In all matters, including those listed below, any campus community member or visitor may report a crime or incident to the Office of Public Safety (main office on the B-Level of the West building, call (212) 777-4444.)
If you would like to file a complaint against another member of the Hunter campus community, other CUNY students or faculty/staff, or a visitor, for sexual misconduct (sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, voyeurism, or intimate partner violence) you can do so online with the Title IX Team or email TitleIX@hunter.cuny.edu.
If you would like to file a complaint against another member of the Hunter campus community due to discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses, unemployment status, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws, you can do so with Office of Public Safety or the Office of Diversity and Compliance.
If you have concerns about a student’s well-being or mental health, you can send a referral to the Student Care Team (SCT).
If you would like to file a report about graffiti, stickers, or concerns about flyers/posters, you can contact the Office of Public Safety.
If you have general questions or concerns about Hunter chartered clubs or organizations, you may contact Student Life.
If you have a complaint regarding the Office of AccessABILITY, you will find the procedures here.
If you have appeals regarding grades, you will find the procedures here.
Students seeking to appeal for substitutions to or exemptions from any General Education requirement should follow the procedures explained here. For more information on General Education requirements, please consult the Hunter College Undergraduate catalog and the Hunter College Graduate catalog.
The Charter for a Governance of Hunter College established the office of the Ombuds Officer, who serves as an independent agent to improve communication between individuals and the College. The Ombuds Officer receives complaints and may undertake independent investigation if the usual procedures have proven inadequate or have been exhausted, and may recommend action to any officer, committee, or organization of the College. The Ombudsman provides avenues through which institutional injustices can be rectified and the causes of these injustices alleviated. Complaints can be made with anonymity assured.
Hunter College is dedicated to ensuring that all students are treated with fairness and respect. While students are encouraged to resolve concerns informally whenever possible, a formal complaint process is available when informal efforts do not lead to resolution. Students should first attempt to discuss their concerns directly with the individual or office involved to seek a solution. Many departments already have their internal procedures for handling complaints, and students are encouraged to use those processes when appropriate. If a resolution cannot be reached through these means, and the complaint is related to an Office within the Division of Student Affairs, students may submit the Student Complaint Form. This form provides a formal process for addressing concerns solely related to offices or programs within the Division of Student Affairs.
Once the form is submitted, the appropriate office will contact you through your Hunter College email within three (3) business days. You may be asked for additional information, and you'll be informed of potential next steps.
For any questions regarding the Student Affairs Student Complaint Form, please email: dean.of.students@hunter.cuny.edu
The University and its Colleges have a variety of procedures for dealing with student-related issues, including grade appeals, academic integrity violations, student discipline, disclosure of student records, student elections, sexual harassment complaints, disability accommodations, and discrimination. One area not generally covered by other procedures concerns student complaints about faculty conduct in the classroom or other formal academic settings. The University respects the academic freedom of the faculty and will not interfere with it as it relates to the content or style of teaching activities. Indeed, academic freedom is and should be of paramount importance. At the same time the University recognizes its responsibility to provide students with a procedure for addressing complaints about faculty treatment of students that are not protected by academic freedom and are not covered by other procedures. Examples might include incompetent or inefficient service, neglect of duty, physical or mental incapacity and conduct unbecoming a member of the staff.
Procedures for Handling Student Complaints About Faculty Conduct in Academic Settings
If students have any question about the applicable procedure to follow for a particular complaint, they should consult with the chief student affairs officer. In particular, the chief student affairs officer should advise a student if some other procedure is applicable to the type of complaint the student has.
Students are encouraged to attempt to resolve complaints informally with the faculty member or to seek the assistance of the department chairperson or campus ombudsman to facilitate informal resolution.
If the student does not pursue informal resolution, or if informal resolution is unsuccessful, the student may file a written complaint with the department chairperson or, if the chairperson is the subject of the complaint, with the academic dean or a senior faculty member designated by the college president. (This person will be referred to below as the “Fact Finder.”)
If either the student or the faculty member is not satisfied with the report of the Fact Finder, the student or faculty member may file a written appeal to the chief academic officer within 10 calendar days of receiving the report. The chief academic officer shall convene and serve as the chairperson of an Appeals Committee, which shall also include the chief student affairs officer, two faculty members elected annually by the faculty council or senate and one student elected annually by the student senate. The Appeals Committee shall review the findings and recommendations of the report, with particular focus on whether the conduct in question is protected by academic freedom. The Appeals Committee shall not conduct a new factual investigation or overturn any factual findings contained in the report unless they are clearly erroneous. If the Appeals Committee decides to reverse the Fact Finder in a case where there has not been an investigation because the Fact Finder erroneously found that the alleged conduct was protected by academic freedom, it may remand to the Fact Finder for further proceedings. The committee shall issue a written decision within 20 calendar days of receiving the appeal. A copy of the decision shall be sent to the student, the faculty member, the department chairperson and the president.
Following the completion of these procedures, the appropriate college official shall decide the appropriate action, if any, to take. For example, the department chairperson may decide to place a report in the faculty member’s personnel file or the president may bring disciplinary charges against the faculty member. Disciplinary charges may also be brought in extremely serious cases even though the college has not completed the entire investigative process described above; in that case, the bringing of disciplinary charges shall automatically suspend that process. Any action taken by a college must comply with the bylaws of the University and the collective bargaining agreement between the University and the Professional Staff Congress.
Each campus shall implement these procedures and shall distribute them widely to administrators, faculty members and students and post them on the college website.