Complaints

Students who have an issue concerning a specific course should initially discuss the issue with the course instructor. If the problem persists and is not satisfactorily resolved the student should discuss the issue with their faculty advisor. If the problem continues to persist, the student should bring the matter to the attention of the Program Director. The Program Director will attempt to intervene to reach an agreement between the student and the course instructor. If an acceptable resolution is not reached, the Program Director will bring the matter to the attention of the Department Head. Please note that issues regarding course content and/or grades can only be addressed by the course instructor.

If a student has an issue with a fellow student, faculty member (who is not their course instructor) or a staff member, the student should initially address the issue directly with the individual involved. If the problem persists and is not satisfactorily resolved the student should discuss the issue with their faculty advisor. If the problem continues to persist, the student should bring the matter to the attention of the Program Director. The Program Director will attempt to intervene to reach an agreement between the student and the other individual involved. If an acceptable resolution is not reached, the Program Director will bring the matter to the attention of the Department Head.

Students are advised that they may seek the assistance of the Office of the University Ombuds. The Office of the University Ombuds is a safe and confidential place for all members of the UC community to talk about University related conflicts, issues or concerns. The office staff will listen to your concerns and help you identify options for successful resolution. Contact information for the Office of the University Ombuds is:

Office of the University Ombuds
Swift Hall, 2842 Campus Way
University of Cincinnati PO Box 210180
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0180

Additionally, the University of Cincinnati’s Graduate School has a formal student grievance procedure that is elucidated. This process is to be used when resolution of the concern is not attained within the program or with the assistance from the University Office of Ombuds.

Any student, faculty member, clinical site employee or patient who have a concern or complaint that falls outside of due process, has the ability to report their complaint without concern for retaliation following complaint submission. The first point of contact is the Physical Therapy Program Director, Dr. Chalee Engelhard engelhcr@ucmail.uc.edu. If the complainant is not satisfied with the process or resolution of the complaint, they can register their complaint with, in order, the Department Head, the Dean, the Provost, or the President. For clinical education sites’ personnel and/or patients, the first point of contact is the DCE, Dr. Amber Boyd. Her email address is boydab@ucmail.uc.edu . The second point of contact is the Program Director, Dr. Chalee Engelhard, engelhcr@ucmail.uc.edu .

For all other stakeholders including the public, prospective students, and employers of graduates, the Program Director is the first point of contact. Again, her name is Dr. Chalee Engelhard. Her email is engelhcr@ucmail.uc.edu . As with other complainants, they may register their complaints, in order, with the Department Head, Dean, Provost or President.

Lastly, if any stakeholder has exhausted the process and is not satisfied with the outcome within the program and University, the stakeholder has the right to contact the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) to report any concerns or complaints regarding the program. CAPTE can be reached at (1-800) 999-2782 or at http://www. capteonline.org/Complaints/.

Please note that records of complaints about the program, including the nature of the complaint and the disposition of the complaint, are maintained by the program.