The College has an obligation to provide an avenue for students to share concerns, to identify problems, and to appropriately address areas of concern. Federal regulations and accreditation agencies require policies specific to a variety of concerns. Additionally, the College must track significant concerns and monitor the quality of our services.
Franklin College strives to address student concerns in a prompt and responsive manner. The purpose of this policy is to outline the processes by which Franklin College students can register concerns and complaints and seek redress. Students have multiple ways to express concerns either informally or formally as indicated below. This document also provides a process for reporting and tracking concerns that are not addressed by or remain unresolved after exhausting other existing procedures.
Most student concerns are governed by one of the college’s established procedures. Before filing a formal complaint, a student is expected to seek resolution through the channels as explained in the following section.
Information can be found in several different locations regarding the policies and procedures in each of the following areas:
Academic Records & Privacy
See the academic policies section of the college catalog for the full FERPA policy.
Academic Integrity
There are specific procedures for students who wish to dispute an academic decision which can be found in the academic policies section of the college catalog.
Admissions
Every student has the right to one appeal of an admission decision. You may do so through your admissions counselor or by contacting the Office of Admission at 1.888.852.6471; admissions@FranklinCollege.edu.
Athletics
See the Student-Athlete Handbook for more information on the grievance policy in Athletics at Franklin College.
Bias, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct
Bias, harassment and sexual misconduct are addressed through the procedures found on the student life tab of the college webpage here.
Disability Services
A student with disability should first contact the assistant dean for academic services when accommodation-related concerns arise. More information on the formal complaint process is also available on the disability services web page, or by calling or emailing the Academic Resource Center at 317.738.8288; arc@FranklinCollege.edu.
Residence Life
Concerns related to various aspects of Residence Life can be submitted by email (residencelife@FranklinCollege.edu) or by phone at 317.738.8080. The concern will be routed to the appropriate parties for response.
Financial Aid
Prospective and current students have a right to request a review of a financial aid decision. To request such a review, contact the office of financial aid at 317.738.8075 or by email at finaid@FranklinCollege.edu.
Student Conduct and Campus Life
Tuition, Fees & Student Accounts
Complaints and concerns regarding handling of and decisions about tuition, fees, and student accounts should be communicated to the Business Office 317.738-8031.
The formal complaint process governs concerns that are either (1) not addressed by or (2) not resolved through any of the established policies described in the previous section. A student who feels that he or she has been treated unfairly or unjustly by any employee has the right to file a formal complaint. Complaints may be submitted by a student currently enrolled, a person enrolled in the previous academic year, an alumnus who earned a degree from the institution in the past 12 months. Complaints may be filed up to 120 days from the date of the incident. Complaints may not be filed anonymously and may not be submitted by a parent, relative, employer or the public, etc. (even if related to a student).
For a complaint to be considered it must:
Complaints received at this email address will be reviewed by the Vice President for Student Affairs who will assess whether the reported concern conforms to the criteria for a formal complaint outlined above. If it is determined to constitute a complaint, the complainant will be informed of that. The complaint will then be forwarded to the college official(s) best positioned to handle the concern. The official(s) will consider the complaint and respond in writing to the student generally within 30 calendar days of the submission of the complaint with recommended appropriate resolution. The Vice President for Student Affairs will keep a record of student complaints.
Institutional Record of Student Complaints
Complaint information that is tracked:
Franklin College will maintain and annually review this record of student complaints. Giving attention to patterns of complaints will allow for improvement in college operations. This review will consider:
Complaints to External Agencies
Student complaints not resolved through the College’s formal complaint process outlined here may be reported to an external agency, including the Higher Learning Commission, The Office of Civil Rights and the Indiana Commission on Higher Education. We recommend that students refer to the specific agency’s policies and requirements for filing as many agencies require students to first exhaust their college’s grievance procedures.
Higher Learning Commission
Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604
800.621.7440
https://www.hlcommission.org/Student-Resources/complaints.html?highlight=WyJjb21wbGFpbnRzIl0=
Indiana Commission on Higher Education
101 West Ohio Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204-4206
317.464.4400
888.528.4719
https://www.in.gov/che/2744.htm
US Department of Education
National Headquarters
U.S. Department of Education – Office for Civil Rights
Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Bldg
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1100
800.421.3481
Email: OCR@ed.gov
Chicago Office (oversight for Indiana)
Office for Civil rights – US Department of Education
Citigroup Center
500 W. Madison Street, Suite 1475
Chicago, IL 60661-4544
Telephone: 312.730.1560
Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov
US Dept. of Education
Family Policy Compliance Office
400 Maryland Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20202
https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/file-a-complaint
Non-Retaliation Statement
Retaliation, or attempts to retaliate, against any individual who files a grievance or complaint is strictly prohibited.