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Student Grievance PolicyEffective communication is vital to the mission of St. Joseph’s Seminary and College (SJS), as well as to the academic success of our students. The purpose of the grievance procedure is to secure an equitable solution to disputes that students might have regarding, for example, Seminary policies, a professor’s grading, or classroom procedures. This procedure makes certain that the Seminary will offer whatever assistance it can regarding grievances and ensures the accessibility of the Faculty, Associate Deans, and Academic Dean to all students.
The SJS Grievance Procedure- Students should address a complaint in a timely manner and are encouraged to address the issue directly with the professor, if possible.
- If the student is not comfortable addressing the issue directly or is not satisfied with the outcome of their oral communication with the professor, they may report their grievance to the Dean of Seminarians or Associate Dean in a timely manner.
- The student must provide a written account of the complaint.
- If the issues cannot be resolved through mediation and diplomacy, then a hearing may be scheduled with the Dean of Seminarians or Associate Dean and another faculty or staff member.
- Once the hearing takes place, the grievance will be assessed and the student will be notified by the Dean of Seminarians or Associate Dean regarding the outcome.
- If the student is not satisfied with the final decision, they may request a meeting with the Academic Dean. This request must be made in writing within two weeks of the notification of outcome.
- The Academic Dean may convene an ad hoc committee of three professors from the full-time faculty to review the grievance. The committee will review the grievance using a preponderance of evidence standard and communicate their recommended finding to the Academic Dean. The student will be notified of the recommended finding and outcome.
Filing a Complaint with the New York State Education Department
For all types of complaints concerning colleges and universities in New York State, the first course of action must be to try to resolve the complaint directly with the administration of the college or university involved. The New York State Office of College and University Evaluation will not review a complaint until all grievance procedures at the institution have been followed and all avenues of appeal exhausted and documentation provided that such procedures have been exhausted. For more information, please see the New York State Education Department’s complaint procedures: https://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/complaints
Out-of-State Distance Education Students
SJS is an NC-SARA (The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity, "SARA") participating institution. SARA consumer protection provisions require the institution’s home state, through its SARA State Portal Entity, to investigate and resolve allegations of dishonest or fraudulent activity by the state’s SARA-participating institutions, including the provision of false or misleading information. If the SJS grievance process is fully exhausted and a resolution not found, SARA (out-of-state distance Education) students may appeal to the SARA NY State Portal Entity listed below. A student may also appeal an institution's decision to the SARA State Portal Entity in New York State within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made. Please note: SARA policies do not cover complaints related to grades or student conduct violations.
Information about the NC-SARA Student Complaint Process can be found here:- SARA Complaint Process Chart: https://nc-sara.org/sites/default/files/files/2020-10/SARA_Student_Complaint_Process_8.13.2020.pdf
- SARA Webpage: https://www.nc-sara.org/sara-student-complaints-0
SARA New York State Portal Entity
Andrea Richards
Supervisor of Higher Education Programs
518.474.1551
[email protected]
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12234
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