Return to Report a Concern/Compliant Form
Baker College Complaint Policies
Student Complaint Policy:
Students have the right to file formal complaints about College matters if they believe their rights have been violated. The following are considered formal student complaints: grade disputes, equal opportunity complaints, Americans with Disabilities Act complaints, and harassment complaints. Please see the following sections of this handbook for more information about specific policy and complaint procedures. To file complaints, students may follow the specific procedures outlined in the areas noted in this handbook. For grade disputes, students may use the Academic Appeal Agreement and Plan forms. For all other complaints, the student will use the Baker College Complaint/Grievance form. Students may file formal complaints, in writing, with the appropriate College officers, using the forms noted. Formal complaints must be specific, comprehensively documented, signed by students in written format, and delivered either by U.S. mail or through an attachment to an email. To be considered a “formal student complaint,” the information submitted by the student needs to present full details, including any relevant documentation, dates, locations, and witnesses, as appropriate. Additionally, students must state the remedy being sought or the reasonable steps to be taken to resolve their complaints. Within 10 business days, after receiving the formal, written complaint from the student, the College will outline the steps that will be followed to resolve the issue.
Grievance Procedure for Complaints
If any person believes that Baker College has inadequately applied the principles and/or regulations of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), or the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), he/she may submit a complaint using the following process:
The person who believes he/she has a valid basis for grievance shall discuss the grievance informally and on a verbal basis with the campus Director/Vice President of Student Affairs, who shall function as the designated campus EEO/AA/ADA Officer.* The campus Director/Vice President of Student Affairs shall in turn investigate the complaint and reply with an answer to the complainant. He/she may initiate formal procedures according to the following steps:
STEP 1A written statement of the grievance (signed by the complainant) shall be submitted to the campus Director/Vice President of Student Affairs within five business days of receipt of a response to the informal complaint. The campus Director/Vice President of Student Affairs shall further investigate the matters raised in the grievance and reply in writing to the complainant within five business days.
STEP 2If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision of the campus Director/Vice President of Student Affairs, he/she may submit a signed statement of appeal to the campus president within five business days of receipt of the response of the campus Director/Vice President of Student Affairs response. The campus president shall meet with all parties involved, formulate a conclusion, and respond in writing to the complainant within 10 business days.
*The campus Director/Vice President of Student Affairs will provide a copy of the College’s grievance procedure and investigate all complaints in accordance with this procedure on request. A copy of each of the acts and regulations on which this notice is based may be found in the campuses’ academic/advising office.
Additional Options
Pursuant to the state authorization provision of the Program Integrity Regulations (34 C.F.R. 668.43) established by the Department of Education on October 29, 2010, the following contact information is provided for filing complaints that remain unresolved after engaging in Student Complaint Policy.
Complaints concerning broad institutional academic practices, such as those that raise issues regarding College’s ability to meet accreditation standards, may be forwarded to the
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs' Corporations, Security & Commercial Licensing Bureau is the agency designated to review complaints against institutions of higher education providing distance education. Complaints concerning Baker College’s distance education activities regulated by Michigan's Higher Education Authorization and Distance Education Reciprocal Exchange Act (2015 PA 45) may be directed to the
State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) – Baker College is a member of the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). A “State authorization reciprocity agreement” is an agreement between two or more States that authorizes an institution located and legally authorized in a State covered by the agreement to provide postsecondary education through distance education or correspondence courses to students in other States covered by the agreement.