Student Issues

Student Ombuds Services

Student Ombuds Services (SOS) assists faculty and instructors by offering advice to proactively reduce potential complaints. Refer to this SOS guide for policies and guidance related to syllabi, grading criteria, handing absences and incompletes, grading systems, scholastic dishonesty, Gen AI, and more. 

SOS also provides impartial, informal, confidential, and independent conflict resolution services to Twin Cities students who are experiencing University-based problems and concerns. Refer to this SOS Digital Referral Guide for guidance on how to refer your student to this office. 

Office for Community Standards

The Office for Community Standards (OCS) within the Office of Student Affairs works with students, faculty, and staff to uphold the Student Conduct Code as it applies to both academic and non-academic behavior and expectations.

Refer to the OCS website for resources on promoting academic integrity within your course, responding to academic dishonesty, the disciplinary process, responding to disruptive classroom conduct, and similar conduct related matters.

Student Academic Complaints

Student academic complaints are brought by students regarding the University's provision of academic services and education affecting their roles as students and must be based on a claimed violation of a University rule, policy, or established practice.

Student academic complaints do NOT include student complaints regarding:

• their University employment;

• discrimination, sexual misconduct, nepotism, or related retaliation under the purview of the Equal Opportunity and Title IX Office;

• disciplinary action under Board of Regents Policy: Student Conduct Code;

• grades; or,

• University admission decisions.

See Conflict Resolution Process for Student Academic Complaints for details on policy and steps to resolution.

Unfairly Prejudicial Comments in Teaching Evaluations

Review the document for guidelines on Responding to Unfairly Prejudicial Comments in Teaching Evaluations.

APLUS Academic Alert for Mid-semester Grades

APLUS, a system that captures undergraduate grades, participation, and course information, allows instructors and advisors to advise students more effectively.

While all instructors of 1xxx-4xxx level courses are encouraged to complete an Academic Alert for mid semester grades through the Academic Performance feature in APLUS, it is required that all instructors of 1xxx level courses complete an Academic Alert in APLUS by mid-semester for students at risk of receiving a D, F, or N by the end of the term.

More information on how to access ALPUS Academic Alerts can be found below.

APLUS Academic Alerts system and self-help guides: 

• Go to APLUS Academic Alerts

• Academic Alerts Quick Start guide (Google Doc)