Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2680
Complaint Form
Revised September 18, 2014
INSTRUCTIONS
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education considers information from all sources in
determining institutional compliance with accreditation standards, including compliance concerns.
However, the Commission’s complaints policy prevents the Commission from intervening in disputes
between individuals and institutions, whether these disputes involve students, faculty, administrators, or
members of other groups. The Commission will not interpose itself as a reviewing authority in individual
matters of admission, grades, granting or transferability of credits, application of academic policies, fees
or other financial matters, disciplinary matters, contractual rights and obligations, personnel decisions, or
similar matters. Nor does the Commission seek any type of compensation, damages, readmission, or any
other redress on an individual’s behalf. In addition, the Commission does not involve itself in collective
bargaining disputes.
Before filing a compliance concern, it is strongly recommended that you read the Commission’s
complaints policy: http://www.msche.org/documents/ComplaintsInvolvingMemberCandidate.pdf . The
Commission will address concerns that are clearly related to an accreditation action taken by the
Commission, or that are related to the quality of an institution or its academic programs. All such
compliance concerns will be viewed against the Commission’s standards of accreditation. The
Commission will not accept compliance concerns from someone on behalf of the complainant. For
example, the Commission will not accept compliance concerns from a parent, spouse, child, sibling, coworker, or friend of a complainant, or from an attorney.
The sole purpose of this review is to determine institutional compliance with accreditation standards. The
Commission’s complaint procedures were created to address non-compliance with the Commission’s
accreditation standards, policies, or procedures; an institution’s own published policies; or accreditationrelevant federal regulations.
All complainants must complete this form in its entirety. This form is designed to expedite
the review of compliance concerns. The completed form, accompanied by required evidence,
should be submitted via the United States Postal Service or an express carrier (UPS, FedEx,
DHL, etc.). The form should be addressed to:
Complaints
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street, Second Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
The Commission will not accept complaints via e-mail or the telephone.
Complaints received without this form completed in its entirety will not be processed.
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COMPLAINANT INFORMATION
(Please Print or Type)
First Name __________________________________________________________________________
Middle Initial _________
Last Name __________________________________________________________________________
Street Address _______________________________________________________________________
City/town ______________________________ State ______________ Zip____________
Country (if outside U.S.) _____________________________________
E-mail Address _______________________________________________
Telephone Number _________________________________________________________
(telephone number is required in case the Commission is unable to reach the complainant via mail or e-mail)
Complainant’s Status in Relation to the College or University:
___Current Student
___Former Student
___Graduated
___Voluntarily Withdrawn
___Administrative Withdrawal
___Current Faculty
___Current Staff
___Former Employee
___Retired
___Voluntarily Resigned; Currently Employed Elsewhere
___Terminated by Institution
___Other (Please specify) _______________________________________________________________
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COMPLAINT SUMMARY AND DETAILS
1. College/University Named in the Complaint __________________________________________
(Note: the Commission does not accept complaints about individuals)
2. Check the items that best summarize your complaint:
___Non-Compliance with MSCHE Requirements of Affiliation
http://www.msche.org/publications/CHX-2011-WEB.pdf
Number of Requirement of Affiliation________________________________________
___Non-Compliance with MSCHE Accreditation Standards
http://www.msche.org/publications/CHX-2011-WEB.pdf
___Standard 1: Mission and Goals
___Standard 2: Planning, Resource Allocation, and Institutional Renewal
___Standard 3: Institutional Resources
___Standard 4: Leadership and Governance
___Standard 5: Administration
___Standard 6: Integrity
___Standard 7: Institutional Assessment
___Standard 8: Student Admissions and Retention
___Standard 9: Student Support Services
___Standard 10: Faculty
___Standard 11: Educational Offerings
___Standard 12: General Education
___Standard 13: Related Educational Activities
___Standard 14: Assessment of Student Learning
___Non-Compliance with MSCHE Policies and Procedures
http://www.msche.org/?Nav1=POLICIES&Nav2=INDEX
Name of Policy/Procedure_________________________________________________
___Non-Compliance with the Institution’s Own Published Policies and Procedures
Name of institutional policy/procedure______________________________________________
Note: You must attach a copy of the policy/procedure to this complaint form.
__Other
Please specify___________________________________________________________
3. Specifically describe how the institution has not complied with the standards, requirements, or
policies as noted in #2 above. Indicate the time frame in which the events described occurred.
Please limit this description to a maximum of 1000 words.
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4. Describe the steps you have taken to resolve your compliance concern, including the relevant
grievance and appeals policies and processes you followed at the institution. Provide evidence of the
institution’s actions to date within its grievance processes and include copies of all correspondence
between you and the institution related to your compliance concern. Also, send copies of relevant
institutional policies. Do not send originals.
5. Have you filed this compliance concern with another organization or agency?
If Yes, name of organization/agency ____________________________________________
Date Filed ____________________________________________
What was the finding? (Submit copies of any correspondence from the organization/agency that
reviewed your compliance concern).
6. Have you initiated legal proceedings regarding this compliance concern?
If Yes, name of court ________________________________________________________
Date Filed ____________________________________________
What was the finding? (Submit copies of any rulings on your case by the court).
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COMPLAINANT VERIFICATION
This compliance concern will not be processed unless all the items below are checked and you have
signed and dated the complaint form.
___I have read the Complaints Involving Member and Candidate Institutions policy of the Middle States
Commission on Higher Education and agree that this form constitutes my compliance concern.
___I understand that the purpose of this review is to determine the institution’s compliance with
accreditation standards. If the Middle States Commission on Higher Education finds an institution to
be out of compliance with one or more accreditation standards, requirements of affiliation, or
Commission or institutional policies, any action the Commission might take will be directed toward
bringing the institution into compliance, not toward settling a dispute between an individual and that
institution, or taking punitive action against the institution.
___As stated in the Commission’s policy, Complaints Involving Member and Candidate Institutions, I
understand that the Commission (1) does not interpose itself as a reviewing authority in individual
matters of admission, grades, granting or transferability of credits, application of academic policies,
fees or other financial matters, disciplinary matters, contractual rights and obligations, personnel
decisions, or similar matters, nor does the Commission become involved in collective bargaining
disputes; and (2) does not seek any type of compensation, damages, readmission, or any other redress
on an individual’s behalf.
___I understand that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education is not an investigative body.
___I understand that the Commission cannot act as a court of appeal to adjudicate grievances between an
individual and an institution.
___If the Commission staff determines that my compliance concern needs further analysis, I authorize the
Commission to submit my compliance concern and supporting documents to the institution for a
response. I understand that my identity will be shared with the institution. The institution has a
maximum of 30 days to respond.
___I understand that the Commission considers the institutional response to be confidential and will not
share that response with me.
___I hereby certify that all of the information I have provided to the Commission is true and complete to
the best of my knowledge.
___I certify that I am the individual named as the complainant. I understand that the Commission cannot
accept compliance concerns submitted by someone on behalf of a complainant. For details on the
parameters of the Commission’s policy on third-party comment, click here.
Once the preliminary review has been completed, a member of the Commission staff will contact you to
let you know whether your compliance concern falls within the parameters of the policy and whether
the Commission needs any additional information to evaluate an institution’s potential noncompliance with accreditation standards.
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Return completed form and accompanying documents to:
Complaints
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street
Second Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Name of Complainant (Please print or type):
_____________________________________________________________________
Signature of Complainant:
____________________________________________________________________
Date Signed ________________________________
For Internal Use Only:
Date received by Commission _________________________________
Comments ___________________________________________________________
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