Grievance Procedure
(This procedure does not apply to appeals of grades.)
Internal Process
A grievance is a serious complaint that demonstrates that the learner has been or is being adversely affected by: 1) inappropriate interpretation of University policies; or 2) inappropriate response, lack of response, or decision by any person with administrative control and responsibility. A grievance is directed toward the University, not a specific person, and should be in writing per the grievance procedure published in the university catalog. Learner grievances are typically items such as administrative issues, financial issues, technical issues, faculty mentor performance, program content, program effectiveness/expectations, or library services that were not able to be resolved in an informal manner.
In the event that a learner has a grievance with CalSouthern regarding University procedures, decisions, or judgements, the learner has a right to seek a satisfactory resolution through the formal avenues of appeal and redress as follows:
Step 1: Notification. When a learner has a concern, the learner should first discuss and/or attempt to resolve any grievance with the faculty mentor, staff member(s), or other appropriate administrator. If a mutually satisfactory outcome cannot be negotiated between the learner and other party, the learner may escalate the matter to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Step 2: Written Submission. If the Office of the Ombudsman is unable to resolve the grievance, the learner may submit their grievance in writing, via the Grievance Form, to department leadership through the Office of the Ombudsman. Department leadership will review the Grievance Form and determine a resolution. In the event that these steps do not yield a satisfactory resolution, learners may file a written appeal with the Appeals Board through the Office of the Ombudsman.
Step 3: Appeal. If the learner chooses to appeal the decision of the Department, the learner must submit his/her request to appeal the decision within 3 business days to the Office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will convene the Appeals Board to review the grievance and render a decision. The learner will receive notification of the Appeal Board’s decision via the Office of the Ombudsman.
The Appeals Board decision shall be final and non-appealable. However, failure to initiate a Step 3 appeal within the 3- business day period indicates that the learner accepts the Step 2 decision as final and that the matter is closed.
A learner should refer to the “Agreement to Submit to CalSouthern's Grievance Procedure" section of their Enrollment Agreement and Disclosure for important terms and conditions regarding this Grievance Procedure and other rights.
Office of the Ombudsman
The Ombudsman staff is responsible for answering learner inquiries and serving as a liaison between the learner and the University departments where communication has broken down or is not yielding resolution. If problems occur, an Ombudsman staff member initiates a resolution of such problems and guides learners through the University’s Grievance Procedure. Learners may contact the Office of the Ombudsman at Ombudsman@CalSouthern.edu. The Ombudsman for CalSouthern is Brandie Riegle.
Complaints to External Agencies
If learners are unable to resolve their concerns through the internal grievance process, they may also pursue the grievance through the external regulators listed below. Although learners are encouraged to begin the process with the Ombudsman, there is nothing which prevents the learner from submitting a complaint to these agencies before submitting the concern through the University’s grievance procedure. Be advised, however, that certain agencies may require this as part of their process.
State Regulatory Agencies
State of Arizona. If the complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the institution’s grievance procedure, the learner may file a complaint with the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education at 1740 West Adams Street, Suite 3008, Phoenix, AZ 85007, 602-542-5709, https://ppse.az.gov/student-complaint-procedure.
Arizona SARA Complaint Process. CalSouthern is a member of the American InterContinental University System, which is approved by NC-SARA through the Arizona SARA Council (“AZ SARA”). AZ SARA has jurisdiction over Arizona SARA-approved institutions in relation to non-instructional complaints. Instructional complaints, such as grade grievances, and those related to learner conduct are not reviewed by AZ SARA and should not be submitted for review. Distance education learners who reside in SARA states (currently all but California) may file a complaint with AZ SARA only after the learner has first utilized the University’s grievance process and the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education’s complaint process. Eligible complaints may be submitted to AZ-SARA at https://azsara.arizona.edu/complaints.
Accrediting Agency
Complaints may be filed with the Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500; Chicago, IL 60604; https://www.hlcommission.org/Student-Resources/complaints.html