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General Grievances
For matters other than a final grade appeal that a student wishes to address formally with the University, these steps are to be followed.
| Steps | Time Frame |
|---|---|
| 1- The student contacts the Campus Director either in person or via email stating the concern as clearly, specifically, and briefly as possible. | Within 10 business days |
| 2- The Campus Director will reply by email with a decision with respect to the appeal. | Within 3 business days |
| 3- If the student wishes to appeal the Campus Director’s decision, he/she may appeal to the Provost by email. | Within 3 business days |
| 4- The Provost will reply to the student by email with a decision with respect to the appeal. | Within 3 business days |
| 5- If the student wishes to appeal the Provost’s decision, he/she may appeal to the President by email. | Within 3 business days |
| 6- The President will reply by email with a final decision with respect to the appeal. The President’s decision is final unless the appeal affects the UoR award. In this case, the students will have the right to go through the UoR appeal system. | Within 3 business days |
*Time Frame: depending on the complexity of the issue and staff availability to respond, the response times from University personnel may vary. All efforts will be made to resolve general grievances within 21 days of notification from the student.
Exception Processing for General Grievances
If the grievance involves the Campus Director or the Provost then the student shall appeal directly with the University President either in person or by email.
It is the policy of Schiller International University to provide an appropriate grievance policy and procedures to every student. Every campus has an Academic Committee to deal with grievances and questions of misconduct in the academic area and a Rules Committee to deal with grievance questions of misconduct in the social area.
Both Committees provide the student with a procedural due process. This includes adequate notice of the charges against him/her; the right to present his/her case and any supporting evidence; and an impartial decision by the respective committee. In the event that the remedy imposed by the respective committee is exclusion from the University, the student has the right to present his/her case personally to the University Provost, who may confirm the decision of the committee or return the case to the committee for further consideration.
In all other grievance matters, the student may present his/her grievance to the Campus Director if it relates to a Campus issue, to the University Provost if it relates to an academic issue or to the University President if it relates to the Campus Director or the Provost. The Campus Director and/or University Provost will provide the student with an opportunity to present his/her case, present any evidence, and shall, at the student’s request, provide a decision in writing.
Students may also contact the:
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
1350 Eye Street Washington, DC 20002-4241
Telephone: (202) 336-6780
Student attending the Tampa Bay, Florida Campus may contact the:
- Commission for Independent Education
- 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1414
- Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
- Toll-free telephone (888) 224-6684.
Complaint Resolution for Distance Education
Student complaints regarding Final Grades are handled as specified in Final Grade Appeals. Other complaints are handled as specified in Other Grievance Procedures.
Schiller operates in conformance with the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) guidelines. Unresolved complaints resulting from distance education courses may be forwarded to the PRDEC Council by sending an email to [email protected].
The Postsecondary Reciprocal Distance Education Coordinating Council (“Council”) PRDEC is the portal entity for the Florida State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (“FL‐SARA”). The Commission for Independent Education provides administrative support to the Council and has the responsibility to field complaints to the appropriate sector or report the complaint to the Council if the institution has exhausted the institutional complaint process. The Council has the authority and responsibility to resolve SARA‐related complaints.
FLSARA will investigate and resolve allegations of dishonest or fraudulent activity, including the provision of false or misleading information. The SARA process for resolving complaints is as follows:
- An individual who files a complaint (“complainant”) against a FL‐SARA member institution must first exhaust the institution’s own procedures for resolution of grievances. The specific process at each institution must be clearly identified and publicly available to individuals via the institution’s website and/or catalog.
- The individual must have been a student of a FL-SARA approved institution.
- If you were not a student, but have a concern you may submit a complaint.
- Complaints against an institution operating under SARA go first through the institution’s own procedures for resolution of grievances.
- Complaints regarding student grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely by institutional policy and the laws of the State of Florida.
If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional complaint process, the decision (with the exception of complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the Council. The Council refers complaints for appellate review as follows:
- All complaints originating from the State University System schools will be referred to the Board of Governors, according to its designated process.
- All complaints originating from a Florida State or Community College will be referred to the Florida College System, according to its designated process.
- All complaints originating from a private, postsecondary institution regulated by the Commission for Independent Education (CIE) will be referred to the CIE, according to its designated process.
- All complaints originating from a private, non‐profit, postsecondary institutions who are members of Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) will be referred to ICUF, as applicable, according to its designated process.
If a complainant is not satisfied with the decision of the appellate body, the complainant may submit the complaint for review to the Council. The Council will review the appellate decision to determine if the complaint was reviewed according to the designated processes, including timeliness and lack of conflicts of interest by reviewers.
Additionally, the Council will determine if the basis for the complaint demonstrates a material lack of compliance by a member institution where a FL-SARA requirement was violated, applied improperly or failed to be applied. If such a finding is made, the Council may recommend specific corrective actions, and may consider such findings and the member institution’s response when reviewing an institution’s application for renewal of membership in Florida SARA.
The resolution of a FL-SARA complaint by the Council will be considered to be final in all cases. Nothing in this complaint process shall preclude an individual, institution or board from pursuing additional or supplemental action against any person, institution or entity that violates the law.
In the event that an institution fails to comply with this complaint process as determined by the findings from the appropriate appellate body or the decision of the Council, or fails to address a material lack of compliance with FL-SARA requirements, its participation in Florida SARA may be withdrawn by the Council and the institution may not be considered for re‐application to Florida SARA until outstanding complaints are resolved and material changes in the institution’s review process are demonstrated.
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