CSMU Grievance System

Abstract

This paper looks at the development and implementation of a CSMU grievance system in universities. It examines the benefits for Faculty and educational organizations, as well as the challenges faced by establishing and maintaining an effective system. We also highlight and show that such a system is necessary. A comprehensive review of existing literature, together with case studies of working complaints systems in educational establishments, forms the basis for the development of the system. The paper also provides an overview of how a Faculty complaint system should be structured and the general approach to its design, which calls for explicit ideas, effective communication, established reporting systems, trained experts as well as a proper procedure relating to complaints. Studies have shown that an effective redress system for Faculty can greatly improve the overall Faculty experience and help educational organizations increase their popularity with the general public. The paper describes how an efficient CSMU grievance system can be built and operated by academic institutions, as well as colleges and universities.

Introduction

I. INTRODUCTION

In this research paper we will talk about the importance of CSMU’ grievance system & we will also talk about its design and framework as well as its development methodology. For all institutions to be able to apply this idea, we will also show the results of our work. In the academic setting, Faculty may be confronted with a variety of challenges such as poor educational progress, disciplinary problems, unequal treatment, and other issues which affect their learning experience. To address these issues, universities and colleges must set up a system of complaints that provides the opportunity for Faculty to raise their concerns and request assistance or guidance directly from main members.

In order to promote transparency, fairness, and accountability in the handling of Faculty complaints, the CSMU complaint system is an essential element of academic institutions. Several elements, such as a complaint lodging portal, channels for communication and complaints handling process, form a part of the CSMU’ Grievance System. It provides a platform for Faculty to submit their complaints about academic, personal or administrative issues that have an impact on the learning environment. Therefore, for academic institutions to have a conducive learning environment, the effectiveness of complaint procedures is crucial. An effective system will provide Faculty with the confidence and trust needed to gain a positive learning experience. By contrast, an inefficient system may lead to an unfavourable educational environment that leads to deterioration in quality of education and institution reputation.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

In order to ensure that Faculty' voices are heard, and their concerns are taken care of promptly and fairly, the CSMU Grievance System plays an important role. Institutions can detect and solve systemic problems that may be affecting more than one Faculty Member through the introduction of an efficient complaints process, resulting in a higher level of educational quality. The implementation of an efficient grievance system has, however, its own set of challenges.

The management of complaints in a fair and timely manner is another challenge. Institutions can introduce a portal for complaints, or an application that allows Faculty to share their problems easily, in order to overcome this challenge. Proper training of staff about how to resolve complaints in these platforms and the development of specific guidelines for dealing with various types of complaints is also advised. It is important to obtain Faculty feedback on the efficiency of the redress system so as to achieve its success. Institutions can ensure that the system helps Faculty and supports a safe and inclusive educational environment by actively seeking feedback and making necessary improvements.

In addition, Faculty should be provided with clear and simple information on the grievance procedure so that they are aware of their rights and understand what it takes to take advantage of this system. It is also essential that the staff are trained to be able to resolve disputes professionally and impartially. Such training shall include communication, dispute resolution and empathy courses as well as an awareness of issues such as implicit bias and discrimination.

To address the challenges of fear and retaliation, it is important to establish a culture of trust and support within the institution.. Lastly, in order to ensure that Faculty needs are met while dealing with any new issues which arise, there is a need for the grievance system to be regularly evaluated and monitored. This can be achieved through feedback mechanisms, regular data collection on complaints and benchmarking of best practice in the sector. Therefore, we need to create a system that can cope with the changes in needs. To accomplish this, a proper designing methodology and various tools and techniques are required. Also, it is important to calculate the budget and take into account any required resources essential for the system. Also, it is important to consider the requirements of additional resources as the system grows. By implementing the measures outlined above, educational institutions can ensure that their grievance system is transparent, accessible, and responsive to the needs of Faculty.

III. CURRENT SYSTEM VERSUS NEW WEB/APPLICATION BASED SYSTEM

In this section we will discuss the benefits of modern systems built with advanced technical solutions, such as apps and websites. Then we will also demonstrate how these systems surpass their present conventional pen and paper-based counterparts.

A. Current System

The current system for addressing faculty' grievances is entirely pen and paper based. The following steps shows us the general process a Faculty would typically take to file a complaint or grievance:

1. The Faculty needs to visit the appropriate grievance department in their college that deals with their particular concern, for example: Printer is not working, Server is down, Computer is not working ,so each have their own specific role and set of procedures to follow.
2. The next step for the Faculty is to write an application stating their grievances and submit it to the office of the departmental clerk of the respective department
3. After submitting a grievance, there is a delay period where the clerk investigates the problem and devises an appropriate course of action.
4. Then the Faculty member is required to visit the department again for a response to their grievances.

B. Disadvantages Of The Current System

1. Because it requires constant administration and storage of physical documents, this approach is slower and more labor intensive.
2. The physical application copy can also get misplaced or even lost. Thus, leading to further loss of time.
3. Faculty member  may have to wait for a response for extended lengths of time. Or perhaps they might not even get a response.
4. Because Faculty are frequently not reached, they must physically go and search for the solutions.
5. If a Faculties grievance application is rejected due to some errors or misplaced documentation, they might have to wait for a longer period before submitting it again.

C. Web/Application-Based System Current System

In this paper we are stating the proper development of the CSMU grievance system using web-based technologies, thus we will discuss some formal procedures that a Faculty would have to take. With the server serving as the main repository for all data, the new system's design enables effective data storage and retrieval. With the website or app interface, Faculty can effortlessly submit their complaints, ensuring that the relevant department receives them immediately and takes appropriate action

The following are the standard actions that Faculty must take to get their grievances addressed:

1. Faculty member must complete out the registration form on the portal with their information, including name, email, contact information, college name,  ID, university name, Department name in order to create an online account.
2. After registering, Faculty Member can login to their accounts by entering their email address and password.
3. For Faculty  to lodge a complaint. They need to go to the "Lodge Complaint" area in the menu after logging into their respective accounts.
4. Then the Faculty memeber can choose the department they have a problem with in the Lodge Complaint area, such as the Finances department or the Library Department, or they can opt to file a complaint at the college or university level
5. After writing up their individual complaint in text form, faculty can attach any supporting materials in PDF format before selecting the "Submit" button. If desired, they may also decide to keep their complaint anonymous by toggling the check box which says "Remain Anonymous".
6. Then the submitted complaint is visible on the respective department, college or university admin portal.
7. After that, the administrator, who is often an employee with training, can formulate an appropriate response for the Faculty member.
8. Generally, this would be enough for addressing grievances, but many times there are any inconsistencies or errors in the submitted documents. Thus, the admin can write a remark for the faculty memner for any required changes.

IV. SYSTEM FRAMEWORK

We will now examine the basic framework and structure of our system in this section. In addition, this framework is supplemented by other complementary elements that we may use to enhance our system's functionality and capabilities . Our CSMU Grievance System has two parts, one for Faculty member and another for  admins in this scenario. In the upcoming subsections we will discuss these two categories.

A. Faculty Member Section

The Faculty member section includes an attractive, well-designed site with a robust UI and all of the features needed for submission and management of complaints. The following sections of dashboard, account settings, lodge complaints and complaint history are included on the faculty member side of the website. Dashboard shows general announcements, submitted complaint responses and basic overview of the complaint. General information can be changed by Faculty member through their account settings. The lodge complaint section is one of the main parts of the system for member that allows them to file their complaints in writing and make any necessary supporting documents available in PDF format. The complaint history section allows students to check the status of complaints and follow up on them.

B. Administrator Section

Like the Faculty member section, administrator portals will also have a well-designed and robust UI. This is to ensure a seamless experience. The administrator is a qualified staff member generally responsible for administering the system, and answering member’s questions. The highest level of power in the system shall be exercised by the main admin. Main admin shall ensure that the system is free from any problems, maintains and checks the database, creates and provides login credentials for other admins at lower level .If the complaint has not been resolved yet. Then the admin can give a remark to the member to either provide more information or consult other members of staff. It is important to note that these admins need to be well trained and experienced members of staff. Who are attuned to Faculty member problems and challenges. Also, it is suggested that, if possible, the admin accounts should be managed by a small group of at least 2 to 3 people, instead of an individual. This not only reduces the workload, but it's also more efficient. Each member of the group can easily gather information and thus increase credibility. The overall framework of this system is shown in Figure 1.

V. METHODOLOGY

We shall now discuss the methodology, tools and techniques that have been used to develop our system in this section. A thorough system methodology is required to ensure the successful implementation of a web application that enables faculty member’s to submit their complaints online. The use of HTML, CSS and JavaScript on frontend allows you to create an interactive and user-friendly interface that will enable staff member to communicate their complaints effectively. In addition, such technologies make it easier for designers to develop and visual responsive designs that would enhance user experience. The same is applied for the administrator's portal, which helps in easier management of the system as well as the upcoming grievances.

The main programming languages used to process most of the data are DotNET and JavaScript and MySQL in the backend. These languages can handle the high volume of data in an efficient manner and provide feedback without delay to Staff member. Furthermore, they facilitate efficient data recovery and storage by making it easy to integrate your database with the frontend . We used a four-phase system methodology, for the CSMU grievance system to be developed. The four phases are planning, analysis, designing and implementation. The planning phase comprises defining the system's goals and scope, determining the resources needed, and creating a schedule for the project. The analytical phase identifies opportunities for improvement, evaluates the effectiveness of the present Staff member’s grievance procedures, and establishes the functional needs. It is very important to note that the system that we are designing does not exceed the budget and system and server costs should satisfy the requirements. The system's architecture, database schema, and  user interface are created during the design phase, while system development, testing, deployment, and maintenance are covered during the implementation phase.

Conclusion

It is evident that a CSMU grievance system is a vital aspect of any educational institution. The provision of channels for Faculty Member’s to express their views and complaints, as well as the quick resolution of these issues, is crucial. But to develop such a system is also very challenging and expensive, not to mention its maintenance costs over time. But this type of system has the potential to enhance staff member satisfaction, improve institutional management, and also increase accountability and transparency. The faculty member can also freely express their concerns. Thus, investing in the development of CSMU grievance systems can be a viable investment choice for all types of educational institutions.

References

[1] Shaligram Prajapat, Vaibhav Sabharwal, Varun Wadhwani “A Prototype for Grievance Redressal System” 2018https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324621040_A_Prototype_for_Grievance_Redressal_System. [2] Satheeswaran Venkatesan, Arjun R, Nidhin A, Pranav C. “State-Level Students Grievance Support System” 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346725428_State-Level_Students_Grievance_Support_System. [3] Mohan, P. Poorna Chandra, E. Vijay, M. Logesh “Online Grievance Management System at Institute level”,2019. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IRJTE).

Copyright

Copyright © 2024 Pranit Jadhav, Sakshi Tamboli. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.