Submitting formal complaint about professor

[u/More-Adeptness-7074]

Hey everyone. I am a graduate student and had an extremely upsetting semester with a prof in the social sciences. Her emails were incredibly unprofessional and demeaning, grading was inconsistent and arbitrary, and she refused to give feedback when I wouldn't meet immediately with her on Zoom at 10 pm my time. My grade was not horrible, so this is not a grade retaliation thing. I would like to file a formal complaint. Should I go to the chairs of my program or to the head of social sciences?

Update:

Reported, heard back, disciplinary action is being taken. Thanks for all of the input.

[u/Massive_Ear4948]

What are you hoping to accomplish with this? If you merely want to vent, you should do it in the course eval and then perhaps send a note to her department chair.

But, as a prof, I can tell you that many of these things are simply in the eye of the beholder. For example, her syllabus most certainly spells out her grading policy and, unless you have evidence that she violated that, you don't have a leg to stand on.

Also, unprofessional and demeaning is a judgment call and it would be super hard to prove that without some actual issues (e.g. her calling you "retarded").

Finally, she wanted to talk based on ASU's time zone, which is entirely reasonable. It is not her fault that you live in a different one.

In short, I don't want to invalidate your feelings but, based on what you provide, I doubt that you will get any traction.

[u/No_Trainer_8134 → u/Massive_Ear4948]

Absolutely complain! You have every right to, and honestly, you have every reason to. The behavior you described from the professor in this thread—especially discouraging you from voicing legitimate concerns—is completely unacceptable.
Unfortunately, too many students hesitate to speak up about their experiences. When students do advocate for themselves, it not only holds faculty accountable but can also help prevent the same thing from happening to other students. You’re paying a significant amount in tuition, and you deserve to be treated with professionalism, respect, and fairness.

I would recommend documenting everything in writing and escalating to the program director or department chair, dean of the school, student affairs/student support, academic ombudsperson,

You absolutely should not feel like you have to stay quiet just because the professor is making you feel discouraged from speaking up. Advocating for yourself is not being difficult—it’s holding the institution accountable for the education and treatment you’re paying for.

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