Student Grievances

All OSUIT students who feel that they have sustained a grievance relating to race, creed, color, sex, national origin, working conditions, sexual orientation, sexual harassment, accessibility for disabled which cannot be resolved by informal discussion between the parties involved may, after all other administrative means have been exhausted, request the formation of a Grievance Committee which shall hear the case and make recommendations to the Executive Vice President.  

Students should be made aware that a process exists whereby legitimate concerns may receive attention, and that this process is available to help resolve problems. 

The process of appeals relating to student conduct decisions is initiated through the Office of Student Conduct. 

An academic decision appeal is initiated through: 

1. a faculty member,
2. an academic division chair, or
3. the Office of Academic Affairs

Other grievance appeals are initiated through the Office of the Executive Vice President. 

Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education

OSRHE Student Complaint Form

This complaint form applies to the following: 

A student who attends a degree-granting institution that has a physical presence in the state of Oklahoma and/or 

A student who attends an institution that 1) has its principal or campus or central administrative unit domiciled in Oklahoma and 2) is participating in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA).*

Students attending a public or private (not-for-profit or for-profit) institution should pursue concerns directly with the institution according to its dispute resolution or complaints policy. Dispute resolution or complaints policies are usually published in the institution's catalog or student handbook and/or posted on the institution's webpage. 

If the institution has responded, but the student disagrees with the response, the student may elect to follow the institution's dispute resolution or complaints policy for taking the complaint to a higher administrative level within the institution, such as the dean of the college or chief academic or student affairs administrator. It is important to examine the policy carefully in effort to know when the student has exhausted the appeals process. 

If the student pursues the complaint via the institution's formal procedures for complaints to the highest level possible and still perceives the concerns have not been adequately addressed, the student may file a complaint against a higher education institution in Oklahoma with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE). 

Complaints must be submitted on the official student complaint form. OSRHE staff request permission to contact the institution on the student’s behalf to identify any possible resolution. 

It is important to note that the student must have exhausted the institution’s complaint and appeal process before the OSHRE will attempt to help the student identify any possible resolution with the institution. 

*A student who attends an out-of-state SARA institution and has not had his/her issue resolved at the institutional level may be directed to the home SARA portal agency of the institution against which the complaint has been logged.

NC-SARA Grievance 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. Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws offered under the terms and conditions of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution. 

The student should begin the complaint process with the institution and if resolution is not found, the student would contact the institution’s home state SARA Portal Entity. NC-SARA maintains a directory of SARA State Portal Entities.