Online Learning Complaints

Online Learning Complaints and Grievances

  • SUNY Adirondack is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and follows the complaint resolution policies and procedures outlined within the SARA Policy Manual and summarized here. Consumer protection complaints resulting from distance education courses, activities and operations may be submitted using the Student Complaint procedures outlined below. 
  • If a student is dissatisfied with a campus-based resolution, a concern may be submitted to System Administration of the State University of New York as outlined here. And, if still not satisfied, a complaint may be submitted, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the New York State Education Department as outlined here. Please note, this does not include complaints related to grades or student conduct violations, both of which are to be fully addressed via campus processes, not through the NC-SARA complaint resolution procedures.

Filing a Complaint

  1. A written or electronically filed complaint can be sent to the Dean for Student Affairs at osickk@sunyacc.edu and should include the following information:

  • name, address and phone number of the student making the complaint;

  • identification of the office or employee against whom the complaint is brought;

  • a description of the specific College action or individual behavior resulting in the complaint and its negative impact;

  • the date or period of time in which the incident occurred and the location of the incident; 

  • a listing of all individuals who witnessed any part of the incident in dispute

  1. A copy of the complaint is provided to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Director of Compliance and Risk Management.

  2. The Dean for Student Affairs determines that no other complaint resolution process is available for the subject matter of the complaint and that the complaint is sufficiently substantive.

    1. If the complaint is found to have another resolution process or is not sufficiently substantive, the Dean will communicate that determination, in writing to the student.

  3. The Dean delegates the complaint to the appropriate head of the department/division in which the complaint arises for review and resolution.

  4. Within five (5) business days (when the college is open), the Dean for Student Affairs confirms receipt of the complaint, in writing, to the student with an anticipated resolution timeframe.