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.
Internal Complaints
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
After following the internal complaint process above, any unresolved complaints must first be sent to SUNY.
The State University of New York (SUNY)
The SUNY Office of University Life reviews concerns regarding student life matters (i.e., non-curricular issues). The Office of University Life staff will work to help connect you with the appropriate parties on your campus to attain a resolution.
Kindly understand that most resolutions must be determined at the individual campus. Campuses have autonomy and authority in decisions involving academic, judicial, and other student life concerns.
If you have already been through the campus process as outlined above and still have an unresolved issue, please visit: https://system.suny.edu/university-life/student-concerns/
New York State Education Department Complaint Procedures:
The first course of action must be to try to resolve your complaint directly with Herkimer College and SUNY.
Details regarding the New York State Education Department complaint procedures are here: http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/filing-complaint-about-college-or-university
The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA):
Herkimer County Community College is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and follows the complaint resolution policies and procedures outlined within the SARA Policy Manual and summarized here. Consumer protection complaints resulting from distance education courses, activities, and operations may be submitted to [campus department name, contact information, link to a website, preferably that identifies the procedure and includes a form or another way to submit a complaint] for investigation and resolution. If a student is dissatisfied with the campus-based resolution, a concern may be submitted to System Administration of the State University of New York as outlined here. And, if still not satisfied, a complaint may be submitted, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the New York State Education Department as outlined here. Please note, this does not include complaints related to grades or student conduct violations, both of which are to be fully addressed via campus processes, not through the NC-SARA complaint resolution procedures.
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
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