Student Complaint Information And Procedures – Distance (Online) Education

Revised: 4/7/2025

Students Residing Outside New York State and Taking Distance Education Courses

St. Lawrence University is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which has established comparable national standards for interstate postsecondary distance education.

SARA requires the University to provide all students taking courses under SARA's provisions with information on the University’s and SARA's complaint resolution policies and procedures. SARA applies solely to distance education activity conducted across state lines. It does not apply to distance education activities inside New York State. Only those complaints resulting from distance education courses offered to students who are physically located in other SARA states fall under the terms of SARA. A student has the right to lodge a complaint or grievance. Complaints from in-state students are to be resolved under the College's provisions, not those of SARA. Complaints against St. Lawrence University, resulting from distance education courses or activities offered to students in other SARA states, must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution.

Internal Complaint Procedures

St. Lawrence University is committed to ensure that all student complaints are addressed fairly and resolved promptly. Student complaints should be filed with Deborah Richards, University Registrar, and St. Lawrence University’s SARA Principal Contact at drichards@stlawu.edu.  The complaint:

• must be formal and in writing
• must identify the student making the complaint (not anonymous),
• must state the nature of the grievance and the evidence upon which it is based, and
• must not be a grievance for which a defined policy or process is provided.

The final decision for appeals made in all student academic matters resides with the Vice President of the University and Dean of Academic Affairs, who serves as the Chief Academic Officer of the University. If no resolution is found, the student may then file the complaint under the NC-SARA process.

Complaints Not Covered by This Process

SARA provides consumer protection for out-of-state distance education students. However, SARA policies do not cover complaints related academic grades, student conduct violations, or matters of academic judgment. Students with concerns in these areas should follow the institution's internal grievance process or relevant department policies as listed below:

• Grade disputes, academic grievances, and other matters related to a faculty member’s assigned duties. The grievance process for these disputes is found at: https://www.stlawu.edu/offices/advising-toolkit/course-related-policies-and-procedures/grade-dispute-academic-conflict-resolution

• Issues related to discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment – for more information see https://www.stlawu.edu/offices/title-ix.

• Appeals process as a way to resolve disciplinary sanctions regarding non-compliance with student conduct regulations. The Student Code of Responsibility outlines the appeal procedures for disciplinary sanctions, as found in Section 7: Conflict Resolution and Disciplinary Procedures, within the St. Lawrence University Student Handbook.

• Appeals process as a way to resolve contested parking summonses. The College’s Traffic and Parking Regulations are found at: https://www.stlawu.edu/offices/safety-and-security/motor-vehicle-and-parking-policy

• Issues relating to tuition refund appeals. The College’s tuition refund policy is found at: https://www.stlawu.edu/offices/student-financial-services/refund-policy

• Requests to have student education records amended. The College’s Student Records Policy is found at: https://www.stlawu.edu/offices/registrars-office/ferpa-students

•  Other established complaint/grievance processes may be found in the Student Handbook: https://www.stlawu.edu/documents/student-handbook

Appeal Process to SARA State Portal Entity

If a student feels that their grievance has not been adequately resolved, they may appeal the institution's decision to the SARA State Portal Entity in New York State within two years of the incident that led to the complaint. The contact information for the State Portal Entity is:

New York State Education Department
Office of College and University Evaluation
Attn: Supervisor of Higher Education Programs
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
Phone: 518-474-1551
Email: IHEAuthorize@nysed.gov

NC-SARA Complaint Process

For additional guidance on the SARA complaint process, students can visit the NC-SARA student  complaint page at
https://www.nc-sara.org/sara-student-complaints-0

New York State Educational Department Complaint Procedures

Students who wish to file a complaint with the New York State Education Department may do so
by visiting the link to the NYSED Complaint Procedure at
http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/filing-complaint-about-college-or-university