Ph.D. Students' Rights and Responsibilities

All Ph.D. and PreDoc students in the School of Social Work are viewed as competent adults who have a right to participate in decision-making activities about the educational program and school in which they have enrolled.  Students regularly contribute to the continued development and growth of our programs.  Indeed, the school values student input in several critical areas: faculty evaluation, school committee work, faculty hiring, and student field placements.

All students enrolled at Indiana University have an opportunity each semester to evaluate their instructors.  At the end of each course, students are given standardized faculty evaluation forms to complete.  These evaluations are confidential with the results being computer generated.  These evaluations are returned to the faculty to utilize in strengthening content, teaching, learning methods, and to facilitate more effective instruction.

Students have the opportunity to meet both informally and formally with any candidates being considered for faculty positions.  Additionally, a student representative is selected to be a member of any screening committee commissioned in the hiring of new faculty.  Students are asked to provide written assessments of each candidate to be included as a part of the recommendation package prepared by the school for employment purposes.

Ph.D. and Pre Doc students have the right to provide feedback about school policies and procedures as well as the behavior of faculty and staff members.  In providing either positive or critical feedback, students are expected to follow professional social work norms, values, and ethics.  For example, if a student believes that faculty or staff member's behavior is discourteous or ineffective, she or he should usually communicate directly with the person or people in question.  If the student has reason to believe that in communicating directly with the person she or he would be placed in some jeopardy, then the student should register the complaint with the Director of the Ph.D. Program, who will address the concern and respond.

If a student believes a faculty or staff member has treated them unfairly, or that a policy or procedure is unjust or unwise, then the student may submit a formal written grievance petition to the Dean of the School of Social Work.  Grievance petitions are reserved for those issues or incidences that warrant formal investigation and full exploration.  Such petitions should be submitted in a professional manner, consistent with social work norms, values, and ethics.

Student complaints regarding discrimination, sexual harassment (see Appendix 3 for the "IUPUI Sexual Harassment Policy and Complaint Procedure"), racial harassment, and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation have established complaint procedures available in the Indiana University Code of Student Ethics.