Grievance Procedures

Appeal of a University Policy or Procedure

The process described herein relates only to grievances, including Academic and Financial issues. In some cases, a student may appeal an academically related University policy or decision, including tuition, fees, and Code of Conduct or Academic Dishonesty charge when extreme extenuating circumstances merit and where supporting documentation exists. Such grievances may involve, but are not limited to, final grades, discrimination, or harassment. The appeal process is designed to offer the student two opportunities to be heard, as illustrated in the table below. Students should be aware that appeals in which policy or process was not followed, in which extenuating circumstances are not existent, are unlikely to be approved.

Grade Appeal Checklist (PDF form)
Student Grievance and Appeal Form (PDF form)

Students must file a grievance form. This form must be submitted with all supporting documentation that clearly describes the grievance (including the actual policy being grieved), demonstrating he or she attempted in good faith to resolve the issues with the involved parties. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss the intended grievance with an Academic Advisor prior to submission. Under extenuating circumstance, if the student believes the first level decision is unjust, the student may escalate the grievance to the second level by submitting another. Not liking the first level decision is not justification for filing a second grievance. A second appeal decision requires additional documentation to justify a re-submission of the grievance. The second level of appeal decision is the final decision of the University. The following include the different grievance definitions:

  1. End-of-course grades: Student cannot appeal a final grade unless the student has ample evidence that the grade earned was miscalculated or based on discriminatory factors. Student must provide ample documentation up front or the appeal will not be heard. Students cannot appeal individual assignments and mid-term grades.
  2. A published policy: Students who have issues with a particular policy may in some cases appeal the policy. However, the following is a list of examples for which a dispute of a published policy is not acceptable, and for which relief (tuition and fees) will not be granted:
  3. Disputes arising out of a student's lack of knowledge or understanding of a stated policy
  4. A student's reliance upon verbal statements which conflict with the University's written policies, regardless of the source of the verbal communication
  5. A student's actions when the student failed to investigate, understand, or consider the financial ramifications of that action/decision
  6. A student's failure to regularly review University communications, whether via telephone, mail, or email
  7. Illness or death of a person who is not a member of the student's immediate family
  8. Disputes rising because of technological issues that are not in direct control of the University
  9. Code of Conduct: Depending on the severity and origination of a code of conduct violation, a student may be subject to consequences of violating the Student Code of Conduct up to, and including, expulsion. A code of conduct violation that is also a violation of state or federal law will be turned over to the appropriate authorities for action and is not under the jurisdiction of the University.

Grievance 1st Appeal 2nd Appeal
Appeal of course Program Chair or Equivalent Dean of the College
Grievance Published policy Appeals Committee Provost
Code of Conduct violation that may result in sanctions up to and including suspension Committee & Dean of the College Provost
Code of Conduct violation that may result in sanctions up to and including expulsion Committee & Dean of the College Provost


If the student complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting Chancellor's grievance procedure, the student may file a complaint with the State Board of Career Colleges and Schools. The State Board address is:

Ohio Board of Career Colleges and Schools
35 East Gay Street, Suite 403
Columbus, OH 43215-3138
(877) 466-2752


Grievance Timelines
Grievances for both academic and non-academic concerns must be filed no later than four weeks after grades are posted for the semester involving the grieved issue. Grievances received after this deadline will not be considered. If the student chooses to grieve the first appeal decision, the second grievance must be filed with the University within four weeks after the notification of the first appeal decision is issued. The University makes every effort to come to a decision and notify the student within 15 business days of receipt of the grievance. However, in some cases, the investigative process may lengthen this timeframe.


Course Grade Disputes
A final grade for a course may be disputed within four weeks of the last day of the course. Students may not file a grade grievance with the University for a grade/score on an individual assignment during the course. Students are expected to employ and demonstrate open and respectful communication with the instructor to resolve a grade dispute prior to submitting a grade grievance to the University.


Grievance Communication
Grievance decisions are communicated to the student via phone or their Chancellor email address. Any questions regarding the grievance must be communicated to an Academic Advisor.