Student Complaints

Student Grievance

Students have the right to appeal final course grades which they believe reflect an error in calculation, recording, or report; capricious, arbitrary, or prejudiced academic evaluation; or reflect discrimination based on race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, or creed, sexual orientation, color, or national origin. The grade appealed shall remain in effect until the appeal procedure is completed or the problem is resolved.

Formal Student Complaints: All formal, written complaints regarding any unit of the college will be logged in the offices of Monica Wilson, Interim Vice President of Academics & Student Services, and Jaennae Snyder, Human Resources Representative/Payroll along with the actions taken to resolve the complaint.

Complaint Process Notice

Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College takes very seriously complaints and concerns regarding the institution.  Most complaints can be resolved at the college level. Board Policy 5.17 outlines the college's procedures regarding complaints.

You may file your complaint through the use of the electronic form below or by initiating the process by first contacting the college.

You may contact:

Monica Wilson

Vice President of Academics & Student Services

Phone: (304) 434-8000, ext. 9235
E-mail: monica.wilson@easternwv.edu

Jaennae Snyder

Human Resources Representative/Payroll

Phone: (304) 434-8000, ext. 9275
E-mail: jaennae.snyder@easternwv.edu

For complaints regarding grades, follow the College Grade Appeal process found in the student handbook. Also, see Appendix B in Board Policy 5.17 for grade-related complaints.

If your complaint regarding Eastern has not been resolved at the college level, you may present your complaint as follows.

  • If your complaint is associated with Eastern's compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards you may file a complaint with the Higher Learning Commission, the agency that accredits the institution. The HLC provides complaint procedures against the accrediting commission or its accredited institutions.
  • If the complaint is in reference to a specific program that holds accreditation, you may contact the appropriate agency to register your complaint by visiting Eastern's Accreditation page.
  • For all other complaints about Eastern that are not about compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards, you may file a complaint with the West Virginia Community and Technical College System or with the West Virginia State Attorney General.

Additional instructions for distance education students

Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) welcomed Eastern’s participation effective October 4, 2019.

For additional information regarding SARA, please visit NC-SARA's website.

SARA is a voluntary agreement among member states, districts, and territories that establish national standards for distance education courses. The initiative is intended to provide additional assistance to students who take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in other states.

SARA Student Complaint Process

The student must exhaust all internal complaint procedures at Eastern prior to making an appeal, pursuant to the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements Policy and Operations Manual Section 4.5(c), “If a person bringing a Complaint is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional 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 the SARA portal entity in the home state of the institution against which the Complaint has been lodged. That Portal Entity shall notify the SARA Portal Entity for the State in which the student is located of receipt of that appealed Complaint.”

The SARA portal entity in the state of West Virginia is the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.

If distance education students* are unable to resolve their complaint after using Eastern’s internal complaint procedures, they may appeal to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission using this form.

*Note: for distance education students residing in California and the U.S. territories of American Somoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, or Palau, you are not in a member state of NC-SARA. You may file a complaint in the state where you are residing. Please contact the following offices to pursue an appeal:

Out of State Complaint Resolution

Complaint Form

Name(Required)