UNCW ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
POLICY ON WRITTEN STUDENT COMPLAINTS
Policy:
Directives from the United States Department of Education and SACSCOC Principle of Accreditation 12.4 require institutions of higher education to establish procedures for resolving student complaints. Compliance requires the maintenance of records related to all written complaints from students along with a log recording a summary of the complaint, the person or office charged to resolve the complaint, and the resolution or actions taken in response to the complaint. A written complaint from a student received by an office for redirection to another appropriate office becomes the responsibility of the receiving office.
Records associated with the written complaint along with information included in the log that contain personally identifiable information about students may be subject to the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and should be protected against improper disclosure.
These records and logs are subject to examination or review by the United States Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Definition of Written Student Complaint:
Complaints are expressions of dissatisfaction or formal allegations against the university, its units, its faculty, and/or its students. Complaints covered by this policy include those directly addressing some element of the UNCW mission. Examples would include grade appeals, academic dishonesty, sexual misconduct, harassment and discrimination, disability, residency, financial aid, and those issues specifically identified in the university's grievance policies listed below.
Units Required to Maintain Logs:
| Cameron School of Business |
| Center for Marine Science |
| College of Arts and Sciences |
| College of Health and Human Services |
| Division of Academic Affairs |
| Division of Business Affairs |
| Division of Student Affairs |
| Enrollment Management |
| Graduate School |
| Honors College |
| Information Technology Services |
| Institutional Diversity and Inclusion |
| Internal Audit |
| International Programs |
| Isaac Bear Early College Liaison |
| Office of Title IX and Clery Compliance |
| Randall Library |
| Watson College of Education |
Grievance Policies:
- Student Grievance Procedure in the UNCW Code of Student Life
- Unlawful Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Graduate School Academic Grievance Policy
- Responsible Management of Information Technology Resources
- Student Gender-Based Sexual Misconduct Policy
- Disability Accommodation Policy
- Financial Aid Special Circumstances Appeal
- Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal
- Residency Appeal
- Written student complaints that result in a Code of Student Life or Student Academic Honor Code case
- Student Records and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
References:
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement (2018 Edition) - Standard 12.4 Student Complaints
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Approved, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, March 8, 2012
Updated February 11, 2019
