VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

information. For the purposes of SARA, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), Virgina’s State Portal Entity, will address only those complaints resulting from distance education courses, activities, and operations provided by Virginia SARA-participating institutions to students in other SARA states. Student complaints regarding grades or student conduct violations are exempt from SARA student complaint reporting. Please visit NC-SARA’s SARA Complaint Reports by State for additional information regarding student complaints. Students who wish to file a complaint about distance education courses, activities, and operations (i.e. clinical rotations) covered by this agreement must first file a complaint with VCOM using the Academic Concerns Grievance procedures outlined in this handbook (pg. 267). If the student believes that VCOM has not appropriately handled the complaint, then the student may file a complaint with the following: • For Virginia campus students: o Students may contact the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), which is VCOM's SARA portal agency. Before filing a complaint with SCHEV regarding a Virginia SARA participating institution, students should review SCHEV’s Student Complaint webpage and verify the following: 1. You have exhausted all available grievance procedures established by the institution; and 2. You are not satisfied with the resolution provided by the institution and are contacting SCHEV as a last resort in the grievance process. If the above two statements are true, fill out the Student Complaint Form in its entirety and submit it electronically to SCHEV. • For Carolinas, Auburn, and Louisiana campus students: o Student complaints about out-of-state distance education courses, activities, and operations (i.e. clinical rotations occurring outside of the state of the student’s VCOM campus) should be referred to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), which is VCOM's SARA portal agency. Before filing a complaint with SCHEV regarding a Virginia SARA participating institution, students should review SCHEV’s Student Complaint webpage and verify the following: 1. You have exhausted all available grievance procedures established by the institution; and 2. You are not satisfied with the resolution provided by the institution and are contacting SCHEV as a last resort in the grievance process. If the above two statements are true, fill out the Student Complaint Form in its entirety and submit it electronically to SCHEV. o Student complaints about in-state distance education courses, activities, and operations (i.e. clinical rotations occurring within the state of the student’s VCOM campus) should be referred to the campus state’s licensing body.

 Auburn campus students should contact the Alabama Community College System  Carolinas campus students should contact the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education  Louisiana campus students should contact the Louisiana Board of Regents

Formal Federal Agency Grievance Procedures Students with grievances or complaints against the College based upon violations of Section 504 or the ADA also have the right to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights by:

(1) Mailing the grievance or complaint to the:

Washington DC (Metro) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) U.S. Department of Education

275