Student Complaints
At Herkimer College, all inquiries, complaints, grievances, and investigations are treated with sensitivity, and seriousness. Our goal is to resolve complaints in a fair, equitable and timely manner in accordance with the College’s policies and procedures.
Listed below are the various complaint categories. After reviewing the complaint categories, complete the Student Complaint Form below selecting the appropriate complaint area.
Note: The complaint form should only be used when a satisfactory resolution has not been achieved by following the procedures as referenced below.
Academic
Grade Dispute
- Refer to procedure for Academic Appeals and Changing Grades in the Student Handbook (page 12).
Academic Integrity Appeal
- Refer to procedure for Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure – Appeal Process in the Student Handbook (page 14).
Academic, Other
Refer to procedure for Academic Complaint Resolution in the Student Handbook (page 13).
Classroom Policies/Instructor Conflict
- Complaints regarding classroom policies and/or academic faculty
Academic Services
- Complaints regarding academic services provided by Herkimer College which may include: Academic Advisement, Advisement Center; Career Services; Academic Support Services (academic coaching, testing, and tutoring); Internet Academy; Registrar Services, Library Services.
Americans with Disabilities Act
- For complaints regarding Accessibility Services. Additional information regarding these services can be found in the Student Handbook (page 5).
Student Life
Harassment or Discrimination, Title IX
- Refer to Sexual Discrimination and Sexual Harassment (Title IX), Athletic Equality, Additional Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Complain/Grievance Procedure in the Student Handbook (pages 31-33)
Student Services & Facilities
- Complaints regarding student service areas: Campus Safety, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Information Technology, Student IT Help Desk, or Facilities
- Complete the Student Complaint Form selecting Student Services & Facilities as the complaint area.
General, Other
- Complaints regarding: Admissions procedures/policies, Institutional procedures/policies, Website and/or other institutional services, personnel, and unresolved complaints for all areas.
- Complete the Student Complaint Form selecting General, Other as the complaint area.
External Complaints
Once all other avenues provided by the College have been exhausted, unresolved complaints may be filed directly with the appropriate agency.
FERPA (complaints regarding violations of student privacy)
U.S. Department of Education Protecting Student Privacy Online Complaint Form: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/file-a-complaint
or
U.S. Department of Education
Family Policy Compliance Office
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-8502
The State University of New York (SUNY)
Complaints that have previously been reviewed through the institution complaint process and resulted in an unsatisfactory resolution. Complaints that were filed with through the institution’s complaint process and no resolution was received within a reasonable time frame.
SUNY Office of Student Life:
Student Concerns https://system.suny.edu/university-life/student-concerns/
New York State Education Department Complaint Procedures:(http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/filing-complaint-about-college-or-university)
SARA
Student complaints, (not related to grades or student code of conduct), that involves distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of SARA. The complaint must have gone through the institution’s complaint process and the result of which is either unresolved or is unsatisfactory.
Students may appeal (within two years of incident) to the College’s state portal entity.
SARA Complaint Procedures: (Student Complaints | NC-SARA)
MSCHE
Once all other avenues provided by the College and the State agency or SARA have been exhausted, unresolved complaints may be filed with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the College’s regional accrediting agency.
Middle States General Contact Information:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street, 2nd Floor West, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Telephone: (267) 284–5000
E-mail: info@msche.org Spanish: españolinfo@msche.org
General Link: www.msche.org