Policy for Student Complaints and Grievances

Students who have a complaint against Utah State University should first file a complaint with the institution by following the institution's complaint processes based on the type of grievance. The student code of conduct is found at studentconduct.usu.edu/student­code/, see "Channels for Grievances", Article VII, Section VII-2 and Section VII-3. Students must clearly explain the issue and what resolution they seek in an email or phone call in each step of the process; contact information for instructors and administrators are available at https://www.usu.edu/directory/.

Types of Grievances

  1. For all academic grievances, the channel is:
    1. The instructor, or graduate supervisory committee if the grievance pertains to committee action;
    2. The academic department head;
    3. The dean of the college, or for graduate students, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies (who will consult and coordinate with the academic dean);
    4. The Grievance Board;
    5. The Hearing Officer;
    6. The Provost; and the President of the University
  2. For all nonacademic grievances, the channel is:
    1. The staff member, or other person involved;
    2. The department head, or unit director;
    3. The appropriate dean, or the administrator to whom the unit director reports;
    4. The Grievance Board;
    5. The Hearing Officer;
    6. The Vice President for Student Affairs (where a decision of the Grievance Board may require enforcement by a vice president other than the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Vice President for Student Affairs shall consult and coordinate with the other vice president); and the President of the University.
  3. For all grievances including discrimination or harassment, the channel is:
    1. At the option of the grievant, the instructor, the graduate supervisory committee, the staff member, or other person involved;
    2. At the option of the grievant, the department head or unit director;
    3. The Office of Equity Director in concert with the appropriate administrator mentioned in A.(3) or B.(3) above;
    4. The Grievance Board; and the President of the University.

If Utah State University does not resolve the complaint, students may file a complaint with the Utah Board of Higher Education. The Board of Higher Education will only consider complaints that have gone through the complaint process and were previously unresolved by the institution, and the Board may refer a complaint to another agency­­ for investigation. Students will be expected to provide proof of due diligence of working with the institution before complaints will be reviewed.

Students who have complaints against the college/university relating to fraud, false advertising, or other deceptive practices can file a complaint with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, 160 East 300 East, 2nd Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, Telephone No. 801-530-6601, Toll Free in Utah at 1-800-721-SAFE or online at www.dcp.utah.gov/complaints/index.html. In addition, students outside of the state of Utah can file a complaint with their state's NC-SARA enforcement authority, scroll through and click the "Student Complaint Process by State" link.

Students who have complaints relating to the college/university's quality of education or other issues appropriate for its accrediting body to consider can file a complaint with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, following their policy explained at https://www.nwccu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Complaints-Regarding-Member-or-Candidate-Institutions-Policy.pdf.

Students in California

Complaints may be directed to the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, Department of Consumer Affairs through their online form available here: https://www.dca.ca.gov/consumers/complaints/oos_students.shtml

Students in Maryland

Utah State University is registered with the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and is subject to investigation of complaints by the Office of the Attorney General of the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Complaints may be directed to:

Consumer Protection Division
Office of the Attorney General
200 Saint Paul Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Telephone: 410-528-8662
More information is available at: http://www.oag.state.md.us/Consumer/complaint.htm