A formal student complaint is a written and signed complaint, initiated by a student or a family member on behalf of a student (and confirmed by the student), that is a non-trivial, non-routine complaint, either academic or non-academic, the resolution of which requires the intervention of a President’s Council member (or designee). Petitions for appeal/waiver of University regulations and policies, disciplinary actions, and grade appeals are not formal student complaints. Formal student complaints and their resolution are logged by the Council.
Students who have complaints in the following categories do not need to exhaust the internal complaint procedure.
- Complaints of criminal misconduct should be filed directly with local law enforcement authority;
- Complaints related to violations of federal law should be filed directly with the federal agency overseeing the law (see FERPA Policy);
Students who have other complaints with Rockhurst must first exhaust Rockhurst’s internal complaint process. Students who have exhausted the internal complaint procedure may submit their complaints as follows:
Rockhurst University Complaint Process
Students enrolled in a Rockhurst University course who have a complaint about a course or experience should follow Rockhurst University’s complaint, grievance, and appeal procedures.
SARA State Complaint Process
Students enrolled in a course that takes place outside Missouri in a SARA member state must first follow Rockhurst University’s complaint, grievance, and appeal procedures for the resolution of complaints. If a student is not satisfied with the outcome of that process, a complaint involving allegations of dishonest or fraudulent activity, including the provision of false or misleading information, may be brought to the Missouri SARA portal entity or the SARA portal entity in which the student resides. 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 if the student contacts the Missouri SARA portal entity. Students may contact their state’s grievance resolution entity using the contact information provided below. Resolution of the complaint by the Missouri SARA portal entity is final. Please note that grade appeals and student conduct appeals are not allowed under SARA.