Contact Information for Student Complaint Processes

When submitting complaints, there are different avenues for students completing their education in New York State and those completing their education outside of New York State through distance education (e.g. online courses or programs). Information about the University’s student complaint process can be found on the Student Consumer Information page.

St. John Fisher University Student Complaint Contact Information

Students wishing to make appeals or to bring forward complaints or concerns, including complaints or concerns regarding final grades, should first discuss the issue with the faculty member. If the issue is not satisfactorily resolved at that point, the student should then meet with the department chair or program director. If further discussions are necessary, students should contact the appropriate School dean. To ensure a fair and systematic review, students must follow the steps outlined below.

Process to Reconcile Academic Decisions:

If a student wishes to appeal an academic decision of an instructor, he or she must follow the process described below.1

  1. The student is to initiate a discussion with the instructor responsible for the initial decision in question.
  2. The instructor is responsible for documenting the outcome of the discussion with the student. Copies of that document are to be provided to the student and to the program director or department chair.
  3. If the student determines that he or she is not satisfied with the outcome and wishes to further pursue the matter, the student is responsible for notifying the instructor and the program director or department chair of his or her desire within five business days of receipt of the instructor’s communication.
  4. If the student desires further discussion of the matter, he or she is to initiate a discussion with the department chair or program director. The role of the department chair/ program director is to ascertain to the extent possible the facts surrounding the matter and to clarify applicable graduate academic policies. The department chair/ program director has the option of scheduling a subsequent meeting to include himself or herself, the student, and the instructor. The department chair/ program director is responsible for documenting the discussion outcome(s). Copies of that document are to be provided to the student and to the instructor.
  5. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome and wishes to further pursue the matter, the student is responsible for notifying the instructor, the program director or department chair, and the School dean of his or her desire within five business days of receipt of the program director’s/ department chair’s communication.
  6. The School dean will forward all relevant information to the school’s Grade Appeal Committee or other comparable committee within the school. This committee will review all pertinent facts and make a recommendation to the School dean for final review. The School dean shall notify the student, the instructor, and the program director or department chair in writing of the decision to maintain or modify the original academic decision. The School dean’s decision is final.

1If the instructor is the program director of the program in which the student is enrolled, the student will begin this process at Step 4.

NC-SARA Member Student Complaints

St. John Fisher University is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and follows the policy for complaints outlined on the Student Complaints page.

If all grievance procedures have been followed, all avenues of appeal exhausted, and documentation provided that such procedures have been exhausted, and

The student resides in New York, then the student has the right to file a complaint with the NYS Office of College and University Evaluation. Details on the New York State Education Department’s complaint procedures can be found on the New York State Education Department website.

Please note: NC-SARA consumer protection complaints do NOT include complaints related to grades or student conduct violations, and the New York State Education Department does not intervene in matters concerning an individual’s grades or examination results, as these are the prerogative of the institution’s faculty.

Non-SARA Member Out-Of-State Student Complaints

Students who have complaints that have not been resolved through contact with the University and do not reside in a SARA member state (NC-SARA Directory) may seek advisement from the appropriate office in the student’s state of residence, listed below.

Note: This list includes contact information for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories and should not be construed as informative of what agencies regulate the institution or in what states the institution is authorized to operate. States, through the relevant agencies or Attorneys General Offices will accept complaints regardless of whether an institution is authorized to operate in that state. Also, the University does not maintain the state and territory websites, and information may change without the University’s knowledge.

ALABAMA

Alabama Community College System
Attn: Division of Academic and Student Affairs
PO Box 302130
Montgomery, AL 36130-2130
Phone: 334-293-4500

ALASKA

Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
PO Box 110505,
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0505
Phone: 907-465-6741

ARIZONA

Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
1740 W. Adams St., Suite 3008
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-542-5709

ARKANSAS

Arkansas Division of Higher Education
423 Main St., Suite 400
Little Rock, AR 72201-3818
Phone: 501-371-2000

CALIFORNIA

California Department of Consumer Affairs
Consumer Information Center
1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N-112
Sacramento, CA 95834
Phone: 833-942-1120

COLORADO

Colorado Department of Higher Education
Commission on Higher Education
1600 Broadway, Suite 2200
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303-862-3001

CONNECTICUT

Connecticut Office of Higher Education
450 Columbus Blvd., Suite 707
Hartford, CT 06103-1841
Phone: 860-947-1800

DELAWARE

Delaware Department of Education
The Townsend Building
401 Federal St., Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901-3639
Phone: 302-735-4000

FLORIDA

Florida Department of Education
Commission for Independent Education
325 W. Gaines St., Suite 1414
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
Phone: 850-245-0505

GEORGIA

Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
2082 E. Exchange Pl., Suite 220
Tucker, GA 30084
Phone: 770-414-3300

HAWAII

Business Registration Division of the Hawaii Department
of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
PO Box 40
Honolulu, HI 96810
Phone: 808-586-2727

IDAHO

Idaho State Board of Education
State Authorization Program Manager
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0037
Phone: 208-332-1587

ILLINOIS

Illinois Board of Higher Education
1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333
Springfield, IL 62701-1377
Phone: 217-782-2551

INDIANA

Board for Proprietary Education Indiana Commission for Higher Education
101 W. Ohio St., Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: 317-464-4400

IOWA

Iowa College Student Aid Commission
475 SW Fifth St., Suite D
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: 877-272-4456

KANSAS

The Kansas Board of Regents
1000 SW Jackson St., Suite 520
Topeka, KS 66612-4240
Phone: 785-430-4240

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
100 Airport Rd.
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: 502-573-1555

LOUISIANA

State of Louisiana Board of Regents
1201 N. Third St., Suite 6-200
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Phone: 225-342-4253

Louisiana Alternate Contact:

Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Section
P.O. Box 94005
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9005
Phone: 225-326-6464 or 800-351-4889

MAINE

Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
Phone: 207-624-6600

MARYLAND

Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 N. Liberty St., 10th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-767-3301

Maryland Alternate Contact:

Maryland Office of the Attorney General
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-576-6300 or 888-743-0023

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place, Suite 1401
Boston, MA 02108-1696
Phone: 617-994-6950

MICHIGAN

Michigan Department of Education
PO Box 30008
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: 517-373-9235

MINNESOTA

Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Dr., Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone: 651-259-3975 or 800-657-3866

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
3825 Ridgewood Rd.
Jackson, MS 39211
Phone: 601-432-6372

MISSOURI

Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
301 W. High St.
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Phone: 573-751-2361

MONTANA

Montana University System
Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
560 N. Park Ave.
PO Box 203201
Helena, MT 59620-3201
Phone: 406-449-9124

NEBRASKA

Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
ATTN: Complaints
PO Box 95005
Lincoln, NE 68509-5005
Phone: 402-471-2847

NEVADA

Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education
2800 E. St. Louis Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Phone: 702-486-7330

NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301-3494
Phone: 603-271-3494

NEW JERSEY

New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
ATTN: Complaints
P.O. Box 542
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0542
Phone: 609-292-4310

NEW MEXICO

New Mexico Higher Education Department
2044 Galisteo St., Suite 4
Santa Fe, NM 87505-2100
Phone: 505-476-8400

NEW YORK

New York State Education Department
Office of College and University Evaluation
89 Washington Avenue
EBA Room 960
Albany, New York 12234
Phone: 518-486-3633

NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
910 Raleigh Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Phone: 919-962-4558

North Carolina Alternate Contact:

North Carolina Department of Justice
Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General’s Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
Phone: 877-566-7226 or 919-716-6000 (En Español 919-716-0058)

NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota University System
Core Technology Services
2000 44th St. SW, Suite 301
Fargo, ND 58103

OHIO

Ohio Department of Higher Education
25 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614-728-3095

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Pkwy, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK 73104-3603
Phone: 405-225-9100 or 405-225-9142

OREGON

Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
3225 25th Street SE
Salem, Oregon 97302
Phone: 503-947-2448

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania Department of Education
Office of Chief Counsel
333 Market Street, 9th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Phone: 717-783-6788

PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico Departamento de Estado
Consejo de Educacion Superior de Puerto Rico/
Puerto Rico Council on Higher Ed.
PO BOX 9023271
San Juan, PR 00902-3271
Phone: 787-722-2121

RHODE ISLAND

Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Education Commission
560 Jefferson Blvd.
Warwick, RI 02886-1304
Phone: 401-736-1100

SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
1122 Lady Street Suite 300
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 803-737-3918

SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota Board of Regents
306 East Capitol Ave Suite 200
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: 605-773-3455

TENNESSEE

Tennessee Higher Education Commission & Student Assistance Corporation
Parkway Towers, Suite 1900
404 James Robertson Pkwy
Nashville, TN 37243-0830
Phone: 615-741-5293 or 615-253-8857

TEXAS

Texas Workforce Commission
Career Schools and Colleges-Rm 226-T
101 East 15th Street
Austin, TX 78778-0001
Phone: 512-936-3100

Texas Alternate Contact #1:

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, TX 78711-2788
Phone: 512-427-6101

Texas Alternate Contact #2:

Texas Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548

UTAH

Utah System of Higher Education State Board of Regents
60 South 400 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284
Phone: 801-321-7200 or 1-800-418-8757

VERMONT

Vermont Agency of Education
219 North Main St., Suite 402
Barre, VT 05641
Phone: 802-479-1030

Vermont Alternate Contact:

Vermont Attorney General’s Office
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-1001
Phone: 802-828-3171

VIRGINIA

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
James Monroe Building
101 N. 14th St., 10th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-225-2600

WASHINGTON

Washington Student Achievement Council
917 Lakeridge Way SW
Olympia, WA 98502
Phone: 360-753-7625

WASHINGTON D.C.

Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Higher Education Licensure Commission
1050 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-724-7860

WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Boulevard East, Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: 304-558-2101

WISCONSIN

Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
Educational Approval Program
P.O. Box 8366
Madison, WI 53708-8366
Phone: 608-266-1996

WYOMING

Wyoming Department of Education
122 W. 25th St., Suite E200
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: 307-777-7675

AMERICAN SAMOA

American Samoa Office of Protection & Advocacy
Attn: Dr. Peter Tinitali
Executive Office Building
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799
Phone: 684-699-2441

GUAM

Guam Office of Attorney General
287 W O’Brien Dr.
Hagatna, Guam 96910
Phone: 671-475-3324

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

State Higher Education Agency, Northern Marianas College
POB 501250
Saipan MP 96950-1250

Northern Mariana Islands Alternate Contact:

Northern Mariana Islands Office of the Attorney General
Juan A Sablan Memorial Bldg.
Capital Hill
Caller Box 10007, Saipan, MP 96950
Phone: 670-234-5498

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs
Golden Rock Shopping Center,
3000 Estate Golden Rock, Suite 9, St. Croix, VI 00820
Phone: 340-713-2754

Individuals can submit at any time a complaint regarding an institution’s compliance with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Requirements of Affiliation, standards, or policies or regarding an institution’s compliance with its own policies or procedures. If an individual has attempted to result the issues through the institution’s own grievance procedures and all avenues of appeals have been exhausted a complaint can be submitted to MSCHE using the official Complaints and Third Party Comment Form found on the MSCHE Complaints page.

Please note: Matters outside of MSCHE’s purview include disputes between individuals and affiliated institutions about admission, grades, granting or transferability of credits, application of academic policies, fees or other financial matters, disciplinary matters, contractual rights and obligations, personnel decisions, or collective bargaining disputes.