North Central Association Policy

To comply with federal regulations, the Commission expects an affiliated institution to maintain records of formal, written student complaints filed with the offices of the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Academic Officer, or Chief Student Affairs Officer. The records should include information about the disposition of the complaints, including those referred to external agencies for final resolution. These records will be available to NCA comprehensive evaluation teams for review.

Purpose of These Guidelines

To comply with NCA policy IV.B.4 Institutional Records of Student Complaints adopted by the NCA, February 1998. The NCA has established this policy to comply with federal regulations for the maintenance of records of formal, written student complaints. 

Definition of a Complaint

This policy applies to complaints that are made formally, in writing, signed by the student and addressed to and submitted to an institutional officer with the responsibility to handle the complaint.  Formal written complaints shall mean hand-delivered, mailed, or faxed written complaints.  At SDSU, email complaints do not meet the definition of a formally submitted written complaint. (This process will not duplicate efforts of Human Resources on human rights complaints, Student Affairs on judiciary issues, or Academic Affairs on academic appeals.

Responsible Institutional Officers or Their Representatives

For the purposes of this policy, these are the President or her Administrative Assistant, Vice President for Academic Affairs or Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Student Affairs or Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. Also key in recording these complaints are the Program Assistant in the Office of Academic Affairs and the Senior Secretary in the Office of Student Affairs.

Record of Student Complaints

The format established is a spreadsheet maintained in each of the three major offices to which a complaint can be submitted. It includes: the date the complaint was first formally submitted to an appropriate officer, the nature of the complaint (e.g., dispute about a grade, complaint about unfair class schedule, etc.), the steps taken by the institution to resolve the complaint, the institution’s final decision regarding the complaint including referrals to outside agencies, any other external actions initiated by the student to resolve the complaint, if known to the institution (e.g., lawsuit, EEOC investigation, etc.).

Dates

The policy is effective beginning with September 1, 1998.  Data will be merged from the three offices on an annual basis.  The institution will provide evidence of tracking for a two-year period, at which time, the records will be kept, but will be placed in dormant status. (Office of Student Affairs will merge data annually and file it.) 

Method of Notification to Students

This policy will be included in the Student Policy Manual, which is a responsibility of the Vice President for Student Affairs.  It will be addressed in the University catalog, which is a responsibility of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.  It shall be regularly posted in residence halls, (responsibility of Office of Student Affairs).  It will be distributed to the Students' Association, (responsibility of Office of Student Affairs).  It will be published in the Collegian, (responsibility of Office of Student Affairs).

Developed by Vice President Peterson, Dean Tomlinson, Linda Schumacher 10/98, Finalized 12/98. Updated 9/01 by Vice President Peterson and Dean Rames.