Western Oklahoma State College

Western Oklahoma State College has several methods of providing students with the process to file an appeal, file a grievance, or file a complaint. The common elements of each is that the process:

1. Has a specific procedure in which the college responds to the appeal, grievance, or complaint
2. Abides by university, state, federal, or Higher Learning Commission requirements
3. Identifies an office or person who oversees the process and keeps an institutional record of the appeal, grievance, or complaint

The following links provide the procedures in which a student may file an appeal, grievance, or complaint. These procedures are also located in the College Catalog and Student Handbook.

1. General Complaints
2. Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act Student Grievance
3. Sexual Assault, Misconduct, and/or Harassment Complaints
4. Violation of FERPA Complaints
5. Grade Appeals
6. Student Conduct Appeals
7. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Complaints
8. Higher Learning Commission Student Complaints
9. The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)

General Complaints

All complaints directed to college personnel by students are considered important and will be addressed by the respective department employee(s). Complaints concerning the facility, employees, or other students should be directed to the appropriate department of oversight.

However, if the complaint resolution is not satisfactory at the department level, an official complaint may be filed with the Vice President for Student Affairs. Official complaints are documented, investigated, their resolution and/or disposition noted, with a record of such complaints maintained for no less than two years. For more information on Western’s complaint process or to file an official complaint, visit the Suggestions & Complaints website.

Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act Student Grievance

Western has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by the U.S. Department of Justice regulations implementing Title II that states, in part “no otherwise qualified disabled individual shall, solely by reason of such disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination” in programs or activities sponsored by a public entity.

Complaints should be entered on an ADA Grievance Report Form which can be accessed on the Services for Students with Disabilities page of Western’s web site. Submit the completed form to the designated coordinator for ADA compliance efforts, Vice President for Student Affairs, 580-477-7708.

Sexual Assault/Misconduct/Harassment Complaints

Western students, employees, or visitors to campus may report complaints of sexual misconduct to any of the following individuals on campus:

The full Sexual Misconduct Policy with information on what constitutes sexual misconduct and Western’s prevention and education efforts and other resources is located in the College Catalog and in the Student Handbook.

Violation of Student Records Privacy (FERPA) Complaints

Western complies with the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act of 1974 (as amended) regarding the storage, access, release, and use of student educational records as noted in the College Catalog. Often referred to simply as FERPA, this federal law provides students and, in some instances, parents the right to:

• access and review official educational records
• authorize release of his/her educational records by a parent/guardian or other 3^rd party, by written request.
• challenge the content of their records and/or add a letter of dispute to the educational record in question.
• request that their Directory Information be withheld from release

To learn more, the following resources are available on Western’s FERPA Policy and

U.S. Department of Education FERPA Information website.

Individuals or groups who believe their FERPA rights have been violated by the College, may file a written complaint with the Vice President for Student Affairs. If the appeal cannot be resolved locally, a complaint may be submitted with the U.S. Department of Education.

Grade Appeals

If a student has reason to believe that he or she has received a final grade that is incorrect or unjust, the student may appeal the grade per Western’s Grade Appeal Policy. A grade appeal must be filed no later than the end of the next regular 16-week semester after the disputed grade was issued. Grounds for a student appeal a final grade are:

1. The grade is allegedly based on an error in calculation.
2. The grade allegedly did not follow the grading criteria/course policy as stated in the course syllabus.

It is the responsibility of the student to first visit with their instructor to try to resolve the issue. If that is unsuccessful, they may submit a Grade Appeal Form via the Academic Dean’s office and provide evidence of the grounds for which the grade is incorrect or unjustified. Students may not appeal based on disagreements with teaching methodologies, attendance policies, or other reasons of pedagogical disagreement with the instructor. If a student has a concern about his/her grade during the semester, it is his/her responsibility to communicate those with the professor.

Student Conduct Sanction Appeals

The Student Code of Conduct found in the Student Handbook was created to inform the student body of the expected standards of behavior, policies, and fundamental expectations of a student at Western Oklahoma State College.

Students who are sanctioned by the Student Conduct Administrator are able to request an appeal hearing with the Student Conduct Board. Students who wish to appeal may make the request in writing to the Vice President for Student Affairs at studentaffairs@wosc.edu.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR COMPLAINTS

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE), the coordinating board for institution in the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education has the authority to review and address, as appropriate, student complaints related to Free Speech, State Law Compliance, and State Authorization and Reciprocity Agreements when a resolution cannot be resolved at the institutional level. Complaints of this nature may be made at
https://okhighered.org/current-college-students/complaints/

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements

The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) is an agreement among member states, districts, and territories that sets national standards for interstate offering of post-secondary distance education courses and programs. Western is an approved NC-SARA institution and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education is the NC-SARA Portal Entity for Oklahoma. If your complaint cannot be resolved through the institutions internal processes, you may file a complaint through OSRHE through the process found at https://www.okhighered.org/admin-fac/sara/.

Higher Learning Commission receives complaints regarding Academic Program Quality and Accreditation Standards

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the agency that accredits the academic programs of Western Oklahoma State College, may be contacted if your complaint is associated with the institution's compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards. For more information on the types of complaints reviewed by HLC and the complaint form, visit
https://www.hlcommission.org/for-students/file-a-complaint-against-an-institution/