The Grievance Committee of the KSU Athletics Board

Name Position (term ends) E-mail Voting Members Tom Keene Chair Patrick Devine Faculty Athletics Representative to the NCAA Rick Franza Business (2010) Wesley Riddle University College (2011) Kyle Clayton Representative of Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) Kim West The Registrar   Jennifer Wade-Berg Chief Diversity Officer         Ex-officio Non-Voting Nicole Phillips Director of Multicultural Student Retention Services   Nancy King Athletics Senior Woman Administrator   Darryl Pope Associate Athletic Director for Compliance   Dave Waples Director of Athletics Julio Espana Representative Selected by Director of Institute for Global Initiatives   Jorge Pérez Faculty Executive Assistant to the President       Advisory Dot Graham Faculty/Student Ombud (advisory on procedure, including nomination of hearing facilitators)   Diane Walker Director of Judiciary Programs         Staff Support Judi Walper Staff Support

Purpose
The KSU Athletics Board Grievance Committee hears grievances of student-athletes who have issues with any athletically related issues other than athletically related financial aid (all issues dealing with athletically related financial aid can be eventually appealed to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee). As with all appeals, the individual must initially attempt to solve the issue with their coach or supervisor, and if that does not resolve the situation, the Athletic Director (or his/her designee) becomes the final appeal in the Athletic Department. If those appeals are denied, the Grievance Committee then becomes the final appeal. The Grievance Committee does not hear grievances relating to general student conduct, academic integrity, or grade appeals; in those arenas student-athletes, like all other KSU students, must follow the procedures of the Student Conduct and Academic Integrity Department (SCAI), or the grade appeals procedure. It should be noted that the Athletic Department may invoke penalties in addition to those provided by the Student Judiciary Office if the offense is deemed severe. To initiate a hearing before the Grievance Committee, a student-athlete must request it in writing through the use of his/her KSU e-mail account. The e-mail request must be sent to the Director of Athletics no later than 5:00 PM five business days after the Director of Athletics denies the student-athlete’s appeal. The Director of Athletics must communicate this request to the chair of the Grievance Committee within five business days.

Hearing Procedures
Hearing date and time will be set by the chair of the committee, making a good faith effort to find a time convenient to the petitioner as well as the committee members. At least five of the seven voting members, including at least one student, must be present for an official hearing to occur and a decision to be made. The hearings will begin with the testimony of the coach and/or the Athletics Director as to the circumstances and rationale for the decision under appeal. The student will then indicate the basis for the appeal. The Committee members may question all who testify. The two sides will question one another only if the committee suggests it and both sides agree. The voting members of the committee may call upon ex-officio members of the committee or other members of the KSU community for information and opinions either during the hearing or during the period of deliberations preceding the vote. Deliberations will be held after the petitioning student-athlete, the coach, the Athletic Director and all ex officio members or guests, except those expressly invited by the chair to remain, have retired. Decisions will be made by a simple majority vote. The chair will vote only in case of a tie. The decision will be communicated in writing by KSU e-mail to the petitioning student-athlete, the coach and the Athletic Director, within three business days of the date of the hearing. All records associated with these proceedings will be maintained in the Compliance Office of the Athletics Department.

Impact of Committee Decisions
Decisions of the Grievance Committee are binding on the Department of Athletics personnel. Student-Athletes who have completed the entire hearing and decision process may appeal the outcome of that process to the President of the University. Any such appeal from the student-athlete to the President of the University must be in writing and delivered to the president’s office by KSU e-mail no later than 5:00 PM five business days after the Grievance Committee’s decision is delivered to the student-athlete by KSU e-mail. For any possible further appeals see the policy manual of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.