Graduate School
Student complaints address general concerns or personal matters such as reasonableness of assignments and grading, communication with professors and staff, and matters relating to on-campus student life or online student interaction. Student complaints should be presented in person or in writing to the Academic Dean. Complaints are typically addressed by the Academic Dean, but students may request that a committee of faculty and/or administrators be convened to address the complaint. The Academic Dean will review such a request with the assistance of the Director of Human Resources and provide a timely response.
Student complaints of a serious nature should be addressed in writing as grievances to the Academic Dean. By “serious nature” is meant any academic matter that involves academic standing such as failure of a course, the failure of the Institute or any of its members to deliver the academic services that it guarantees, or any moral or behavioral matter that calls into question the integrity of the Institute or its members. Grievances are adjudicated by a committee of faculty and administrators, usually including the Director of Human Resources. If the grievance is rejected, the student has 30 days to appeal to the President.
The Augustine Institute voluntarily adheres to the Standards of Accreditation published by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools. Should a student have a complaint about an area related to the accrediting standards, that complaint should be made in writing to the Registrar, who will forward it to the appropriate office. Students may expect an initial reply acknowledging receipt of their complaint followed by a substantive response within 30 days of their submission.
The Augustine Institute adheres to the best practices for Distance Education upheld by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). Should a student have a complaint that involves distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of SARA, the student must first file a complaint (or grievance) with the Augustine Institute. If the person bringing a complaint is not satisfied with the outcome of the Institute’s internal processes, a complaint may be filed with the University’s SARA portal entity at the Colorado Department of Higher Education. https://cdhe.colorado.gov/filing-student-complaint
Colorado Department of Higher Education
1600 Broadway, Suite 2200
Denver, CO 80202
303.862.3001
Students from states outside Colorado—other than California—may register their complaint with the SARA portal entity for their home state. Students from California may register their complaint with California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.
Examples of types of student complaints that may be brought to the SARA portal entity include veracity of recruitment and marketing materials, job placement data, accuracy of information about tuition, fees, and financial aid, accuracy of course transfer information. Complaints and appeals involving grades or student conduct violations will not be reviewed by the SARA portal entity.
If all other avenues provided have been exhausted, unresolved complaints may be filed with the Association of Theological Schools.
The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
The Commission on Accrediting
10 Summit Park DrivePittsburgh, PA 15275-1110
Telephone: 412.788.6505