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Student Complaint Policy

Touro University is committed to safeguarding the interests of all students. Students are entitled to be treated with fairness and respect in accordance with the University’s policies and procedures. The University does not condone unfair treatment of students by administration, faculty and/or staff. Students who believe that they have been aggrieved by the University, and that such occurrence is not governed by other established complaint mechanisms, may seek resolution through the complaint procedure outlined in the Student Complaint Policy. This procedure specifically applies to complaints arising from actions by another member of the University community – such as a faculty member, administrator, or staff member - acting in an official capacity, in the application of a school policy or in provision of services.

If a student believes that Touro’s policies and procedures have not been applied fairly by the University, by an administrative department, or by an employee, the student may seek resolution by following the procedure described in the Student Complaint Policy. The student will contact the Dean of Students of the school or campus where they are enrolled, or the equivalent. In the event there is no Dean of Students, the student will bring their complaint to the Dean of the school or college to guide them through the procedure.

If the Complaint is against the Dean of Students or the Dean of the school, the student may use the relevant Vice President or Provost/CAO as their point of contact.

Prior to filing the formal written complaint, the student is strongly encouraged to remedy the situation via an informal resolution. In the event informal resolution is unsuccessful or not attempted, then a formal complaint may be filed.

This Policy is not applicable to complaints that are governed by other policies and procedures. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  1. Title IX complaints (Title IX Policy | Touro University).

  2. Complaints of sexual misconduct (Touro University System Sexual Misconduct Policy (NY))

  3. Claims of discrimination (https://www.touro.edu/departments/institutional-compliance/complaint-procedures/)

  4. Code of Conduct violations (Student Code of Conduct Policy in all Catalogs)

  5. This Policy may not be used for appealing grades or for appealing other academic decisions made by any Touro University program. Academic decisions may include dismissal, suspension, leave of absence, petition to return, probation, repeating a course, repeating a semester, etc. Such appeals are governed by the Catalog or Student Handbook for the school or program in which the student is enrolled.

  6. TUS Academic Integrity Policy Resolution of Academic Integrity Violations | Touro University

  7. Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy | Touro University

Procedure For Student Complaint Policy

  1. Bringing the Complaint to the Dean of Students: The student will bring their complaint to the attention of the Dean of Students of the school or campus where they are enrolled. In the event there is no Dean of Students, the student will bring their complaint to the attention of the Dean of the school who will designate another administrator to guide the student through the process.

The Dean of Students (or other designated administrator) will determine if the complaint is appropriate for the procedure in this Student Complaint Policy and will guide the student as to what course of resolution would be most appropriate. The Dean of Students will also contact the individual responsible for the matter being grieved and discuss the charges.

If the complaint is against the Dean of Students, the student may submit the complaint to the Dean of the school. If the complaint is against the Dean of the school, the student may submit the complaint to the relevant Vice President or Provost/CAO. (Administrators involved in all subsequent steps in the procedure shall be adjusted accordingly, one level up.)

  1. Attempt at Informal Resolution: The student is encouraged to attempt to resolve the matter informally with the individual responsible for the matter being grieved. At the student’s request, the Dean of Students shall arrange for a meeting of the parties, attend such meeting(s), and attempt to aid in the resolution of the complaint through informal mediation.

  2. Formal Resolution - Filing a Complaint: In the event informal resolution is unsuccessful or not attempted, the student may seek a formal resolution of the matter. The student (complainant) will provide the Dean of Students or other designated administrator with a written statement that includes:

    1. a description of the grievance including the date of alleged incident;

    2. the person against whom the complaint is being filed (respondent);

    3. all pertinent supporting documentation;

    4. the policy or procedure that was allegedly violated;

    5. the outcome requested by the student to remedy the grievance.

The administrator to whom the complaint was submitted will review the matter and determine a proper course of action to address the complaint. This may entail the administrator’s own evidence gathering and fact-finding or referral of the matter to a Hearing Committee.

The formal complaint must be filed within sixty (60) calendar days of the alleged incident.

  1. Formal Resolution – Recommendation and Decision: The recommendation on resolving the grievance must be based solely on the evidence presented. The recommendation of the administrator or the Hearing Committee will be submitted to the Dean of the school for a final decision.

 

External Complaint Procedures

For additional student complaint procedures related to Touro’s accrediting bodies (including MSCHE, programmatic accreditation, NYSED, or NC-SARA), see External Complaint Procedures below:

Institutional Accreditation

Please read the Middle States Commission policy on Complaints Involving Member and Candidate Institutions or a complete explanation of how to communicate with the Commission regarding a complaint. The Commission’s complaint procedures are created to address non-compliance with the Commission’s standards for accreditation, requirements of affiliation, policies or procedures, or the institution’s own policies or procedures.

Programmatic Accreditation

Students who wish to file a complaint with a programmatic accreditor may find program-specific accreditor contact information on the Touro University Accreditations page.

New York State Education Department (For Students Residing in New York State)

Student complaints not resolved at the institutional level who have followed all grievance procedures and protocols defined by the University, and reside in the state of New York, have the right to file a complaint with the NYS Office of College and University Evaluation. Students who wish to file a complaint with the New York State Education Department may follow the information published on the Office of College and University Evaluation website. Students are advised that the Office of College and University Evaluation will not review a complaint until all grievance procedures at the institution have been followed and all avenues of appeal exhausted and documentation provided that such procedures have been exhausted.

NC-SARA Member Out-of-State Student Complaint Contact Information

Touro University (“Touro”) operates under the approval of “NC-SARA” (National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements). Students based outside of New York State who have a consumer-protection-based complaint regarding a distance education program should first seek to resolve such a complaint within the school in which the student is registered. Complaints regarding grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely by Touro policy and the laws of Touro’s home state (which for Touro is the New York State Education Department). If a person bringing a complaint is not satisfied with the outcome of Touro’s internal process the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made. The appeal must be made to Touro’s SARA State portal entity. The contact for which is:

New York State Education Department
Office of College and University Evaluation
Supervisor of Higher Education programs
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
518-474-1551
IHEAuthorize@nysed.gov

Additionally, Students who wish to file a complaint with the New York State Education Department may follow the information published on the Office of College and University Evaluation website.

For purposes of this process, a complaint shall be defined as a formal assertion in writing that the terms of this agreement, or of laws, standards or regulations incorporated by the SARA Policies and Standards have been violated by the institution operating under the terms of SARA.

Review further information on the SARA complaint process here.