Complaint, Grievance and Appeal Procedures

A student who is enrolled in any Ohio State course who encounters a problem related to his/her educational program has a variety of avenues available to seek resolution. Students are advised to resolve any dispute, disagreement, or grievance as directly as possible, engaging with the person or persons most closely involved. The faculty and staff of the departments and colleges are available to work with students in this regard. Many Ohio State departments have department-specific grievance and appeal processes listed on their websites or in their student handbooks.

• Ohio State has reaffirmed the American Council on Education statement of Academic Rights and Responsibilities. Any student who believes he or she has been treated unfairly on academic matters should follow the link above to determine how best to address this grievance.
• The procedures for grade grievances are explicitly covered in the Alteration of Marks section of faculty rule 3335-8-23
• For a student who has a complaint about a course or an experience with OSU, the student should elevate their academic concern in a logical stepwise progression:
  • Course instructor(s)
  • Course supervisor
  • Department or division chairperson
  • College official (Dean or Associate Dean)
  • Office of Undergraduate Education

Additional Types of Grievences

• The Graduate School has similar grievance procedures for graduate student concerns
• Registration concern or grievances
• Financial Aid concern or grievances
• Student code and academic misconduct appeals
• Disability Services concern or grievances review the Office of Disabilities Student Handbook

Resources for Students

• Counseling and Consultation Services
• University Student Advocacy Center: Student advocates from the Advocacy Center may provide feedback on a student's written communication or statement to the department chair regarding grievances or appeals, or in instances where the student believes they have been unfairly treated, an advocate can help determine the best course of action.

For Out-of-State Distance Learning Students:

• Pursuant to U.S. Department of Education regulations, Ohio State must provide student complaint contact information to Ohio State students who are located outside Ohio.
• If a student located in a State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) state has a complaint about Ohio State, complaints must first go through the institution's standard procedure for the resolution of student grievances. If a student is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process, a complaint alleging fraudulent activity, including the provision of false or misleading information, may be brought to the Ohio SARA portal entity. The SARA portal entity in the state where the student is located will be notified that the complaint was received and may assist as needed. Resolution of the complaint by the Ohio SARA portal entity is final.
• The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) is responsible for responding to formal complaints against public, independent non-profit and proprietary institutions of higher education in Ohio.
• For more information about filing a complaint related to an Ohio State online programs, visit the State Authorization Disclosures page.
  

If you don't feel that you have received satisfactory attention, you may also register a complaint with the Higher Learning Commission, Ohio State's accrediting agency.