Complaint Process
As a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, American University Washington College of Law ("WCL") is subject to the ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools. These Standards may be found at http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/standards.html.
Any WCL student who wishes to bring a formal complaint that directly implicates WCL's program of legal education and its compliance with the ABA Standards may so file with the Office of Academic Affairs (academic@wcl.american.edu). The complaint must include the student's name and contact information, must be sent from the student's American University email account, and must identify the problem with sufficient detail, including the Standard which forms the basis of the complaint, to allow the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs to properly investigate the matter.
The Senior Associate Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs will acknowledge the complaint within five business days of its receipt. Within thirty business days following acknowledgment of the complaint, the Senior Associate Dean shall either meet with or respond in writing to the complaining student. The Senior Associate Dean shall provide a substantive response to the complaint, information about steps taken by the law school to address the complaint or a statement that further investigation is needed. If further investigation is needed, the Senior Associate Dean shall provide information about what steps are being taken by WCL to obtain the additional information and the anticipated timeframe for additional response.
Within ten business days of written notice from the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs regarding final resolution of the complaint, the student may appeal the decision in writing to the Dean. If such an appeal is filed, the Dean shall respond, with a written decision, within thirty business days. The decision of the Dean shall be final.
The Office of Academic Affairs shall maintain for eight years a complete written record of each complaint and how it was investigated and resolved.