Southwestern College believes that all students should be treated in a fair manner and receive a positive educational experience. As such, Southwestern College is committed to resolving student complaints. Our policies and procedures are readily available. (See below) Any students looking to resolve a grievance should refer to the policy and/or contact the appropriate office.
Southwestern College Complaint Process
Persons who have complaints against the school should first contact the appropriate department head, i.e., for academic related concerns, the Vice President for Academic Affairs; for financial related concerns, the Associate Vice President of Business Affairs; for student life issues, the Dean of Students.
For students in online programs at Professional Studies, the process remains the same with additional stages for academic related concerns. These processes are to ensure a fair and timely response and still reside with the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Professional Studies Complaint Process Details
A student who is dissatisfied with a grade received or with any other aspect of instruction in a particular course is to confer with the instructor, who will explain the reasons for awarding the grade or method of instruction. If such a conference fails to achieve a satisfactory resolution, the student should confer with their Academic Success Coach.
The Academic Success Coach will confer with the Director for Faculty Affairs and Academic Support. If still unsatisfied with the outcome, the student may petition the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Professional Studies. The final stage in the process, if a student is still dissatisfied with the outcome, is an appeal in writing to the Dean of the College to adjudicate the situation.
Persons who have complaints that are broader in scope and relate to possible accreditation issues should contact The Higher Learning Commission. The instructions for filing a complaint are found on the Higher Learning Commission Complaint Process.
Most external complaint processes require that all avenues of complaint are exhausted internally to the institution before a grievance will be considered.
Additional Steps
If an issue cannot be resolved, non-resident students in an online program may file a complaint with the Kansas Board of Board of Regents.
The following information is provided for students who wish to follow up with their home state. SHEEO maintains a list of state contacts.