Mohawk Valley Community College desires to resolve student grievances, complaints and concerns in an expeditious, fair and amicable manner. Students residing outside of the State of New York while attending MVCC who desire to resolve a grievance should follow the College’s student grievance procedure in the Student Handbook.

However, if an issue cannot be resolved internally, you can contact the New York State Department of Education. The Office of College and University Evaluation handles only those complaints that concern educational programs or practices of degree-granting institutions that are subject to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, with the exceptions noted below.

• The Office does not handle anonymous complaints.
• The Office does not intervene in matters concerning an individual’s grades or examination results, as these are the prerogative of the college’s faculty.
• The Office does not handle complaints concerning actions that occurred more than five years ago.
• The Office does not intervene in matters that are or have been in litigation.

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)

Students residing outside of the State of New York while attending MVCC not related to grades or student code of conduct, which involve distance learning education falls under the terms and conditions of NC-SARA. The complaint must have gone through the institution’s complaint process as outlined above. If the result of the complaint is either unresolved or is unsatisfactory, students may appeal (within two years of incident) with the New York State Department of Education. Review the NC-SARA Student Complaint Process for more details.

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) provides resources relating to state authorization of distance education. If you would like to file a complaint with the state approval or licensing entity in your state of residency, or any other relevant state official, you can find their contact information here. 

This is in compliance with U.S. Department of Education's Program Integrity Regulations related to State Authorization.