Student Grievances
York Technical College adheres to the South Carolina Technical College System Student
Code and Grievance Procedures, approved by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive
Education on August 13, 2015. A summary of the York Technical College Grievance Procedure
is available below and is also outlined in the Student Handbook and College Catalog.
The complete, unabridged version of the York Technical College Grievance policy is
found on the College’s website on the Consumer Information Page.
Student Complaint Process - Distance Education
Student complaints related to distance education courses follow the College’s Grievance Procedure, as do all other courses at York Technical College. Complaints related to college-specific concerns including academic, curricula, and professionalism should first be directed to the instructor of the course, followed by the Chair of the department. Similarly, College related complaints to include student programs, technology, library services, counseling services, student accounting, and other services should be directed to the appropriate individual and/or supervisor for the area of concern. Students who have been charged with academic misconduct or other form of misconduct will follow the procedures outlined in the the York Technical College Student Code.
The purpose of the student grievance procedure is to provide a system to channel and resolve student complaints against a college employee concerning decisions made or actions taken. A decision or action can be grieved only if it involves misapplication of a college's policies, procedures, or regulations or a state or federal law. This procedure may not be used for complaints or appeals of grades awarded unless the complaint is based upon alleged discrimination on the basis of age, gender, race, disability, or veteran status or on the basis of alleged sexual harassment.
The student should go to the instructor or staff member where the alleged problem originated. An attempt will be made to resolve the matter equitably and informally at this level. This procedure should be initiated by the student within 30 instructional weekdays of becoming aware of the decision, action, or event giving risk to the grievance. If the issue is not resolved with the instructor or staff member, the student may see the direct supervisor of the instructor or staff member to seek an informal resolution. Please note that in instances alleging discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment and violence, the student is not required to initially try to resolve the matter with the person alleged to have committed the violation.
If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the informal conference(s), the student may file a written grievance to the next level of supervision. The Dean for Student Engagement will make a grievance form available to the student and explain the grievance process to the student. The completed grievance form must be presented to the Dean for Student Engagement within thirty (30) instructional weekdays of becoming aware of the decision, action, or event giving rise to the grievance. No retaliation or adverse action will be taken against the student for filing a complaint. The Dean for Student Engagement will then refer the grievance to the immediate supervisor involved and/or the next level of supervision if the supervisor was involved in the informal resolution at step one. The supervisor and/or Dean/Associate Vice President shall respond in writing to the student within ten (10) instructional weekdays of receipt of the grievance. As a part of the effort to resolve the issue, the supervisor and/or Dean/Associate Vice President will consult with the accused and the appropriate chain of command of the division involved.
If the supervisor's and/or Dean's/Associate Vice President's written response does not resolve the matter, the student may request to appear before the Student Grievance Committee. The student must submit a written request within five (5) instructional weekdays after receiving the supervisor's and/or Dean's/Associate Vice President's written response.
If the student is not satisfied with the Student Grievance Committee's decision, the student may submit a written appeal to the President of York Technical College within ten (10) instructional weekdays of the Committee's decision. The President shall review the Committee's findings and render a decision within ten (10) instructional weekdays of receipt of the appeal. The President's decision is the final step.
To file a complaint with the South Carolina Technical College System Office students
should, under most circumstances, follow the College’s Grievance Procedure. However,
students may file a grievance through the State System Office at any time by using
the link below:
https://www.sctechsystem.edu/students/student-complaint-form.html
Or
To submit the complaint by mail, print and complete the form provided and mail to:
Dr. Eric Brown, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs
SC Technical College System
Academic and Student Affairs
111 Executive Center Drive
Columbia, SC 29210
The SC Commission on Higher Education (SC-CHE) responds to formal complaints from students against public, independent non-profit and proprietary institutions of higher education in South Carolina. However, the Commission has limited authority over public and non-profit independent colleges and universities and cannot offer legal advice or initiate court proceedings. The Commission may not review student complaints in the following situations:
- where the complainant has retained legal counsel or legal action.
- where the complaint is related to course grades, academic sanctions, or discipline/conduct matters unless the student can prove that the institution did not comply with its policies and procedures for appeal.
- where another governmental agency has a process or jurisdiction to mediate the complaint.
- if the complaint was submitted to the Commission anonymously.
The CHE Student Complaint Procedures and form can be found at this location.
York Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC).
The Commission expects individuals to attempt to resolve issues through all available means including following the institution’s published grievance procedures and the grievance procedures of South Carolina Technical College System, before submitting a complaint to the Commission. Therefore, the Commission’s usual practice is not to consider a complaint that is currently in administrative proceedings or in litigation.
In order to be considered, formal complaints must be in writing using the Complaints Against SACSCOC or Its Accredited Institutions policy and form.
Students enrolled in online courses who reside outside the state of South Carolina, may file a complaint with the state agency for the state in which they reside. To access the complaint form provided by the state agency responsible for complaints, click on the appropriate state below.
If you have additional questions, please email ite@yorktech.edu to speak directly with someone in the Institute for Teaching Excellence.