Complaints Regarding Distance Education Programs

RIT distance education students who have a consumer protection complaint regarding a distance education program should first seek to resolve the complaint within the RIT college in which the student is registered:

RIT Colleges with Distance Education Programs	Contact for Consumer Protection Complaints
College of Engineering Technology	Melissa Aponte Assistant Dean of Students mxacet@rit.edu
College of Health Sciences and Technology	Ashley Jackson Assistant Dean adjiao@rit.edu
College of Science	Larry Buckley Senior Associate Dean ljbsbi@rit.edu
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences	Michael Yacci Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs mayici@rit.edu
Golisano Institute for Sustainability	Seth Holmes Department Head Department of Architecture shharch@rit.edu
Kate Gleason College of Engineering	Amy Neufeglise Assistant Dean for Student Services alpiao@rit.edu
National Technical Institute for the Deaf	Dr. Mary Karol (MK) Matchett Assistant Vice President of NTID Student and Academic Services https://www.rit.edu/ntid/sas#contact
Saunders College of Business	Lisa Boice Assistant Dean for Student Services lboice@saunders.rit.edu
School of Individualized Study	Abby Cantwell SOIS Director for Academic Services ambcada@rit.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consumer protection-based complaints must be made to the RIT contact person listed above for the college that offers the student's program. Complaints should be made during the semester of occurrence, but must be made no later than the last day of the following academic semester. The RIT contact person for the college offering the distance program will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within fifteen (15) days. If the student's attempt at resolution within the RIT college is unsuccessful, the student may appeal the college's decision by contacting the RIT Vice Provost within fifteen (15) days of being informed of the decision. A decision on the student's appeal will be issued within sixty (60) days along with any proposed remedy, if applicable. 

Complaints regarding grades and student conduct violations are not part of the distance education complaint process. They are governed entirely by institutional policy and the laws of New York State. For more information, see the following RIT policies:

• Final Course Grade Disputes
• Student Conduct Process

When submitting complaints to regulatory bodies, there are different avenues for distance education students completing their RIT education in New York State and those completing their RIT education outside of New York State. Distance education students should follow the process below which represents their individual situation:

Distance Education Students Located in New York State

Student complaints not resolved at the institutional level who have followed all grievance procedures and protocols defined by the University, and reside in the state of New York, have the right to file a complaint with the NYS Office of College and University Evaluation. Information for distance education students regarding how to file a complaint can be found on the New York State Education Department website.

Distance Education Students Located Outside of New York State

• State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) States
  If a student bringing a complaint is located outside of New York State, in a state or territory that participates in NC-SARA, and is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process for handling complaints, the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the SARA Portal Entity in the home state of the institution against which the complaint has been lodged. All states except California are NC-SARA members.
  
  SARA Portal Entity Contact for New York State
  SARA State Portal Contact: Andrea Richards
  Supervisor of Higher Education Programs
  New York State Education Department
  89 Washington Avenue
  Albany, NY 12234
  518.474.1551
  IHEauthorize@nysed.gov
  
  New York State Education Department Complaint Procedures - Specific to SARA Student Complaints
  www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/sara-student-complaint-process
  
  New York State Education Department Complaint Procedures - General Complaints
  www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/filing-complaint-about-college-or-university
   
• Non-State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) States
  NC-SARA complaint procedures: https://www.nc-sara.org/sara-student-complaints-0
  
  For those student complaints not resolved at the institutional level who have followed all grievance procedures and protocols defined by the University, and do not reside in a SARA member state or territory, advisement may be sought from the appropriate office in the student’s state/territory of residence, listed below.
   

CALIFORNIA California Department of Consumer Affairs Consumer Information Center 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N-112 Sacramento, CA 95834 Phone: 833-942-1120

AMERICAN SAMOA American Samoa Office of Protection & Advocacy Attn: Dr. Peter Tinitali Executive Office Building Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 Phone: 684-699-2441

GUAM Guam Office of Attorney General 287 W O’Brien Dr. Hagatna, Guam 96910 Phone: 671-475-3324

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS State Higher Education Agency, Northern Marianas College POB 501250 Saipan MP 96950-1250

Northern Mariana Islands Alternate Contact: Northern Mariana Islands Office of the Attorney General Juan A Sablan Memorial Bldg. Capital Hill Caller Box 10007, Saipan, MP 96950 Phone: 670-234-5498