Student Grievances / Complaints

Students who feel their rights as a student have been violated by an instructor or staff member may take their complaint to the department chair or administrator. After the appropriate levels of appeal have been pursued and if a resolution has not been reached, the student may file a formal student grievance through the Vice President, Student Services office. Complaints by students regarding the acts of other students should also be directed to the Vice President, Student Services and are covered under the College's Student Conduct Standards process. Contact by e-mail: swhited@santarosa.edu.

For complaints about academic matters (faculty, curriculum, grade) the student should first talk with the instructor to resolve the matter. If unable to resolve the issue, the appropriate path would be department chair, area Dean and Vice President, Academic Affairs. After the appropriate levels of appeal have been pursued and if a resolution has not been reached, the student may file a formal student grievance through the Vice President, Student Services office at (707) 524-1647. For the complete procedure and process see http://www.santarosa.edu/polman/8stuserv/8.2.2P.pdf. Contact by e-mail: swhited@santarosa.edu.

Complaints involving sexual harassment, race discrimination, sex discrimination and discrimination against those with disabilities, should contact the District Compliance Officer at (707) 527-4303.

Student appeals relating to Financial Aid decisions, rules and regulations should contact the Student Financial Services office in order to initiate the Financial Aid appeal process which follows established guidelines.

Complaint Process Notice (per Section 600.9 State Authorization (a)(1), Section 668.43(b))

Most complaints, grievances or disciplinary matters should be resolved at the campus level. This is the quickest and most successful way of resolving issues involving a California Community College (CCC). You are obligated to work through the campus complaint process first before escalating issues to any of the following resources. Issues that are not resolved at the campus level may be presented:

• To the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) at http://www.accjc.org/complaint-process if your complaint is associated with the institution’s compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards. ACCJC is the agency that accredits the academic programs of the California Community Colleges.
• To the CCC Chancellor’s Office by completing the Web form at http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/ComplaintsForm.aspx if your complaint does not concern CCC’s compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards.
• If your complaint involves unlawful discrimination, to the Chancellor’s Office Web site at http://www.cccco.edu/ChancellorsOffice/Divisions/Legal/Discrimination/tabid/294/Default.aspx Nothing in this disclosure should be construed to limit any right that you may have to take civil or criminal legal action to resolve your complaints.

Questions or comments about this page may be directed to swhited@santarosa.edu.