problem should be presented to a Departmental committee for resolution This committee should be a standing committee and not the student's own review or dissertation committee. Both the student and the Chair should submit a written record of their views to this committee.
3. If the student remains unsatisfied, the problem should be referred to a standing subcommittee designated by Graduate Council and composed of three faculty members (representing diverse disciplines within the University), one graduate student and the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. A written report of proceedings at stage 2 should be presented to the Chair of Graduate Council, for forwarding to the sub-committee, together with all other written materials generated during the investigation. The decision of this sub- committee will be considered final.

NOTE: In situations where a faculty member who is actively involved in a student problem has a designated role in this grievance procedure, that role should be transferred to a suitable senior faculty member. The Departmental Chair, if possible, or the Divisional Dean should choose this substitute, and should be acceptable to all parties immediately involved in the dispute.

This document was prepared by the Rice University Graduate Council in March 2000 and modeled after a similar document at Stanford University.