COMPLAINT PROCESS

The Informal Process
Students, including students taking distance education under the aegis of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC – SARA), who believe that they have been aggrieved either academically or non-academically must first attempt to seek an informal resolution with the other party in the dispute, e.g., a grade dispute with the instructor.
If the student is unable to resolve the dispute with the primary party, then the student is to bring the dispute to the office of the Dean of Students, whereupon the Dean, or his/her designee, will seek to reach an informal resolution through mediation between the parties. If mediation at the Dean of Students level fails, then the student’s grievance is consigned to the Chief Academic Officer.

The Formal Process
Student grievances that are sent to the Chief Academic Officer must be in writing. A student’s written statement, along with supporting evidence, constitutes a case document. The second party to the dispute is also required to provide the Chief Academic Officer with a written statement about the disputed account.
The Chief Academic Officer will then set a date to convene a meeting to hear the case as expeditiously as possible. All parties are to be informed, in writing, of the charges and the meeting date, as well as statements requesting their presence. During the hearing, the student presents his/her case, after which the accused party is allowed to present its side of the story. Following the hearing, the Chief Academic Officer will inform all parties in writing of his decision. The President of WUV is also sent a copy of the decision.
If, after following the school’s grievance policy, the student finds that the problem has not been resolved, the student may contact the following agencies:

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
101 N. 14th Street, 10th Floor, James Monroe Building
Richmond, VA 23219
Tel: (804) 225-2600; Fax: (804) 225-2604
Web site: www.schev.edu

Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
15935 Forest Road
Forest, Virginia 24551
info@tracs.org
Tel: (434) 525-9539
Website: https://tracs.org/

Association of Theological Schools in Canada and USA
10 Summit Park Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1110
Tel: (412) 788-6505; Fax: (412) 788-6510
Email: www.ats.edu

International Accreditation Council for Business Education
11374 Strang Line Road
Lenexa, Kansas 66215
Tel: (913) 631-3009; Fax: (913) 631-9154
Email: iacbe@iacbe.org

The student will not be subject to unfair actions as a result of initiating a complaint to SCHEV, TRACS, ATS, or IACBE.