Student Complaints
Students who have grievances with actions, decisions and/or processes at Saint Louis University are afforded formal means for registering those complaints and for their complaints to be deliberated and acted upon by governing University officials. Details on specific types of complaints and related complaint policies and procedures are provided below.
Complaint Resolution
Saint Louis University strives to provide the highest quality educational experience for all of its students. However, if a conflict does arise, in accordance with federal law (see 34 C.F.R., Section 600.9), Saint Louis University identifies the processes by which students may file complaints about the University with each U.S. state governing board or commission that governs University educational activity; please see below.
Grade Appeals and Related Academic Grievances
Students who have a grievance against a faculty member or academic administrator regarding:
- an evaluation of their academic work (typically a grade given for an assignment or a final term grade), or
- a related academic concern, including but not limited to academic registration, tuition and fee charges, etc.
can participate in the formal appeal process established in their governing academic unit. Those policies are published on the websites of academic units (e.g., College of Arts and Sciences, Doisy College of Health Sciences) and are published as part of the academic catalogs of academic units, accessible via the Office of the University Registrar. Appeals of an academic decision beyond the respective academic unit may be made to the Office of the Provost, which maintains records of the appeals and of the disposition thereof.
This grievance procedure, printed fully in the Student Handbook, is available to students who believe they have not received fair treatment with respect to services provided by the University, outside of the classroom.
In support of Saint Louis University’s commitment to cura personalis or “care for the whole person,” the Dean of Students Office is committed to serve as a fair and impartial intermediary, or ombuds, to connect undergraduate and graduate students to resources, explore solutions, and provide appropriate conflict resolution to address non-academic student grievances. The Dean of Students Office is a safe environment for students to share their concerns.
When reporting a non-academic grievance, the role of the Dean of Students Office is to listen to concerns, help identify options for navigating through difficult matters, provide information on university policies and procedures, make appropriate referrals, and work to facilitate a fair resolution of issues. In alignment with Saint Louis University’s Standards of Conduct, the Dean of Students Office is committed to serving undergraduate and graduate students by demonstrating the University’s shared values and committing to the non-academic grievance process.
Complete records of non-academic grievances, and records of their disposition, are maintained by the office of the Vice President for Student Development.
Saint Louis University is committed to the preservation of personal dignity and the safety of its community members. All members of the University community share responsibility for fostering this environment by adhering to standards of conduct. Those standards of conduct are provided in the University’s community standards which help create an educational climate of excellence that is rooted in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition.
Students are most broadly and commonly referred to the Office of Student Responsibility and Community Standards to document a complaint involving the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and Community Standards published in the current Student Handbook. Once a student complaint is filed, if a determination is made that a student will be charged with a policy violation, the Office of Student Responsibility and Community Standards will facilitate the hearing process. The retention of documentation associated with student complaints is described in detail in the Student Handbook.
All incidents which would be determined bias-related or motivated will also be referred to the Bias-Related Incident Protocol, which includes a public, electronic record of situation resolution.
The University’s Harassment Policy applies to students, as well as faculty and staff. It identifies forms of harassments and details the complaint and disciplinary processes. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX maintains internal logs to record and track complaints pursuant to this policy.
Formerly titled Sexual Misconduct Policy, the University's Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy reflects the new required federal regulations implemented by the US. Department of Education (DOE) in 2020.
Saint Louis University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Details about the University’s HLC accreditation can be found here. Complaints about the University may be filed with the HLC.
In accordance with federal law (see 34 C.F.R., Section 600.9), Saint Louis University identifies the processes by which students may file complaints about the University with each U.S. state governing board or commission that governs University educational activity. A list of appropriate state boards/commissions, as well as contact information and links to pertinent websites, is provided below.
Alabama
Alabama Commission on Higher Education
c/o NC-SARA State Portal Agency
P.O. Box 302000
Montgomery, AL 36130-2000
https://www.ache.edu/wp-content/Sara/StudentComp.pdf
Alaska
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
PO Box 110505
Juneau, AK 99811
https://acpe.alaska.gov/ConsumerProtection
Arizona
Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
1740 W. Adams, Suite 3008
Phoenix, AZ 85007
https://ppse.az.gov/resources/student-complaint
Arkansas
Arkansas Division of Higher Education
101 E. Capitol Ave., Suite e00
Little Rock, AR 72201
https://static.ark.org/eeuploads/adhe/APPENDIX_J_Student_Grievance,_complaint_process_Revised_2015.doc
California
California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education
P.O. Box 980818
West Sacramento, CA 95798-0818
https://www.bppe.ca.gov/forms_pubs/complaint.pdf
Colorado
Colorado Department of Higher Education
1600 Broadway, Suite 2200
Denver, CO 80202
https://cdhe.colorado.gov/students/how-do-i/file-a-student-complaint
Connecticut
Connecticut Office of Higher Education
450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 707
Hartford, CT 06103-1841
[https://www.ctohe.org/studentcomplaints.shtml]
Delaware
Delaware Department of Education
Higher Education Office
John G. Townsend Building
401 Federal Street, Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901
https://education.delaware.gov/families/college-career-life/college-scholarship-financial-aid/dheo-forms/student-complaint-inquiry-form/
District of Columbia
District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Higher Education Licensure Commission
1050 First St. NE, Fifth Floor
Washington, DC 20002
https://helc.osse.dc.gov/topic/helcadmin/community-stakeholders/public-complaints
Florida
Florida Commission for Independent Education
325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 1414
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
https://www.fldoe.org/policy/cie/student-concerns.stml
Georgia
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
2082 East Exchange Place, Suite 220
Tucker, GA 30084
https://gnpec.georgia.gov/student-resources/complaints-against-institution
Hawaii
Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 541
Honolulu, HI 96809
https://cca.hawaii.gov/hpeap/student-complaint-process/
Idaho
Office of the State Board of Education
State Authorization Program Manager
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0037
https://boardofed.idaho.gov/higher-education-private/private-colleges-degree-granting/student-complaint-procedures/
Illinois
Illinois Board of Higher Education
1 North Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333
Springfield, IL 62701-1377
https://complaints.ibhe.org/
Indiana
Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Attn: Complaints
101 West Ohio Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204-1984
https://www.in.gov/che/student-complaints/
Iowa
Iowa College Student Aid
475 S.W. Fifth Street, Suite D
Des Moines, IA 50309
https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints
Kansas
Kansas Board of Regents
1000 S.W. Jackson Street, Suite 520
Topeka, KS 66612-1368
https://www.kansasregents.org/state_university_student_complaint_form
Kentucky
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
100 Airport Road, Third Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
https://cpe.ky.gov/campuses/consumer_complaint.html
Louisiana
Louisiana Board of Regents
P.O. Box 3677
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3677
https://www.regents.la.gov/assets/docs/2013/03/Board-of-Regents-SARA-Student-Complaint-Form.pdf
Maine
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/highered/sara
Maryland
Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 North Liberty Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
https://mhec.maryland.gov/institutions_training/Pages/career/pcs/complaint.aspx
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place, Room 1401
Boston, MA 02108
https://www.mass.edu/foradmin/sara/complaints.asp
Michigan
State of Michigan
Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Employment & Training, Post-Secondary Schools
P.O. Box 30805
Lansing, MI 48933
https://www.michigan.gov/leo/-/media/Project/Websites/leo/Documents/WD/Programs_Services/PSS/Post-Secondary_Complaint_Instructions_FINAL_08172023.pdf
Minnesota
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108-5227
https://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=1078
Mississippi
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, MS 39211
[https://www.mississippi.edu/mcca/downloads/studentcomplaintform.pdf]
Missouri
Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development
301 W. High Street, Suite 840
Jefferson City, MO 65101
https://dhewd.mo.gov/media/pdf/complaint-resolution-policy
Montana
Montana University System
Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
560 N. Park Avenue
PO Box 203201
Helena, MT 59620-3201
https://mus.edu/MUS-Statement-of-Complaint-Process.html
Nebraska
Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
P.O. Box 95005
Lincoln, NE 68509-5005
https://ccpe.nebraska.gov/student-complaints-against-postsecondary-institutions
Nevada
SARA Portal Agency
Nevada System of Higer Education
2601 Enterprise Road
Reno, Nevada 89512
https://nshe.nevada.edu/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Affairs/SARA_Complaint_Resolution_Form_Rev_Protected.pdf
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Department of Education
Division of Educator Support and Higher Education – Higher Education Commission
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301-3852
https://my.doe.nh.gov/ESSWEB/HigherEducation/Complaint.aspx
New Jersey
State of New Jersey
Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
ATTN: Complaints
PO Box 542
Trenton, NJ 08625-0542
https://www.state.nj.us/highereducation/OSHEComplaintInstructions.shtml
New Mexico
New Mexico Higher Education Department
2048 Galisteo Street, Suite 4
Santa Fe, NM 87505-2100
https://hed.state.nm.us/students-parents/student-complaints
New York
New York Office of College and University Evaluation
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue, EBA Room 960
Albany, NY 12234
https://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/complaints
North Carolina
North Carolina Office of Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
223 S. West Street, Suite 1800
Raleigh, NC 27603
https://www.northcarolina.edu/post-secondary-education-complaints/
North Dakota
North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education
Department 270
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0610
https://www.cte.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/PrivatePS/NDSBCTE_Student_Complaint_Procedure.pdf
Ohio
Ohio Department of Higher Education
25 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215
https://highered.ohio.gov/students/current-college-students/student-complaints
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Parkway, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
https://okhighered.org/current-college-students/complaints/
Oregon
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
Office of Private Postsecondary Education
3225 25th Street S.E.
Salem, OR 97302
https://www.oregon.gov/highered/access/pages/student-complaints.aspx
Pennsylvania
Division of Higher Education, Access, and Equity
Pennsylvania Department of Education – Postsecondary and Adult Education
333 Market Street, 12th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
https://www.education.pa.gov/Postsecondary-Adult/CollegeCareer/Pages/Students-Complaints.aspx
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Council on Education Director
PO Box 19900
San Juan, PR 00910-1900
https://agencias.pr.gov/agencias/cepr/inicio/DocumentosCEPR/Documents/SARA/SARA_Complaint_Process.pdf
Rhode Island
Commissioner of Postsecondary Education
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner
560 Jefferson Blvd., Suite 200
Warwick, RI 02886-1304
https://riopc.edu/policies/student-complaint-procedures/
South Carolina
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
Academic Affairs
1122 Lady Street, Suite 400
Columbia, SC 29201
https://che.sc.gov/sites/che/files/Documents/Institutions%20and%20Educators/Complaint_Procedures_and_Form.pdf
South Dakota
South Dakota Board of Regents
306 East Capitol Ave, Suite 200
Pierre, SD 57501
Process: https://tdx.sdbor.edu/TDClient/33/Portal/Shared/FileOpen?AttachmentID=4c8cd686-a68a-44b1-b2fc-bab755497da1&ItemID=104&ItemComponent=47&IsInline=-1
Form: https://tdx.sdbor.edu/TDClient/33/Portal/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=104
Tennessee
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 9th Floor
Nashville, TN 37234-1102
https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/request-for-complaint-review.html
Texas
Texas Workforce Commission
Career Schools and Colleges
101 East 15th Street, Room 226-T
Austin, TX 78778-0001
https://www.twc.texas.gov/programs/career-schools-colleges/forms-publications
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
1200 E. Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78752
https://www.highered.texas.gov/student-complaints/
Rules Governing Student Complaints - Texas
Title 9 of the Texas Administrative Code, Sections 1.110-1.120
https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=19&pt=1&ch=1&sch=E&rl=Y
Utah
Utah System of Higher Education
The Gateway
60 South 400 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
https://ushe.edu/office-of-commissioner/state-authorization-ut-sara/
Vermont
Vermont Agency of Education
219 North Main Street, Suite 402
Barre, VT 05641
https://education.vermont.gov/sites/aoe/files/documents/edu-postsecondary-program-complaint-resolution.pdf
Virginia
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
101 N. 14th St., 10th Floor
James Monroe Building
Richmond, VA 23219
https://www.schev.edu/students/resources/student-complaints
Washington
Washington Student Achievement Council
PO Box 43430
Olympia, WA 98504-3430
https://wsac.wa.gov/student-complaints
West Virginia
Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration
West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Blvd, East
Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301
https://www.wvhepc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Student-Complaint-Process-2018.pdf
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Educational Approval Program
P.O. Box 8366
Madison, WI 53708-8366
https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Programs/EducationalApproval/EAPFileAComplaint.aspx
Wyoming
Wyoming Department of Education
122 W. 25th Street, Suite E200
Cheyenne, WY 82002
https://edu.wyoming.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wyoming-Department-of-Education-Student-Complaint-Process.pdf