Student Complaints

Submitting complaints

Please read carefully before proceeding. The following procedures should be used by students who wish to initiate a complaint regarding instruction, service, College employees, policy, procedures, or practices.

  1. Students should bring forward a complaint as soon as possible after the incident or event so that complaints may be dealt with effectively, appropriately, respectfully, and in a timely manner.
  2. Students may bring a support person and/or advocate to meetings or other processes associated with a complaint.
  3. Students will not be liable to disciplinary action, retaliation in any form, or any other adverse action as a result of filing a legitimate complaint.
  4. Due to privacy considerations, the College will not disclose any details or actions in relation to a complaint involving an employee or student.
  5. A complaint may be withdrawn at any time by the student. To do so, the student must advise the person to whom the complaint was made. In the case of a formal complaint, a written notice withdrawing the complaint must be sent to the appropriate Vice President.
  6. The College will not accept, nor will it address anonymous complaints or complaints from third parties which do not contain a written statement from a student giving express authority to make the complaint on the student’s behalf.

Students voluntarily seeking to resolve a complaint informally, for example, addressing the issue directly with the individual(s) involved, should proceed as follows:

  1. The student should contact the employee and specify:
    • the nature of the complaint, and
    • a requested remedy.
  2. The employee should provide a written response to the student.
  3. If the student is not comfortable proceeding as indicated in step 1, or is not satisfied with the outcome in step 2, they should should contact the Department Leader or Supervisor and specify:
    • the nature of the complaint,
    • efforts taken to address the complaint,
    • results of any resolution attempt, and
    • a requested solution.
  4. The Department Leader or Supervisor should provide a written response to the student.

If the complaint is not resolved informally or if the student is not comfortable using the informal complaint process, students may proceed with a formal complaint.

Normally, if the complaint has not been resolved informally or if the student is not comfortable using the informal complaint process:

  1. Within ten (10) business days of the date of the incident or the date of a written response from the Department Leader, the student should contact the Associate Vice President, Dean, Registrar, Director, Associate Director or Manager for that area and submit a written complaint. The written complaint should specify:
    • student name, program of study and contact information;
    • the nature of the complaint;
    • efforts taken to resolve the complaint and results; and
    • a requested solution
  2. Within ten (10) business days of receiving the written complaint, the Associate Vice President, Dean, Registrar, Director, Associate Director or Manager will:
    • respond to the student in writing, acknowledging receipt of the complaint;
    • conduct an examination into the complaint;
    • provide a written response to the student outlining, within the limits of privacy, the decision in regard to the complaint
  3. The decision communicated is considered final and the matter is closed.