The university has established formal policies and processes to handle written student complaints and appeals. Generally, the policies encourage students to resolve concerns at the initial level of concern when possible, e.g., working with the faculty member or department chair to resolve an academic issue.
To file a complaint or appeal, please select from the list below:
A. Academic Grades– The policy regarding grade appeals processes for undergraduate students may be found in the undergraduate section of the ACU Catalog. Grade appeals for graduate students may be found in the graduate section of the ACU Catalog. The Grade Appeal form is available on the Registrar’s Forms page.
B. Academic Integrity— Academic integrity appeals may be found in the Academic Integrity Policy.
C. Academic Policy or Syllabus — A student alleging that a faculty or staff member has treated the student unfairly in regard to his or her academic work in a course for which he or she was registered by either:
- violating university academic policy OR
- violating course policy as stated in the syllabus
may complain of such alleged unfair treatment using the Catalog and Syllabus Policy Complaint Procedure regarding alleged violations of university academic policy or course policy. Academic policies are listed in the ACU Catalog, in the ACU Faculty Handbook and on the ACU website.
D. Alpha Services– Guidelines regarding student accommodations by Alpha Services may be found in the Alpha Scholars Program Student Handbook.
E. Bias – Information regarding ACU’s Bias Education Response Team, and how to file a report of an incident of bias.
F. Student Athlete Financial Aid – Information about the nonrenewal of a student athlete’s financial aid award may be found in the ACU Student Athlete Handbook.
G. Student Life– Information regarding student conduct and disciplinary decisions/appeals may be found in the Student Handbook.
H. Title IX– Title IX information is included in the University’s Title IX website page and in the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
I. University Employee Violations of Policy or Law— Reporting processes for financial improprieties, illegal practices or policy violations committed by university employees or agents may be found in the University’s Whistleblower Policy, Policy No. 421.
J. General Complaints— Complaints not specifically addressed by policies in the above areas can be made as follows: Residential students should use the General Incident Reporting Form to submit information about their complaint to the Dean of Students. Online students should use the ACU Online Incident Reporting Form to submit information about their complaint to the Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Dallas Campus. These administrators will receive the complaints and refer the student to the appropriate office for resolution.
All student complaints must first be addressed internally. If the internal resources have been exhausted and the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, the student may file a complaint with the regulatory agency in the state in which he or she is receiving instruction and/or the institution’s accrediting agency. Contact information for these agencies is below:
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, Texas 78711-2788
For more information, visit the THECB student complaint webpage.
President, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Colleges
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097
(To access the Commission’s complaint policy, procedures, and the Complaint Form, please see Complaint Procedures Against the Commission or Its Accredited Institutions.)