Student Complaint
Policy Statement
Carolina University is committed to timely and fair resolution of all student complaints when they are dissatisfied with institutional policies, services, or employee actions. This process may apply to academic or non-academic but is typically applied in matters where formal policies and procedures are not in place. In those areas, policies stated in the Student Guide Campus Life Living and Learning and Academic handbooks take precedence.
Policy Procedures
General Principles
● Whenever possible and in a timely fashion, students should voice complaints informally with faculty, staff or other students. A list of University administration faculty and staff can be found on the CU website. If the issue cannot be resolved informally, students are encouraged to fill out the complaint form found on the Student Life page of the CU website.
● Students are asked to first formally discuss any issues leading to the complaint directly with the faculty, staff member, or student(s) involved in the issue for a solution. This meeting outcome needs to be documented by the complainant.
● There will be no adverse effect on or retaliation against a student voicing a complaint in good faith or against any person who in good faith provides information regarding a complaint.
Step 1:Formal Complaint Process
● Students filing a complaint against another student (or students) need to submit a written complaint to the Dean of Students office.
● Students filing a complaint against a staff member need to submit a written complaint to the Office of Human Resources.
● All academic complaints are filed through the Registrar’s Office.
● Complaints can be submitted electronically.
● Please include the desired outcome or resolution in the complaint.
● Submission of complaints should be made within 14 days of the incident. The office receiving the complaint will acknowledge receipt of the complaint to the student(s) submitting the formal complaint within five (5) days from the date received. The complaint will then be assigned to the appropriate office.
Step 2:
The supervisor of the office in question will review the complaint, evaluate the documentation, and communicate in writing with the student(s) complainant within 14 days. The response will include actions taken by all persons involved to seek resolution of the complaint. Documentation of all findings will be maintained in the supervisor's office.
Step 3:
If the complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student(s), then the student may appeal the supervisor’s decision to the President of the University. All documentation is kept in writing throughout the process.
The President will appoint a three-person panel to review the case on appeal. The President will select the chair of the committee who will in turn select a second member from the CU faculty or staff. The student may select a member of the committee, as well. If the student does not provide a faculty or staff member, the chair will select the third committee member.
The committee will review all documentation to determine the appropriate next steps. If it is decided that further investigation is needed the committee may choose to interview the persons involved with the issue to determine a resolution.
The committee will submit its recommendation to the President within 21 days of receiving the presidential notice of appeal.
Step 4:
The President will notify the student(s) of the University decision after reviewing the documentation and recommendation from the committee.
*Note: Generally, for a student complaint with staff or other students, the grounds for appeal of a finding are:
1. the original supervisory finding was arbitrary or capricious, or
2. there was a material procedural error that substantially impacted the outcome of the supervisors’ decision
If the appeals committee agrees that either of these two reasons exist, or there is sufficient cause to review the case, then the chair will convene the committee and begin their review.
If the appeals committee does not agree either grounds of appeal been satisfied or after reviewing the documentation the decision is just and fair, the committee can affirm the finding and pass the affirmation along to the President as a recommendation.
The President will make the final decision regarding the complaint/appeal.
NC Post-Secondary Education Complaint Procedures
If a complaint cannot be resolved through the University's complaint process, students may file a complaint with the North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints unit. Please review the NC Post-Secondary Education Student Complaint Policy, print and complete the NC Post-Secondary Education Complaint Form, and submit the complaint to:
North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
University of North Carolina System Office
910 Raleigh Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688
Phone: (919) 962-4550
Email: studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu
Website: North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
TRACS Student Complaint Process
Carolina University is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). Any student who has already followed the Complaint Procedures and feels the issue is not resolved, may contact TRACS.
Students should follow the TRACS Complaint Policy and complete the TRACS Complaint Form.
Transnational Association of Christian Colleges & Schools (TRACS)
15935 Forest Road
Forest, Virginia 24551
Telephone: (434) 525-9539
Email: info@tracs.org
Website: www.tracs.org
SARA-NC Complaint Process and Information
Students may also file a complaint through SARA-NC. SARA-NC is the portal for the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority.
SARA North Carolina
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
P.O. Box 14103
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Telephone: (855) SARA-1-NC (727-2162)
Telephone: (919) 549-8614, ext. 4667
Email: complaint@saranc.org
Website: www.saranc.org
SARA-NC Complaint Process
SARA-NC Complaint Form
Compliance
State: SARA-NC
TRACS: 17.3
Failure to follow this policy may lead to disciplinary action.