Grievances and Difficulties

If you believe that you have been unjustly treated by the University system or by a member of the faculty, staff, or student body, you have several options. First, we encourage you to define the problem and attempt to resolve it informally with the individual involved. If this is unsuccessful or not possible, we want to make an effort to resolve the issue within the School. The Director, Graduate Program Coordinator and Graduate Program Advisor are available to listen, advise, counsel, hopefully assist in resolution. If the issue cannot be solved informally within the School, depending on the nature of the problem, the University of Washington also has an Office of the Ombud that can provide a collaborative and confidential environment to discuss your situation, consider options, and develop a plan.

More formal grievance procedures can be initiated through the Graduate School. This office and the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) and UW Student Legal Services are also available to advise you and explain various avenues and procedures. Issues relating to the UW/UAW contract can be addressed via the Office of Labor Relations within the UW Human Resources.

Information on grievance issues and procedures can be found in:

School of Oceanography Conflict Resolution Resource Page

Graduate School Executive Order #28 (Student Service Appointments)

Graduate School Policy 3.8 (Academic Grievance Procedure).

UW/UAW Contract Article 8 (Grievance Procedure)