Student Complaint Procedure: Office of the Provost

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href="index.html">Policies & Procedures</a></li><li class="active">Student Complaint Procedure</li></ul> <h1>Student Complaint Procedure</h1><p>Northwestern University students may file a complaint with the University by following the complaint procedures outlined in the <span><a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/communitystandards/student-handbook/">Student Handbook Appendix</a></span>.</p> <p>Students may also file a complaint with Northwestern University's accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) by following the HLC <a href="https://www.hlcommission.org/Student-Resources/complaints.html">complaint procedure</a>. </p> <p>Online students residing in a SARA state or territory* should attempt to resolve grievances through Northwestern's institutional process for <span><a href="http://www.northwestern.edu/student-conduct/reporting-a-concern/complaints-against-faculty-staff/index.html">filing a complaint</a></span>. If a student is not satisfied with the outcome of Northwestern's process, the complaint (except for those involving grades or student conduct violations) may be brought to the <span><a href="https://complaints.ibhe.org/">Illinois Board of Higher Education</a></span>. For more information regarding the complaint process for students residing in SARA states, please visit the <span><a href="http://nc-sara.org/content/sara-and-students">SARA website</a></span>.</p> <p><img alt="state authorization reciprocity agreement logo" class="align-image-right" height="408" src="../images/sara_seal_group_2024_participating.jpg" width="375"/></p> <p><span>*Northwestern University is an institutional participant in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). SARA is a voluntary agreement among member states and U.S. territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of distance-education courses and programs. SARA membership includes all states with the exception of California, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. </span><span><a href="http://nc-sara.org/">Learn more about SARA</a></span><span>.</span></p> <p><strong>California</strong></p> <p>Online students residing in California may direct unresolved complaints to:</p> <p>California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education<br/>PO Box 980818<br/>W. Sacramento, CA 95798-0818<br/><a href="mailto:bppe@dca.ca.gov">bppe@dca.ca.gov</a><br/><a href="http://www.bppe.ca.gov/forms_pubs/complaint.pdf">http://www.bppe.ca.gov/forms_pubs/complaint.pdf</a>  </p> <p><strong>District of Columbia</strong></p> <p>Pursuant to D.C. Official Code §38-1306(c)(4), complaints may be filed by students in the District of Columbia with the Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC, Commission) against postsecondary educational institutions operating in the District of Columbia. See the <a href="https://helc.osse.dc.gov/topic/helcadmin/community-stakeholders/public-complaints">HELC Public Complaints webpage</a> for details of the HELC process.</p> <p>For more information, please contact Mearah Quinn-Brauner, Senior Director for Strategy and Policy, at <span><a href="mailto:mearah@northwestern.edu">mearah@northwestern.edu</a></span>.</p> </div> </div> </main> <footer> <div class="contain-1120"> <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/" title="Northwestern University Home"> <div class="footer-logo"><span class="hide-text">Northwestern University Home</span></div> </a> <div class="footer-wrap"> <div class="footer-content contact jos" data-jos_animation="fade-up"><h2>Office of the Provost</h2><div class="address"><div class="icon"><span>Address</span></div><div class="text"><p>633 Clark Street<br/>Evanston, IL 60208</p></div></div><div class="phone"><div class="icon"><span>Phone number</span></div><div class="text"><p><strong>Evanston</strong><br/>(847) 491-5117</p></div></div><div class="email"><div class="icon"><span>Email address</span></div><div class="text"><p><a href="mailto:officeoftheprovost@northwestern.edu">officeoftheprovost@northwestern.edu</a></p></div></div></div> <div class="footer-content resources jos" data-jos_animation="fade-up"> <h2>Northwestern Resources</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/facilities/building-campus-access/building-access/">Building Access</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/emergency/">Campus Emergency Information</a></li> <li><a href="https://hr.northwestern.edu/careers/">Careers</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/contact.html">Contact Northwestern University</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/privacy/">Privacy Statement</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/report/">Report a Concern</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/accessibility/about/report-accessibility-issue.html">Report an Accessibility Issue</a></li> <li><a href="https://policies.northwestern.edu/">University Policies</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer-bottom"> <div class="contain-1120"> <span class="copyright">© <script>// <![CDATA[ document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) // ]]></script> Northwestern University</span> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NorthwesternU"> <span class="social facebook">Facebook</span> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.twitter.com/northwesternu"> <span class="social twitter">Twitter</span> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/northwesternu"> <span class="social instagram">Instagram</span> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/NorthwesternU"> <span class="social youtube">YouTube</span> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@northwestern.u"> <span class="social tiktok">TikTok</span> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/school/northwestern-university/"> <span class="social linkedin">LinkedIn</span> </a></li> </ul> <span class="right"><a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/disclaimer.html">Disclaimer</a></span> </div> </div> </footer> <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.7.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <script src="https://common.northwestern.edu/dept/3.0/js/scripts.js"></script> </body> </html>

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Student Complaint Procedure: Office of the Provost - Northwestern University