Policy on Student Complaints

From time to time, students enrolled at SWU may desire to make a complaint with respect to the administration of University policy, procedures, promised benefits, or requirements by an agent or agents of the University. When such complaints have occurred and a student raises the issue and asks for some form of redress in writing (either electronic or hardcopy) from an employee of the University, the University will make efforts to investigate, and if warranted, to resolve the complaint within established procedures. Additionally, University employees will ensure that the following steps are taken. If the student complaint is received in print format the staff/faculty member receiving the complaint will forward a copy of the complaint to the VP for Student Life in order for the complaint and all responses related to it to be tracked, forwarded to appropriate administrators for resolving, and archived upon resolution. The institution is prepared to provide documentation related to complaints to regulators and accrediting bodies with a legitimate right to access those records.

Any student filing a complaint (excluding complaints concerning Sexual Misconduct) should first attempt to resolve the issue by consulting with the involved faculty or staff member. In the event no resolution is reached, or if this direct approach would place the student in an inappropriate situation, the student should bring or send the complaint, in writing, to an appropriate employee of the University with supervisory authority over the faculty or staff member in question (see guidance below). Complaints concerning Sexual Misconduct should be reported immediately to the Title IX Coordinator in accordance with the Title IX policy.

When a student complaint is received in writing by an employee of the University, he or she will forward the complaint to the appropriate supervisor responsible for the matter of concern and to the VP for Student Life who will monitor and track the complaint process. The employee receiving the complaint will work with their supervisor to investigate the matter and resolve it unless the complaint is reassigned to a more appropriate administrator by the VP for Student Life. All responses related to the complaint as well as a description of the resolution must be forwarded to the VP for Student Life by the employee or administrator responsible for addressing the complaint.

The administrator who is addressing the complaint is responsible for forwarding the complaint, all responses, and the resolution to the VP for Student Life. Administrators are assigned to investigate a complaint according to their respective area of responsibility.

Academic Affairs: Academic Division Chairs, Academic Deans and the Provost’s Office are responsible for student complaints that relate to issues of academic policy or procedure, or any perceived injustice or misrepresentation related to instruction or evaluation. These complaints might relate to such things as failure to follow the written syllabus, penalties related to academic dishonesty, faculty bias or behavior, transfer credit problems, advising issues, library matters, etc.
Student Life Office: Responsible for student complaints that relate to issues concerning the counseling center, health services, career services, residence life, commuter concerns, security, spiritual life, student policy, or perceptions of threat of prejudice outside the classroom or from other students.
Campus Safety Office: Responsible for student complaints that relate to issues concerning campus safety and motor vehicle & parking fines.
Athletic Office: Responsible for student complaints that relate to issues concerning athletics.
Business Office: Responsible for student complaints that relate to issues of human resources, buildings and grounds, dining service, financial aid, and business office functions and policies.
Admissions Office: Responsible for student complaints related to enrollment.
President’s Office: Responsible for student complaints that relate to the University in general and are not closely associated with any offices listed above.

Any student who is unsure where to direct a complaint is encouraged to speak with the VP for Student Life who can assist the student in determining the best person within the University to address the complaint.

As various offices and individuals are involved in addressing the student complaint, actions taken are to be documented and correspondence is to be kept. Once University activity related to the complaint has been concluded, all documentation will be sent to the administrator who is responsible for addressing the complaint. The administrator will then forward all documentation to the VP for Student Life for archival purposes. Record of complaints and their documentation will be kept for no less than five years. The University has no obligation to inform a student how his or her complaint was resolved, nor does a student have a right to appeal a resolution of which he or she is made aware.

Definitions

Student Complaint-An expressed concern that meets the following criteria:

Is from a student as defined below.
Is in writing either in electronic form or hard copy and is submitted to an appropriate faculty/staff/administrator as explained in the procedure section below.
Relates to a perception of injustice, inappropriate speech/conduct directed at a student, threat, or failure to act in accordance with a real or implied commitment on the part of the institution or its agents.
Is NOT a part of a defined adjudicatory process concerning grades, academic policy, student discipline, or Title IX related matter.
Is related to an area or issue under SWU’s control.

Student-An individual who is or has been enrolled in a SWU course or is applying for admission to the institution.

Students may submit a complaint to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) using this form: Complaint_Procedures_and_Form.pdf.

Note to Georgia Residents

If the complaint is not resolved at the institution level through its complaint procedure, students who reside in Georgia may file a complaint with the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (NPEC), 2082 East Exchange Place, Suite 220, Tucker, GA 30084-3300. The NPEC telephone number is 770-414-3300.

The NPEC has provided an online form to be used by students for filing complaints; this can be found at the following Web address: http://gnpec.org/consumer-resources/gnpec-authorized-school-complainant-form

Note to Non-South Carolina Students

Southern Wesleyan University students residing outside the state of South Carolina who desire to resolve a grievance are encouraged to follow the institution’s complaint procedures. Students may also to identify the appropriate state agency within the state they reside to file a complaint. If the student is unable to resolve the complaint through Southern Wesleyan University’s process, the complaint can be made to South Carolina’s Commission for Higher Education. Please note that should the student find it appropriate to file a complaint with the agency in the state in which reside, complaints regarding grades or conduct violations should be excluded, as such complaints are governed directly by Southern Wesleyan University’s complaint procedures.