Grievance Procedures

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It is the policy of Bridgewater College that students should have an accessible process to bring problems or complaints to the attention of the College for review and resolution. The College has separate and specific policies with procedures to address (a) allegations of harassment or discrimination, (b) concerns related to academic issues, and (c) allegations of sexual misconduct (addressed in a separate section (.pdf)). In addition, the College has a general grievance process to address other complaints a student may have regarding the conduct of another student or a faculty or staff member. Any student seeking redress for a perceived grievance must utilize one of the procedures outlined at: bridgewater.edu/grievance

 

State Authorization and Reciprocity Agreement Student Complaint and Grievance Process

Initial responsibility for the investigation and resolution of complaints by students enrolled in online and distance education courses at Bridgewater offered through the State Authorization and Reciprocity Agreement (“SARA”) resides with the College. Further consideration and resolution, if necessary, is the responsibility of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (“SCHEV”), and other responsible Virginia state agencies.

Examples of complaints for SARA purposes include, but are not limited to:

  • Veracity of recruitment and marketing materials;
  • Accuracy of job placement data;
  • Accuracy of information about tuition, fees and financial aid;
  • Complete and accurate admission requirements for courses and programs;
  • Accuracy of information about the College’s accreditation and/or any programmatic/specialized accreditation held by the College’s programs;
  • Accuracy of information about whether course work meets any relevant professional licensing requirements or the requirements of specialized accrediting bodies;
  • Accuracy of information about whether the College’s course work will transfer to other institutions; and
  • Operation of distance education programs consistent with practices expected by institutional accreditors (and, if applicable, programmatic/specialized accreditors) and/or the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions Guidelines for distance education.

Student SARA-related complaints, including claims that their rights under law or College policy have been violated, may be resolved by a two-step process.

Step 1 – Resolution of Initial Complaint

  • The initial responsibility for resolving the complaint resides with the College. The first step as a student, regardless of residency, is to follow the College’s Academic Grievance Procedure, which requires that complaints be submitted in writing (email is acceptable), though there is no specific form to complete.
  • For questions about the student complaint and grievance process for online and distance education courses or programs at Bridgewater, please contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Dr. Robert Hammill, by mail (402 East College Street, Bridgewater, VA 22812), email (rhammill@bridgewater.edu), or phone (540-828-5719

Step 2 – Appeal of Complaint

  • If a person bringing a complaint is not satisfied with the outcome of the College’s process for handling complaints, 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, to SCHEV. SCHEV shall notify the SARA portal agency for the state in which the student is located of receipt of that appealed complaint. The resolution of the complaint by SCHEV, through its SARA complaint resolution process, will be final. Nothing in SARA Policies and Standards precludes a state from using its laws of general application to pursue action against an institution that violates those laws.
  • Notwithstanding the foregoing, complaints regarding student grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely by the College’s Academic Grievance Procedure and may not be appealed to SCHEV.
  • While the final resolution of the complaint rests with SCHEV, nothing precludes the state in which the complaining person is located from also working to resolve the complaint, preferably through that state’s SARA portal agency. Indeed, it is expected that SARA states will facilitate the resolution of any complaints brought to their attention.

Contact Information for SCHEV:
101 North 14th Street
10th Floor
James Monroe Building
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone – (804) 225-2600
Fax – (804) 225-2604

Additional Resources for Student Complaints

Consumer Protection Section
Office of the Attorney General
202 North Ninth Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone – (804) 786-2042
Consumer Complaint Form

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097
Phone: 404.679.4500

Harassment and Discrimination Grievance Procedure

General Student Grievance Procedure

Sexual Misconduct/Title IX