Effective communication is vital to the mission of St. Joseph’s Seminary, 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 NC-SARA
St. Joseph’s Seminary and College (“SJS”) is an NC-SARA (The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity) participating institution. If the SJS grievance process is fully exhausted and a resolution not found, SARA (out-of-state/remote) students may pursue the SARA Student Complaint Process, by appealing to the SARA State Portal Entity. More information about the Student Complaint Process can be found here: Student Complaints | NC-SARA.

The current New York State Portal Entity is listed below, and can also be found by searching the NC SARA State Portal Entity Contacts webpage.

New York State Portal Entity Contact
Andrea Richards
Supervisor of Higher Education Programs
518.474.1551
[email protected]
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12234

Filing a Complaint with the New York State Education Department (NYSED)
Students may also pursue a complaint with NYSED. Information about “Filing a Complaint About a College or University” is available on the NYSED webpage https://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/complaints.