MassBay is committed to providing a learning environment that provides both rigorous academics and supportive services. When a MassBay student believes that the College is not meeting our responsibilities, we encourage students to share this information with the Dean of Students Office. Our goal is to work collaboratively with you, the individual and/or the supervisor to help resolve the situation.
Step 1:
Students should use all channels of professional communication to reach an informal resolution with the individual.
Step 2:
If you are not able to resolve your concern through informal channels, you are encouraged to submit a Student Complaint Form.
Student Complaint Form →
Questions
What happens after the complaint has been submitted?
Students should receive an initial response to their complaint within one to two (1 to 2) business day from the Dean of Students Office. Students will have the option to set up a meeting with the Dean of Students or employee’s supervisor. During this meeting, we will review the complaint and discuss options to reach a resolution. Since complaints vary in complexity and detail, it is difficult to provide an official time frame for a resolution.
- The complaint will be reviewed by the Dean of Students Office.
- Students will have the option to meet with the Dean of Students Office and/or the employee’s supervisor to discuss their complaint.
- The Dean of Students Office or the student will discuss their complaint with the supervisor of the individual the complaint is filed against.
- The supervisor will contact the individual, share the contents of the complaint, and ask the individual to write a response to the complaint.
- The written response will be shared with the student.
What is helpful to include in the complaint?
In order to efficiently work towards a resolution, please include all of the following information with your complaint.
- A factual narrative of the complaint, focusing on the individual’s action/inaction that impacted your experience
- Class syllabus
- Email communications
- Blackboard screenshots
- Assignments and/or other academic documents
What if I choose to remain anonymous?
You may only choose to remain anonymous from the person whom you are filing the complaint against, not the Dean of Students Office or the employee’s supervisor. However, remaining anonymous may severely limit the College’s ability to take further action. Students may submit a complaint up to 30 days after the end of the instructional period. If you would like to file a complaint and not take any action or if it is after 30 days, please contact Josh Cheney at jcheney@massbay.edu.
What is retaliation?
Retaliation is taking an adverse action against the person filing the complaint. It can take the form of intimidation, threat, coercion, or discrimination.
Examples may include:
- Lowering a student’s earned grade
- Denying academic support
- Changing grading standards after a complaint has been submitted
- Inconsistent grading/feedback
- Making classroom announcements about a complaint
If you feel that you have been retaliated against, please contact the Associate Dean of Students, Josh Cheney (jcheney@massbay.edu).
What should I do if I feel that the individual is retaliating against me because of my complaint??
If you feel that you have been retaliated against because of a complaint that you submimtted, please contact the Associate Dean of Students, Josh Cheney (jcheney@massbay.edu).
This form may not be used to address the following types of complaints:
State Process
The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education assists in informal resolutions of matters concerning institutions. For more information, visit:
https://www.mass.edu/forstufam/complaints/complaints.asp, or call 617-994-6963.
State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) The U.S. Department of Education requires higher education institutions to be authorized to provide post-secondary educational instruction in their states. Many of these state laws and regulations also apply to online, distance, and correspondence educational instruction offered in that state.
SARA Complaints Process for Massachusetts residents and online students in non-SARA member states and territories.