Devaswom Board College, Thalayolaparambu has a well-established mechanism to address the grievances of students related to internal assessment, attendance, fees payment, conduct of examinations, and any other academic or non-academic matters involving students and faculty.

Objectives of Grievance Redressal Committee

The goal of the Grievance Redressal Committee is to operate as an impartial and efficient institution capable of promptly responding to complaints and ensuring a swift resolution, especially in situations where a student needs to file a complaint. Its proactive approach helps minimize the chances of such grievances arising in the first place.

Following are the objectives of the Grievance Redressal Committee: –

• Creating an atmosphere where students feel comfortable expressing their grievances freely and without fear of discrimination or reprisal.
• Maintaining a supportive faculty-student relationship that fosters mutual respect and understanding.
• Provide proper counselling regarding issues related to students’ concerns.

Jurisdiction of the Committee

The committee shall deal with grievances received in writing about any of the following :

• Academic – Issues related to internal marks or any other examination related affairs, issue of Transfer Certificate and conduct certificate.
• Financial – relating to dues, payments and scholarships
• Administration – grievances related to facilities provided in the college like class rooms, library, rest rooms, canteen and sports.

Grievance Redressal Committee

The Principal of the college shall constitute two Grievance Redressal Committees:-

• The Department Level Grievance Redressal Committee
• The College Level Grievance Redressal Committee

The composition of the Department Level Grievance Redressal Committee is as under:

• Chairman – Head of the department
• Members – Two senior faculty members of the department including one lady faculty member.

The composition of the College Level Grievance Redressal committee is as under: –

• Chairman – Principal
• Members – All HODs, two senior faculty members including one lady faulty member, one senior administrative staff member.

Both these committees will deal with all grievances related to academics and administration. In addition, the College level committee will also handle any appeal filed by the student against the decision Department Level Grievance Redressal Committee.

Procedure for Redressal of Grievances

If a student who has been harassed submits his/her complaint, the complaint should first be submitted to his/her advisor (class teacher), who will address it within two days. If the advisor cannot resolve the complaint, the student should then escalate it to the departmental level grievance committee chairman. The departmental committee chairman will call for a meeting within two days of receiving the complaint, involving the concerned student, whether the advisor is from the faculty mentor or from a student who has been victimized. The chairman must make an effort to resolve the complaint within a week of receiving it and prepare the report accordingly.

If a student is not satisfied with the decision of the department level committee, they must appeal to the college level committee within a week, stating the reasons for their dissatisfaction with the decision.

If a complaint is received, the chairman of the college head grievance committee will convene a meeting of the committee within two days. After examining the facts, the committee may either accept or reject the departmental committee’s decision, or it may conduct further investigation. A response to the complaint will be issued within a week of receiving it.

If a student is not satisfied with the resolution provided by the college-level Grievance Redressal Committee, they can submit an appeal, along with all relevant details, to the University Level Monitoring Committee within a week.

The University Level Monitoring Committee will review the decision and issue a suitable order. If necessary, the committee can propose corrective measures to address recurring grievances in the college. Additionally, they may suggest amendments to college regulations as required. Fair representation will be ensured across all levels and committees, providing fair hiring practices for all stakeholders.

Adhering to the principles of natural justice involves listening to fair arguments from all parties involved in any level of grievance. When a response is passed in any level of complaint, relevant provisions of the laws/regulations should be kept in mind, and any decision must not contradict them.