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Grievance Procedures

Several avenues exist within the framework of the college by which students may express grievances.

  1. Student complaints regarding final course grades will be handled in the manner described in the Grade Reporting section of the catalog.
  2. Student concerns regarding other issues should be brought to the attention of the appropriate faculty member, dean or department chairperson, the Dean of Student Services, (Main Campus & Parkside Campus), the Director of Student Services (Asheville Campus or Nashville Campus, the Dean of Academic & Student Services (Asheville Campus, Atlanta Campus, Nashville Campus), the Vice President for Student Success (Main Campus & Parkside Campus), and/or the Chief Academic Officer.

The following briefly describes the appropriate procedure for resolving problems.

  1. If the grievance is class-related, the student should discuss the matter with the faculty member to resolve the conflict at that level.
  2. If not resolved at that level, the student should contact the dean/department chair for resolution; and
  3. If not resolved at that level, the student should contact the Dean of Student Services, (Main Campus & Parkside Campus), the Director of Student Services (Asheville Campus or Nashville Campus), or the Dean of Academic and Student Services 33 (Atlanta Campus). Additional contacts include the Vice President of Student Success/Dean of Academics (Main Campus), Dean of Academic and Student Services (Asheville Campus & Nashville Campus), and/or the Chief Academic Officer.
  4. If the student elects to file a formal complaint, the procedures listed in the section “Formal Complaint Procedure” in the Student Services section of this Handbook must be followed.

If the grievance is of a non-academic nature, the student should discuss the matter with the Dean of Student Services and/or the Vice President of Student Success (Main Campus & Parkside Campus), the Director of Students Services (Asheville Campus or Nashville Campus, or the Dean of Academic and Student Services (Atlanta Campus). In any event, all discussions are kept in confidence between the individuals involved and not to be discussed with others. In all cases, rules of conduct will be strictly followed if there are infractions involved. Concerns regarding disability issues should be directed to the Dean of Student Services (Main and Parkside Campus), Dean of Academic and Student Services (Asheville and Atlanta Campuses) or Director of Student Services (Nashville Campus).

Concerns from members of the public should be directed to the Executive Assistant for the Chancellor (Main and Parkside Campuses) or the Campus President (Asheville, Atlanta, or Nashville campuses).

Any student wishing to make a formal, written complaint should do so utilizing the South College Complaint Form within 10 business days of the associated event. This form is made available to students electronically under the Student Services Tab on the Student Portal. The form can be submitted in person or by e-mailing the designated recipients. All formal complaints will be addressed within 10 business days of receiving the formal complaint form.

Every attempt will be made to resolve concerns at the lowest level possible in the chain of command. However, in instances where this is not possible, and the concern cannot be satisfactorily resolved through the normal procedures, the grievant may appeal in writing to the Campus President, if applicable, and then to the Chancellor of the college. The appeal should be communicated within five (5) working days after the action of which the student complains that unsatisfactory resolution was reached at the lower level. The Chancellor’s decision is final so far as institutional grievance procedures are concerned.

Tennessee/Online Students – Should there be a grievance that cannot be satisfactorily resolved at the institutional level, a student may contact the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, 404 James Robertson Parkway, Suite 1900, Nashville, TN 37243-3605, (615) 741-3605. website: https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization.html

North Carolina Students – Should there be a grievance that cannot be satisfactorily resolved at the institutional level, a student may file a North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaint to the University of North Carolina General Administration c/o Student Complaints, 910 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688,(919) 962-4550, email: studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu. website: http://www.northcarolina.edu/complaints

Georgia Students – Should there be a grievance that cannot be satisfactorily resolved at the institution level, a student may contact the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission, 2082 East Exchange Place, Suite 220, Tucker, Georgia 30084-5305, Office: (770) 414-3300, website: https://gnpec.georgia.gov/student-resources. website: https://gnpec.georgia.gov/gnpec-student-complaint-rules

Complaint Resolution Policies and Procedures for Non-Tennessee Resident Students in State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement States, commonly known as SARA.

Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws that involve distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution.

Complainants not satisfied with the outcome of the Institution’s internal process may appeal, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/request-for-complaint-review.html).

For purposes of this process, a complaint shall be defined as a formal assertion in writing that the terms of SARA or the laws, standards or regulations incorporated by the SARA Policies and Standards (http://www.nc-sara.org/content/sara-manual) have been violated by the institution operating under the terms of SARA.

For a list of SARA member States, please visit the NC-SARA website (http://nc-sara.org/sara-states-institutions). Students residing in non-SARA states should consult their respective State of residence for further instruction for filing a complaint.

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