Complaint/Appeal Process

The complaint or appeal will be submitted to the College Policies Complaint/Appeals Committee for review.

For academic issues such as grade changes and problems with courses or instructors, you must contact the appropriate faculty member or academic dean.

Students who feel that a college policy has been applied unfairly to their situation have the right to appeal. Student   complaints/appeals may include but are not limited to the following:

• Financial Aid Awards or Loss of Aid
• Traffic Citations and Fines
• Business Office Receivables
• Student Refunds
• Suspensions
• Audit to Credit/Credit to Audit Registrations
• Returned Checks

1. A student who feels a college policy has been applied unfairly shall request a review of the policy, normally within ten working days, to the supervisor or designee responsible for administering the policy. The supervisor or designee shall meet with the student within five working days to offer a recommendation for resolution.
2. In the event the matter is not resolved in the conference with the supervisor or designee, the student has five working days to file a written appeal on the College Policies Appeals form. Documentation must be attached to the completed form to support the appeal.
3. College Policies Appeal Forms are located in Enrollment Services, the Business Office, Campus Security and at the Shelby-Hoover Campus.
4. The College Policies Complaints/Appeals Committee is comprised of two faculty representatives and one staff representative. Committee members and the committee chairperson shall be appointed in October of each year by the dean. Representatives from Enrollment Services and the Business Office are present at meetings, as needed, to serve in an advisory capacity for complaints/appeals relative to their respective areas.
5. The College Policies Complaints/Appeals Committee shall meet within ten working days following receipt of an appeal. After rendering a decision, the Committee shall notify the student of the decision within seven working days.
6. In the event a student disagrees with the Committee’s decision, the student may request a review by the appropriate dean. To initiate a review, the student must contact the committee chairperson in writing within five working days of notification of the decision.
7. The dean will issue a written opinion concurring with the original decision of the committee or reversing the committee’s decision.
8. The student and the College Policies Complaints/Appeals Committee shall be notified within seven working days of the dean’s decision.
9. All decisions are subject to review by the president of the College.

Out-of-State Student Complaint Process

Student complaints against an institution operating under SARA go first through the institution’s own procedures. Out-of-State distance education students who file complaints or appeals should follow procedures outlined in the “Jefferson State Community College Catalog and Student Handbook.” If institutional procedures have been completed and the situation is not resolved, then the student may appeal by following the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Appeal Process. Out-of-State distance education students may also use the following information to contact the SARA Alabama State Portal Entity.

Alabama SARA State Portal Entity Contact
Ron Leonard
Director of Special Initiatives
334.242.2211
[email protected]

Alabama Commission on Higher Education
100 North Union Street
Montgomery, AL 36104

A list of all NC-SARA State Portal Entity Contacts is available through the NC-SARA webpage.

Since California is not an NC-SARA member, students can direct complaints to the California Department of Consumer Affairs.