Student Grievances and Grievance Procedure
Any student may file a complaint about any issue, question, problem or anything else which they reasonably believe impedes their academic studies or which they find objectively questionable about any instructor, staff member or administrator, either orally or in writing, to any Ivy Christian College administrator. Any such administrator will then transmit the concern in writing to the Student Affairs Director who also serves as the Compliance Designee. The Compliance Designee will then review the matter, and if more information is required before attempting to unilaterally recommend a resolution of the matter, the Compliance Designee will investigate the matter thoroughly, including interviewing all individuals, the reporting student, and reviewing all documents that relate or may potentially relate to the matter in question. Once the Compliance Designee has concluded his/her investigation, the Compliance Designee will report the matter to the Executive Office (The President and the Academic Dean) along with a recommendation for resolution.
If the Executive Office concurs with the Compliance Designee’s recommendation, then the matter will be accordingly disposed of. If not, then further discussion will be held until a majority of the Executive Office agrees on a particular resolution of the matter.
Depending on the parties involved, the nature and seriousness of the issues concerned, and any other factors which must be taken into account in order to properly resolve the matter, a wide variety of actions or inactions may be taken. In the event the reporting student, or others involved, is displeased with the manner for disposition arrived at by the Executive Office, they may petition any member of the Executive Office to request that the matter be re-opened and reviewed as though it had been first reported to the entire Executive Office. If no member of the Executive Office will make such a request, then the matter shall stand as originally disposed of.
Once the matter is final, written notice of the Executive Office’s decision will be transmitted within a reasonable time not to exceed thirty (30) days to the reporting student and any other appropriate parties. The matter shall, however, remain a private one and no publication of the matter shall be made, even with the consent of all non-ICC parties involved, unless not doing so, would constitute a serious breach of justice. Should the reporting student, or any other affected party remain displeased with the outcome of the matter, an appeal may always be made to the:
(Students will not be subject to unfair treatment by the school as a result of initiating a complaint and the student may contact SCHEV about the school as a last resort.)
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
James Monroe Building, 10th Floor
101 North Fourteenth Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Tel: (804) 225-2600
Fax: (804) 225-2604
Website: www.schev.edu
Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS)
15935 Forest Road
Forest, Virginia 24551
Tel: (434) 525-9539
Fax: (434) 525-9538
For Online Courses
For students living outside of Virginia
In accordance with the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA), the grievance procedures outlined above, as they apply to online courses taken by students living outside of Virginia, are subject to the oversight of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
Grievances must follow the college’s process outlined above prior to being referred to SCHEV under SARA. Grade appeals and student conduct appeals are not allowed under SARA.
If the student’s complaint is not related to the grade or student conduct, the student may also contact Virginia State Portal Entity Contacts of SARA.
Darlene Derricott ([email protected])
Director of Academic Services
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
101 N. 14th Street, 9th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
804.225.2621
State Website: http://www.schev.edu/index/institutional/state-authorization-reciprocity-agreements-%28sara%29