Grievance and Appeals

A grievance is a complaint about college services. A student may file a grievance if he or she believes that he or she has been improperly served and differs from an appeal of an academic decision.

As outlined in the policies and procedures of SUNY Empire State College, there are three stages to filing a grievance.

1. Informal resolution.
   The student is strongly encouraged to seek informal resolution of a grievance by bringing it to the attention of the Accessibility Resources and Services Office. This process must begin within 30 calendar days of the concern arising.
2. Written grievance.
   If the student is unsatisfied with the response, the student may make a formal, written complaint to Student Academic Services. Please e-mail AcademicServices@esc.edu.
   • Any formal complaint must be submitted within 60 days of the concern arising.
3. Appeal.
   If the student is unsatisfied with the first level of administrative response, the student may appeal in writing to the appropriate vice president.
   
   1. Appeals regarding academic services are to be submitted to the provost/vice president for academic affairs. Appeals regarding financial issues are to be submitted to the vice president for administration.
   2. Any appeal must be submitted within 30 days of the transmission of the first-level administrative response. The student must state the nature of the justification for the appeal and describe any previous attempts to resolve the issue.
   3. The vice president reviews the situation and should provide a written response within 15 days of receiving the appeal. The vice president’s decision is final. The student may seek further redress by registering a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights or the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Return to the Student Handbook.