Student Complaints Process
An individual or group of students who have concerns related to the classroom components of the course, are expected to follow these steps:
Student-Faculty Level
An individual student or group of students should directly discuss with the Section Instructor involved any misunderstanding or grievance related to the Section Instructor’s performance or expectations. If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved, the student has the prerogative of informing the section instructor of the intention of bringing the situation to the Course Lead. This process should be initiated within two weeks.
Program Director
A problem which is not satisfactorily resolved at the team level (Section Instructor and Course Lead) may be taken to the Program Director. The Program Director will review the data and act as an arbitrator of the grievance.
College
For any other college-related concerns, students are to refer to the Simmons Student Handbook.
***For concerns regarding discrimination or Title IX, please refer to the Important Notices section located at the beginning of the student handbook.
NC-SARA Student Complaints Procedure
Simmons University operates under the approval of “NC-SARA” (National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements). As required by the NC-SARA student complaint process, a student must first attempt to resolve and file their complaint at the institution. For complaints not resolved at the institutional level, a student may file an appeal in one of the following ways (dependent on their state residence):
Massachusetts Residents’ (Online or On-the-Ground) Student Complaint Procedure
For Massachusetts resident’s complaints not resolved at the institutional level, they may file a complaint utilizing the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s (DHE) non-SARA consumer complaint procedure and online form. Contact information to the DHE and link to the online form may be found below:
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place
Room 1401
Boston, MA 02108
Non-Massachusetts Residents’ (Online) Student Complaint Procedure (for out-of-state students from SARA member states not residing in Massachusetts)
For non-Massachusetts residents located in SARA member states with complaints not resolved at the institutional level, they may file a SARA complaint utilizing the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s SARA Complaint Procedure and Online Form.
Non-SARA Member State Student Complaints Procedure
For residents not located in a SARA member state with complaints not resolved at the institutional level, you may contact the appropriate authority in your state of residence. Contact information can be found in the list of state agencies below.
ALABAMA
Alabama Commission on Higher Education
P. O. Box 302000
Montgomery, AL 36130-2000
ALASKA
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
PO Box 110505
Juneau, AK 99811-0505
customer.service@alaska.gov
Alaska Office of Attorney General
Consumer Protection Unit
1031 W. Fourth Avenue, Suite 200
Anchorage, AK 99501
attorney.general@alaska.gov
ARIZONA
Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
1400 W. Washington Street
Room 260
Phoenix, AZ 85007
ARKANSAS
Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Arkansas Department of Higher Education
114 East Capitol Ave
Little Rock, AR 72201
ADHE_Info@adhe.edu
Arkansas State Board of Private Career Education
501 Woodlane, Suite 312S
Little Rock, AR 72201
sbpce@arkansas.gov
CALIFORNIA
California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education
P.O. Box 980818
W. Sacramento, CA 95798-0818
bppe@dca.ca.gov
COLORADO
Colorado Department of Higher Education
1560 Broadway, Suite 1600
Denver, Colorado 80202
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Department of Higher Education
61 Woodland Street
Hartford, CT 06105-2326
info@ctdhe.org
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
165 Capitol Avenue
Room 110
Hartford CT 06106
trade.practices@ct.gov
Consumer Complaint Hotline: (800) 842-2649
DELAWARE
Delaware Higher Education Office
Carvel State Office Building, 5th Floor
820 N. French Street
Wilmington, DE 19801-3509
dheo@doe.k12.de.us
Delaware Attorney General
Consumer Protection Wilmington:
820 N. French Street 5th floor
Wilmington, DE 19801
consumer.protection@state.de.us
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Education Licensure Commission
810 First Street, NE
9th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
FLORIDA
Florida Commission on Independent Education
325 W. Gaines Street
Suite 1414
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
Commissioner@fldoe.org
GEORGIA
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
2082 E Exchange Pl. #220
Tucker, GA 30084-5334
HAWAII
Hawaii State Board of Education
P.O. Box 2360
Honolulu Hawaii 96804
ocp@dcca.hawaii.gov
IDAHO
Idaho State Board of Education
Attn: State Coordinator for Private Colleges and Proprietary Schools
650 West State Street
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0037
ILLINOIS
Illinois Board of Higher Education
431 East Adams,
2nd Floor
Springfield, Illinois 62701-1404
info@ibhe.org
Institutional Complaint Hotline: (217) 557-7359
Illinois State Board of Education
100 N. 1st Street
Springfield, Illinois 62777
Illinois Attorney General
Consumer Fraud Bureau
500 South Second Street
Springfield, IL 62706
Illinois Consumer Fraud Bureau Form
Consumer Fraud Hotline: (800) 243-0618
INDIANA
Indiana Commission on Proprietary Education
Attn: Director of Regulatory Compliance
302 W Washington Street, Room E201
Indianapolis IN 46204
IOWA
Iowa College Student Aid Commission
430 E. Grand Ave., 3rd floor
Des Moines, IA 50309
Telephone: (877) 272-4456
Online Student Dispute Resolution Form
KANSAS
Kansas Board of Regents
1000 SW Jackson Street
Suite 520
Topeka, KS 66612-1368
KENTUCKY
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
1024 Capital Center Dr #320
Frankfort, KY 40601-7512
Kentucky Board of Proprietary Education
911 Leawood Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601-3319
Kentucky Office of the Attorney General
Capitol Suite 118
700 Capitol Avenue
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-3449
consumer.protection@ag.ky.gov
LOUISIANA
Louisiana Board of Regents
P.O. Box 3677
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3677
MAINE
Maine Department of Education
Complaint Investigator
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
jonathan.braff@maine.gov
Maine Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
6 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
MARYLAND
Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 N. Liberty Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Maryland Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
consumer@oag.state.md.us
Consumer Protection Hotline: (410) 528-8662
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place
Room 1401
Boston, MA 02108
MICHIGAN
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau
Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau
Administrative Services Section
P.O. Box 30018
Lansing, MI 48909
MINNESOTA
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108-5227
Minnesota Attorney General’s Office
1400 Bremer Tower
445 Minnesota Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, MS 39211-6453
Mississippi Commission of Proprietary Schools and College Registration
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, MS 39211-6453
Mississippi Consumer Protection Division
Office of the Attorney General
State of Mississippi
P.O. Box 22947
Jackson, Mississippi 39225-2947
Mississippi Consumer Protection Complaint Form
MISSOURI
Missouri Department of Higher Education
205 Jefferson Street
P.O. Box 1469
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1469
info@dhe.mo.gov
MONTANA
Montana Board of Regents
Office of Commissioner of Higher Education
Montana University System
2500 Broadway Street
PO Box 203201
Helena, MT 59620-3201
Montana Office of Consumer Protection
2225 11th Avenue
P.O. Box 200151
Helena, MT 59620-0151
contactocp@mt.gov
NEBRASKA
Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
P.O. Box 95005
Lincoln, NE 68509-5005
Nebraska Department of Education
Investigations Office
301 Centennial Mall South
P.O. Box 98987
Lincoln, NE 68509-4987
Nebraska Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
2115 State Capitol
Lincoln, NE 68509
Consumer Protection Hotline: (800) 727-6432
NEVADA
Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education
3663 East Sunset Road
Suite 202
Las Vegas, Nevada 89120
NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission
3 Barrell Court #300
Concord, NH 03301-8531
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey Commission on Higher Education
PO Box 542
Trenton, NJ 08625
nj_che@che.state.nj.us
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
1 John Fitch Plaza
P.O. Box 110
Trenton, NJ 08625-0110
schoolapprovalunit@dol.state.nj.us
New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
124 Halsey Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
NEW MEXICO
New Mexico Higher Education Department /PPSD
2044 Galisteo St, Suite 4
Santa Fe, NM 87505-2100
505-476-8400
NEW YORK
New York Office of College and University Evaluation
New York State Education Department
5 North Mezzanine
Albany, NY 12234
ocueinfo@mail.nysed.gov
New York Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision
New York State Education Department
99 Washington Avenue, Room 1613 OCP
Albany, New York 12234
New York State Department of State
Division of Consumer Protection
Consumer Assistance Unit
5 Empire State Plaza – Suite 2101
Albany, New York 12223-1556
NORTH CAROLINA
INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENT COMPLAINTS
The Licensure Division of the University of North Carolina General Administration serves as the official state entity to receive complaints concerning post-secondary institutions that are authorized to operate in North Carolina. If students are unable to resolve a complaint through the institution's grievance procedures, they can review the Student Complaint Policy (PDF), print out and complete the Student Complaint Form (PDF) and submit the complaint to:
North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
University of North Carolina General Administration
910 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688
For more information, call (919) 962-4550 or send an email to: studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu.
To file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice, please visit the State Attorney General’s web page. North Carolina residents may call (877) 566-7226. Outside of North Carolina, please call (919) 716-6000. En Espanol (919) 716-0058.
If you choose to mail a complaint, please use the following address:
Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General's Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education
State Capitol – 15th Floor
600 E. Boulevard Ave. Dept. 270
Bismarck, ND 58505-0610
cte@nd.gov
North Dakota Consumer Protection Division
Office of Attorney General
Gateway Professional Center
1050 E Interstate Ave. Suite 200
Bismarck, ND 58503-5574
OHIO
Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools
35 East Gay Street, Suite 403
Columbus, OH 43215-3138
Ohio Board of Regents
30 East Broad Street, 36th floor
Columbus, OH 43215-3414
Ohio Attorney General
Consumer Protection Section
30 E. Broad St., 14th floor
Columbus, OH 43215-3400
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Parkway
Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
Oklahoma State Board of Private Vocational Schools
3700 Classen Boulevard
Suite 250
Oklahoma City, OK 731182864
Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Unit
Attn: Investigative Analyst
313 NE 21st Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
OREGON
Oregon Office of Degree Authorization
1500 Valley River Drive
Suite 100
Eugene, OR 97401
Oregon Department of Education
Private Career Schools Office
255 Capitol Street NE
Salem, OR 97310-0203
Oregon Attorney General
Financial Fraud/Consumer Protection Section
1162 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301-4096
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
Bureau of Consumer Protection
14th Floor, Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17120
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education
PO Box 1900
San Juan, PR San Juan, PR
00910-1900 00910-1900
Puerto Rico Department of Justice
PO 9020192
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico
00902-0192 00902-0192
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education
Shepard Building
80 Washington Street
Providence, RI 02903
Rhode Island Department of Attorney General
Consumer Protection Unit
150 South Main Street
Providence, RI 02903
SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
1333 Main Street, Suite 200
Columbia, SC 29201
SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota Board of Regents
306 E. Capitol Ave, Suite 200
Pierre, SD 57501-2545
South Dakota Office of Attorney General
Division of Consumer Protection
1302 E Hwy 14 Suite 3
Pierre SD 57501-8053
TENNESSEE
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
404 James Robertson Parkway
Suite 1900
Nashville, TN 37243
TEXAS
Texas Workforce Commission
Career Schools and Colleges – Room 226-T
101 East 15th Street
Austin, Texas 78778-0001
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
1200 E. Anderson Lane
Austin, Texas 78752
Texas Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
PO Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548
UTAH
Utah Division of Consumer Protection
160 East 300 South
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
consumerprotection@utah.gov
VERMONT
Vermont Department of Education
State Board of Education
Vermont Department of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
Vermont Attorney General’s Office
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-1001
VIRGINIA
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
101 N. 14TH St.
James Monroe Building
Richmond, VA 23219
communications@schev.edu
WASHINGTON
Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board
917 Lakeridge Way
PO Box 43430
Olympia, WA 98504-3430
dainfo@hecb.wa.gov
Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
128 10th Avenue SW
PO Box 43105
Olympia, WA 98504-3105
workforce@wtb.wa.gov
Washington State Office of the Attorney General
1125 Washington Street SE
PO Box 40100
Olympia, WA 98504-0100
Washington State Office of the Attorney General Complaint Form
WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Blvd E., Ste 700
Charleston WV 25301-2800
Community and Technical College System of West Virginia
1018 Kanawha Blvd. E., Ste. 700
Charleston WV 25301
West Virginia Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
PO Box 1789
Charleston, WV 25326-1789
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin Educational Approval Board
30 W. Mifflin St., 9th Floor
P.O. Box 8696
Madison, WI 53708
eabmail@eab.state.wi.us
WYOMING
Wyoming Department of Education
2300 Capitol Avenue
Hathaway Building, 2nd Floor
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0050
Attorney General’s Office
123 Capitol Building
200 W. 24th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002