GRIEVANCES
There are multiple steps for resolving a complaint or grievance
- Directly with the Institution: Before filing a complaint or grievance with an outside agency, students are expected to exhaust DCC’s institutional grievance policy found in the
DCC Student Handbook, sections 14 and 15. - Accrediter: If a student exhausts the complaint processes at DCC without resolution, they may contact DCC’s accreditor, the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE):
Association for Biblical Higher Education
5575 South Semoran Boulevard
Suite 26
Orlando, Florida 32822-1781
(407-207-0808)
The complete complaint procedure for the ABHE may be found on the ABHE website: www.abhe.org or directly download the PDF with the Complaint Policy. Note that the ABHE Commission on Accreditation “will not mediate disputes between individuals and member institutions or review individual cases of admission, grades, granting or transferability of credits, application of academic policies, fees or other financial matters, disciplinary matters, contractual rights and obligations, personal comments, or administrative decisions.”
- State of Texas: Complaints may also be submitted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. (If there is a problem with the link, go to the THECB Home page and click on “Complaints” in the footer of the website.)
- NC-SARA: A distance education student taking classes while living in a state which participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement might also submit a complaint through the NC-SARA Portal in their state. Students should go to the NC-SARA website to find out how to reach the NC-SARA Portal Entity in their state. Complaints against an institution operating under SARA policies go first through the institution’s own procedures for resolution of grievances. Complaints regarding student grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely by institutional policy and the laws of the SARA institution’s home state.