Student Complaints

Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) is committed to addressing student concerns fairly and promptly. The vast majority of complaints and concerns should be resolved within the institution. A range of offices and resources are available to support students and, if needed, to process complaints or concerns about university-related issues.

Students must exhaust all avenues of complaint resolution within SIUC before pursuing recourse outside the institution.

Types of Complaints

Academic Issues

Academic units are responsible for addressing student concerns and complaints related to classes (e.g., syllabi, grades, classroom environment). If a student is experiencing an issue or has a concern, they are:

Encouraged to email and meet with the instructor of the course to see if a resolution can be reached.
If unresolved, students should contact the department chair or school director to seek advice and resolution.
If a chair or director cannot assist, the college dean should be contacted.

When contacting the institution with a concern or complaint, students should provide detailed information about the nature of the complaint, including dates, times, and names of those involved. It is important to keep all supporting documentation such as emails and descriptions of the complaint.

Additionally, if a student is enrolled in online or off-campus courses, they may also contact SIU Online and Extended Campus at:

- Email: onlinefeedback@siu.edu
- Phone: 618-453-3430

Online Student Complaint Form

Non-Academic Issues

Further resources and information regarding non-academic concerns or complaints—such as parking citations, student misconduct, or Title IX and discrimination issues—can be found at the SIU Complaint Process webpage.

Student Concern Forms

Current students can learn how to recognize concerns, access the appropriate SIU support resources, and use the university’s referral forms to connect themselves or others with academic, personal, or safety-related assistance using the Student Concern Forms.

Recourse Outside the Institution

If a student's complaint cannot be resolved by the institution, a complaint may be filed with a higher education regulatory agency, depending on the location of the student and modality of coursework.

Institutions participating in Title IV HEA (federal financial aid) programs are required by Federal regulation 34 CFR 668.43(b) to provide prospective and enrolled students with the contact information for filing complaints with the institution's:

Accreditors
State approval or licensing entity
Any other relevant State official or agency that would appropriately handle a student's complaint

This regulation applies to all students regardless of educational modality (online or face-to-face).

Unresolved Complaint Process

If a student is located in Illinois:

A complaint may be filed with the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) through their Complaint System.
The student may contact the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) , SIUC's regional accrediting agency, through their Complaint Process.
For Federal Loan Disputes, the student may submit a complaint to Federal Student Aid . If unresolved at this level:
- They may contact the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group .

If a student is located outside Illinois and completing online coursework or participating in an out-of-state learning placement:

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is an approved institutional participant in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) initiative by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).

Students enrolled in SIUC from participating SARA states (found on the State Authorization webpage) follow the SARA Complaint Process:

A complaint may be filed through the SARA Portal Entity of the institution's home state (IBHE).
Institution's home state SARA Portal Entity notifies student's location SARA State Portal Entity.
Institution's home state SARA Portal Entity investigates complaint.
Institution's home state SARA Portal Entity has the final authority on the complaint.

Types of SARA issues that may arise:

Veracity of recruitment and marketing materials
Accuracy of job placement data
Accuracy of information about tuition, fees, and financial aid
Complete and accurate admission requirements for courses and programs
Accuracy of whether coursework meets relevant professional licensing requirements
Operation of distance education programs consistent with practices expected by institutional accreditors and/or the C-RAC Guidelines for distance education

If a student is located in California (regardless of modality):

California is the only state not participating in SARA. If that changes, the student may follow the complaint process above for SARA-covered activities. Until that time:

A complaint may be filed with the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

If a student is located in Florida and completing an off-campus, face-to-face program:

A complaint may be filed with the Florida Commission for Independent Education.

If a student is located in Pennsylvania and completing an off-campus, face-to-face program:

A complaint may be filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

If a student is located in Washington and completing an off-campus, face-to-face program:

A complaint may be filed with the Washington Student Achievement Council.

Additional Complaint Options for Military-Affiliated Students

Military Tuition Assistance Program (TA):

Students participating in TA may submit a complaint through the Department of Defense Postsecondary Education Complaint System if their school failed to follow the Principles of Excellence.

Veterans Affairs Education Benefits (VA):

Students participating in VA may need to submit a complaint to the Department of Veteran Affairs.

*Diagram of SARA Student Complaint Process located in Section 4.5 of the SARA Policy Manual.