Student Complaints

Overview

In compliance with U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) rules, an institution offering distance education must provide enrolled and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accrediting agency and with the appropriate state agency for handling complaints in the student's state. To this end, Texas State Distance and Extended Learning would like to provide you with information on filing complaints with Texas State, our accrediting agency, and with the appropriate state agencies. Students have access to procedures for resolving complaints, as noted in University PPS 7.10.06, Procedures for Students Seeking Resolution or Reporting University-Related Complaints.

Texas State Complaint Process

Texas State seeks to maintain the highest standards of integrity and fairness in its relationships with students. A student who believes that specific actions, practices, or decisions on academic or non-academic matters have been made or carried out in an arbitrary, preferential, or inconsistent manner, as stated by appropriate UPPS statements, can initiate a complaint. Texas State’s general policy regarding complaints, including student complaints, can be accessed at Compact with Texans. The specific section regarding student complaints provides this information:

University policy indicates that student complaints should be directed to the specific office(s) involved in the complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved at that level, then the complainant is instructed to contact the next-higher office in the chain of command. Currently enrolled Texas State students may also address complaints to the Dean of Students Office, where ombudsman services are provided by the Assistant Dean of Students. The Dean of Students Office provides ombudsman services for Texas State’s primary customers, the students. The function of this service is to assist currently enrolled students in achieving satisfactory resolutions to university-related problems. Additionally, the Dean of Students Office makes referrals to appropriate campus departments/offices for various other customer complaints which cannot be resolved within the Dean's Office.

Accrediting Agency Complaint Process

Texas State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees. The Commission expects individuals to attempt to resolve issues through all means available to the complainant, including following the institution's own published grievance procedures, before submitting a complaint to the Commission. Therefore, the Commission’s usual practice is not to consider a complaint that is currently in administrative proceedings, including institutions' proceedings, or in litigation. In order to be considered, formal complaints must be submitted in writing using the Commission’s Complaint against Institutions: Information Sheet and Form, signed and sent to the attention of the President of SACSCOC by the complainant, as indicated on the SACSCOC Website:

To file a complaint against an institution accredited by the SACSCOC, complete the Commission’s Complaint Form and send two print copies to the President, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097. (To access the Commission’s complaint policy, procedures, and the Complaint Form, please see Complaint Procedures Against the Commission or Its Accredited Institutions [this is a PDF document; download Adobe's free PDF reader if you need it].)

 Complaint Process for Out-of-State Students 

An out-of-state distance learning student who wishes to file a complaint may do so using the process outlined above. If the student believes that the complaint was not resolved by State University, a new complaint may be filed with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), and/or the higher education authority in the student’s home state. The resources below provide guidance on these types of complaints and how to file them. 

THECB Student Complaint Process 

NC-SARA Student Complaints 

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