This process is intended to be used to address problems arising in the relationship between a student and a staff or faculty member that are not specifically governed by one of the other procedures and that involve a violation, misunderstanding or arbitrary, capricious or inequitable application of a regulation, policy or process of the College.
Unless it is inappropriate to do so, the student should first attempt an informal settlement with the employee of the College, Faculty Student Association or Tompkins Cortland Foundation. If no mutually satisfactory informal settlement can be reached, the student should do the following:
- A student who wishes to provide feedback (positive or negative) or lodge a complaint about a class or instructor should use this form, which will be reviewed by the Provost's Office.
- A student who wishes to file a non-academic complaint should contact: Vice President for Student Services, Room 229, 844.8222, Ext. 4244, vpss@tompkinscortland.edu.
The appropriate form should be filled out within a reasonable time, generally within two (2) weeks of the complained about conduct (or two weeks into the next semester if the conduct occurred less than two weeks before the last day of a semester).
Upon receipt of the form, the College will conduct an independent investigation including interviewing all parties and any witnesses deemed relevant and material to the issues raised and shall make a final determination in the matter and notify all parties of the final decision, in writing, within two (2) weeks to three (3) weeks.
Either party shall have the further right to appeal the decision to the appropriate Vice President, depending on the department. The appeal shall be in writing, setting forth the reasons the decision of the investigating party should or should not be carried out and specifically setting forth the grounds for such appeal. This request must be made within ten (10) days after receiving the written decision. Requirements for the appeal can be found in General Information Related To All Grievance And Conduct Violation Procedures.
The appropriate Vice President shall make a final adjudication and determination in the matter and notify both parties of the final decision in writing within thirty (30) days.
Tompkins Cortland Community College is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and follows the complaint resolution policies and procedures outlined within the SARA Policy Manual and summarized here. Consumer protection complaints resulting from distance education courses, activities, and operations may be submitted to the Provost Office at provost@tc3.edu or using this form for investigation and resolution. If a student is dissatisfied with the campus-based resolution, a concern may be submitted to System Administration of the State University of New York as outlined here. And, if still not satisfied, a complaint may be submitted, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the New York State Education Department as outlined here. Please note, this does not include complaints related to grades or student conduct violations, both of which are to be fully addressed via campus processes, not through the NC-SARA complaint resolution procedures.