Formal Student Complaints

LeTourneau University desires to resolve student concerns and complaints in an expeditious, fair, and amicable manner. In the instance that a concern exists, this page outlines the processes any student can follow.  The full policy can be found in the traditional Student Handbook and the GAPS Catalog (links are to the right).

Informal Student Concerns

It is the wish of the University to provide an education and services of high quality to its students and to provide equity and harmony in the application of university policies and procedures. When a student has a concern, resolution should be sought through informal communication with the appropriate instructor, school dean, staff member, or administrative officer who may be able to help rectify or clarify the situation before a formal written complaint is initiated.  Concerns expressed by students should be addressed by the person receiving the concern, to the best of their ability, assisted by the appropriate office on campus who handles the issue of concern and/or the supervisor of the faculty or staff member hearing the concern.  Informal student concerns include items expressed verbally or in an electronic format such as email, texting, etc.

If the student’s concern is not resolved at the informal level, then the student has the right to submit a formal written complaint by following the procedures outlined below.

Formal Written Complaint Procedures

This Student Complaint Policy does not supersede specific policies involving special cases such as grade appeals, sexual harassment, appeal and due process within discipline, etc.  Those special cases have specific policies and procedures that are outlined separately.  For all other complaints, students should use the formal written complaint process outlined below:

1. A student who wishes to lodge a formal complaint with the University must complete and submit the Formal Written Student Complaint Form available online at www.letu.edu/complaintform (link to the left).
2. Clicking "submit" sends the form to the Office of the Provost who will log the information and forward it to the appropriate cabinet level officer for action.
3. The cabinet level officer will send a written acknowledgment to the student within five working days indicating: (1) that the complaint has been received, (2) the nature of the complaint, and (3) that the student will receive a written response after deliberation within approximately ten working days.  A copy of the acknowledgment letter will be sent to the Office of the Provost.
4. The cabinet level officer will assign the investigation and resolution of the complaint to the administrator overseeing the area of complaint or consider the matter themselves.
5. The complaint will be investigated, including the source, consideration of previous efforts to resolve the issue, and evaluation of any circumstances surrounding the event.
6. The responding administrator will send the student a written statement of attempted resolution to the problem within 10 working days after receipt of the complaint.  A copy of the deliberation response will be sent to the appropriate cabinet level officer and the Office of the Provost.

Student Appeal Process

Upon receiving the response to the formal written complaint, the student has the right of appeal to successive levels of administrators within the area.  In each case, the student will receive an acknowledgment of the complaint within five working days and a deliberation response within 10 working days from the date of the acknowledgment letter.  The student’s appeal to the next level must be received within 10 working days, or the matter will be considered fully resolved.

If the student wishes to appeal the cabinet level officer’s ruling, the appeal will then go to the Provost and Executive Vice President.  The only appeal beyond the Provost and Executive Vice President is to the President of the University.

The decision of the President will be final.

Student Complaints to External Agencies

Students should exhaust the avenues of communicating informal student concerns and Formal Written Student Complaints before filing a complaint with the appropriate regulatory agency, such as accrediting bodies and/or appropriate state government agencies.  If a complaint is not satisfactorily resolved internally, the student may then file a complaint with the external agency.  Generally, the accrediting bodies and state agencies require that students exhaust internal complaint processes before considering a complaint.

LeTourneau University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, and masters degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of LeTourneau University. The Commission is to be contacted with a complaint only if there is evidence that appears to support the institution’s significant non-compliance with a requirement or standard, according to the form and procedure on the website: www.sacscoc.org.

Students who would like to make a complaint to the appropriate agency for the state of Texas should contact the Consumer Protection Division at the Office of the Attorney General of Texas.

Students enrolled in online programs who live outside of Texas should contact the appropriate state agency for handling complaints in the student’s state.  A listing of states that LeTourneau serves and the corresponding state agency contact information for states outside of Texas can be found here.

Students who think that LeTourneau University is in violation of federal laws concerning discrimination against a person with a disability or a member of a protected class should contact the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202-1100 or www.ed.gov/ocr.

(Modified 11 November 2011)