Complaint Process
Every student deserves a positive educational experience. Sometimes a student’s experience
may not be what they anticipate, and the student may have a concern or a complaint.
SARA consumer protection provisions require the institution’s home state, through its SARA
State Portal Entity, to investigate and resolve allegations of dishonest or fraudulent activity by
the state’s SARA-participating institutions, including the provision of false or misleading
information.
A student has the right to lodge a complaint or grievance. The institution should ensure that all
concerns and complaints of students are addressed fairly and are resolved promptly.
A student with complaints related to distance education should follow Siena University’s
internal complaint process. If so desired, students may appeal the institutional decision to the
SARA Portal Entity within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made. Please
note, SARA does not cover complaints related to grades or student conduct violations.
The SARA student complaint process is as follows:
1. Students must first attempt to resolve their complaint using Siena’s complaint process.
2. If not satisfied with the result of Siena’s complaint process, the student may file an
appeal with the SARA State Portal Entity (New York State Education Department Office
of College and University Evaluation (OCUE)). OCUE reviews and evaluates student
complaints regarding distance learning programs offered by SARA member institutions
in New York State. Click here to review the New York SARA Complaint Process and
download the complaint form.
3. In reviewing a student complaint under SARA, OCUE may consult with other offices and
agencies as appropriate, and will share the student complaint and supporting
information with the institution involved. OCUE must report a SARA-student complaint
to the student’s home State Portal Entity.
Students may find additional information on the NC-SARA complaint process page.
New York State Portal Entity Contact
Andrea Richards
Supervisor of Higher Education Programs
518.474.1551
IHEauthorize@nysed.gov
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12234