Last revised June 6, 2024
Undergraduate Students
Academic Grievances and Student Complaints
Undergraduate students who wish to make a complaint or grievance, or to request an exception to any College academic policy or deadline, should file a petition with the College Registrar, Matthew Fabian, by emailing matthew_fabian [at] emerson.edu (matthew_fabian[at]emerson[dot]edu). Petitions must include the request and rationale, and if applicable to the situation, should include written/emailed support from a faculty member, advisor, or Student Support Office.
Grievances regarding a grade or other matters in a course should be discussed first with the course instructor. If the student remains dissatisfied, they should advance the grievance to the departmental Chair. If the Chair is unable to mediate a resolution, the student should advance the grievance to the Dean of the appropriate school. The Dean's decision is considered final.
Graduate Students
If a student wishes a review of a decision for a grade or dismissal from the College, he or she should refer to the processes below.
Grade Disputes and Academic Grievances
Students who believe that they have received an incorrect grade, or have another academic dispute, should first initiate the following informal grievance process within one month of receiving the grade or the dispute event. Students should meet with the Dean of Graduate Studies to discuss the dispute within one month of the incident(s). If the grade or academic issue is not resolved, the formal grievance process will be invoked.
Informal Process
- The student should schedule an appointment with the faculty member concerned and discuss the problem.
- If this does not resolve the situation, the graduate program director should be consulted.
- If this does not result in a satisfactory resolution, the student may appeal to the department chair in which the issue occurred.
- If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved, the student may confer with the Graduate Dean. The Graduate Dean determines if there has been an error in the grading process or if some other valid dispute exists. If other issues are involved, the concern may be brought to the Graduate Grievance Committee.
Formal Process
Students who feel their grievance has not been resolved through the informal process may request a formal hearing by the Graduate Grievance Committee through the formal process. This must be done within 10 days after the informal process has concluded:
- The student must file a written statement explaining the alleged grievance with the committee chair. Copies of this statement will be distributed to all involved in the hearing. The student must submit all documentation he or she has regarding the claim within seven days of filing a grievance.
- The Graduate Grievance Committee will meet in a timely fashion and examine all relevant material. The committee reserves the right to contact or solicit information from any person whom it feels would be helpful to understanding or resolving the grievance. The committee’s findings will be submitted to the student, faculty members, and other involved parties.
Graduate Grievance Committee
Grievance procedures are intended to support a fair hearing of any student with an unresolved academic grievance issue. When convened to hear a student academic grievance, the Graduate Grievance Committee will consist of four members: the Dean of Graduate Studies, who chairs the committee; a department chair from a non-involved academic department, who is appointed by the Chief Academic Officer of the College; a faculty member, who is also appointed by the Chief Academic Officer; and the Registrar. Students who believe they have been unfairly and/or improperly treated or have any other complaints regarding academic matters should report their issues to the Office of Graduate Studies, which will attempt to resolve the issue or begin the formal grievance process. Students must first follow the informal process for academic grievance.
Non-Academic Complaints
Graduate students who wish to request an exception to any College academic policy or deadline, should file a General Petition form with the Graduate Studies Office. Non-academic complaints should also be first brought to the Dean of Graduate Studies, who will work with the graduate student and any other office such as Enrollment, Financial Aid, Information Technology, to attempt to resolve the matter at the institutional level. Please contact Kimberly McLarin at kimberly_mclarin [at] emerson.edu (kimberly_mclarin[at]emerson[dot]edu) for assistance.
NC-SARA Student Complaints Procedure
Emerson College operates under the approval of “NC-SARA”, National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. As required by the NC-SARA student complaint process, a student must first attempt to resolve their complaint at the institution level. For complaints not resolved within the institution, a student may file an appeal in one of the following ways (dependent on their state residence):
Massachusetts Residents’ (Online or On-the-Ground) Student Complaint Procedure
For Massachusetts resident’s complaints not resolved at the institutional level, can be filed utilizing the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s (DHE) non-SARA consumer complaint procedure and online form. Contact information to the DHE and link to the online form may be found below:
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place
Room 1401
Boston, MA 02108
Non-Massachusetts Residents’ (Online) Student Complaint Procedure (for out-of-state students from SARA member states.
For non-Massachusetts residents located in SARA member states with complaints not resolved at the institutional level, they may file a SARA complaint utilizing the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s SARA Complaint Procedure and Online Form.
Non-SARA Member State Student Complaints Procedure
For residents not located in a SARA member state with complaints not resolved at the institutional level, you may contact the appropriate authority in your state of residence. Contact information can be found in the list of state agencies below.
Alabama
Alabama Community College System
Attn: Division of Academic and Student Affairs
PO Box 302130
Montgomery, AL 36130-2130
Phone: 334-293-4500
Alaska
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
PO Box 110505,
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0505
Phone: 907-465-6741
Arizona
Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary
1740 W. Adams St., Suite 3008
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-542-5709
Arkansas
Arkansas Division of Higher Education
423 Main St., Suite 400
Little Rock, AR 72201-3818
Phone: 501-371-2000
California
California Department of Consumer Affairs
Consumer Information Center
1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N-112
Sacramento, CA 95834
Phone: 833-942-1120
Colorado
Colorado Department of Higher Education
Commission on Higher Education
1600 Broadway, Suite 2200
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303-862-3001
Connecticut
Connecticut Office of Higher Education
450 Columbus Blvd., Suite 707
Hartford, CT 06103-1841
Phone: 860-947-1800
Delaware
Delaware Department of Education
The Townsend Building
401 Federal St., Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901-3639
Phone: 302-735-4000
Florida
Florida Department of Education
Commission for Independent Education
325 W. Gaines St., Suite 1414
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
Phone: 850-245-0505
Georgia
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
2082 E. Exchange Pl., Suite 220
Tucker, GA 30084
Phone: 770-414-3300
Hawaii
Business Registration Division of the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
PO Box 40
Honolulu, HI 96810
Phone: 808-586-2727
Idaho
Idaho State Board of Education
State Authorization Program Manager
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0037
Phone: 208-332-1587
Illinois
Illinois Board of Higher Education
1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333
Springfield, IL 62701-1377
Phone: 217-782-2551
Indiana
Board for Proprietary Education Indiana Commission for Higher Education
101 W. Ohio St., Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: 317-464-4400
Iowa
Iowa College Student Aid Commission
475 SW Fifth St., Suite D
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: 877-272-4456
Kansas
The Kansas Board of Regents
1000 SW Jackson St., Suite 520
Topeka, KS 66612-4240
Phone: 785-430-4240
Kentucky
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
100 Airport Rd.
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: 502-573-1555
Louisiana
State of Louisiana Board of Regents
1201 N. Third St., Suite 6-200
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Phone: 225-342-4253
Louisiana Alternate Contact:
Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Section
P.O. Box 94005
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9005
Phone: 225-326-6464 or 800-351-4889
Maine
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
Phone: 207-624-6600
Maryland
Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 N. Liberty St., 10th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-767-3301
Maryland Alternate Contact:
Maryland Office of the Attorney General
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-576-6300 or 888-743-0023
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place, Suite 1401
Boston, MA 02108-1696
Phone: 617-994-6950
Michigan
Michigan Department of Education
PO Box 30008
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: 517-373-9235
Minnesota
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Dr., Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone: 651-259-3975 or 800-657-3866
Mississippi
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
3825 Ridgewood Rd.
Jackson, MS 39211
Phone: 601-432-6372
Missouri
Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
301 W. High St.
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Phone: 573-751-2361
Montana
Montana University System Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
560 N. Park Ave.
PO Box 203201
Helena, MT 59620-3201
Phone: 406-449-9124
Nebraska
Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
ATTN: Complaints
PO Box 95005
Lincoln, NE 68509-5005
Phone: 402-471-2847
Nevada
Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education
2800 E. St. Louis Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Phone: 702-486-7330
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301-3494
Phone: 603-271-3494
New Jersey
New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
ATTN: Complaints
P.O. Box 542
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0542
Phone: 609-292-4310
New Mexico
New Mexico Higher Education Department
2044 Galisteo St., Suite 4
Santa Fe, NM 87505-2100
Phone: 505-476-8400
New York
New York State Education Department
Office of College and University Evaluation
89 Washington Avenue
EBA Room 960
Albany, New York 12234
Phone: 518-486-3633
North Carolina
North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
910 Raleigh Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Phone: 919-962-4558
North Carolina Alternate Contact
North Carolina Department of Justice
Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General’s Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
Phone: 877-566-7226 or 919-716-6000 (En Español 919-716-0058)
North Dakota
North Dakota University System
Core Technology Services
2000 44th St. SW, Suite 301
Fargo, ND 58103
Ohio
Ohio Department of Higher Education
25 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614-728-3095
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Pkwy, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK 73104-3603
Phone: 405-225-9100 or 405-225-9142
Oregon
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
3225 25th Street SE
Salem, Oregon 97302
Phone: 503-947-2448
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Office of Chief Counsel
333 Market Street, 9th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Phone: 717-783-6788
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Departamento de Estado
Consejo de Educacion Superior de Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Council on Higher Ed.
PO BOX 9023271
San Juan, PR 00902-3271
Phone: 787-722-2121
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Education Commission
560 Jefferson Blvd.
Warwick, RI 02886-1304
Phone: 401-736-1100
South Carolina
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
1122 Lady Street Suite 300
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 803-737-3918
South Dakota
South Dakota Board of Regents
306 East Capitol Ave Suite 200
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: 605-773-3455
Tennessee
Tennessee Higher Education Commission & Student Assistance Corporation
Parkway Towers, Suite 1900
404 James Robertson Pkwy
Nashville, TN 37243-0830
Phone: 615-741-5293 or 615-253-8857
Texas
Texas Workforce Commission
Career Schools and Colleges-Rm 226-T
101 East 15th Street
Austin, TX 78778-0001
Phone: 512-936-3100
Texas Alternate Contact #1
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, TX 78711-2788
Phone: 512-427-6101
Texas Alternate Contact #2
Texas Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548
Utah
Utah System of Higher Education State Board of Regents
60 South 400 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284
Phone: 801-321-7200 or 1-800-418-8757
Vermont
Vermont Agency of Education
219 North Main St., Suite 402
Barre, VT 05641
Phone: 802-479-1030
Vermont Alternate Contact
Vermont Attorney General’s Office
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-1001
Phone: 802-828-3171
Virginia
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
James Monroe Building
101 N. 14th St., 10th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-225-2600
Washington
Washington Student Achievement Council
917 Lakeridge Way SW
Olympia, WA 98502
Phone: 360-753-7625
Washington D.C.
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Higher Education Licensure Commission
1050 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-724-7860
West Virginia
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Boulevard East, Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: 304-558-2101
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
Educational Approval Program
P.O. Box 8366
Madison, WI 53708-8366
Phone: 608-266-1996
Wyoming
Wyoming Department of Education
122 W. 25th St., Suite E200
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: 307-777-7675
American Samoa
American Samoa Office of Protection & Advocacy
Attn: Dr. Peter Tinitali
Executive Office Building
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799
Phone: 684-699-2441
Guam
Guam Office of Attorney General
287 W O’Brien Dr.
Hagatna, Guam 96910
Phone: 671-475-3324
Northern Mariana Islands
State Higher Education Agency, Northern Marianas College
POB 501250
Saipan MP 96950-1250
Northern Mariana Islands Alternate Contact
Northern Mariana Islands Office of the Attorney General
Juan A Sablan Memorial Bldg.
Capital Hill
Caller Box 10007, Saipan, MP 96950
Phone: 670-234-5498
U.S. Virgin Islands
Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs
Golden Rock Shopping Center,
3000 Estate Golden Rock, Suite 9, St. Croix, VI 00820
Phone: 340-713-2754
Support for Online and Low-Residency Students
Student Success & Support
Emerson students have access to Student Success who will support students on various topics on money matters, financial aid, veteran support, student assistance, leave of absence or withdrawal, navigating policies and grievances and/or general questions. The Emerson College Student Success team can be reached at:
- Phone: 617-824-8650
- Email: studentsuccess [at] emerson.edu (studentsuccess[at]emerson[dot]edu)
- By Appointment: Make appointments via Calendly
Speech@Emerson studentsupport [at] speech.emerson.edu (Student Success Advisors) serve as student’s first point of contact for on-going support with program planning, registration, learning management system questions, policy and grievance navigation, and more. Speech@Emerson students can contact their Student Success Advisor at:
- Phone: 877-889-7647
- Email: studentsupport [at] speech.emerson.edu (studentsupport[at]speech[dot]emerson[dot]edu)
Online Technical Support
Emerson students can contact the IT Help Center with technical related questions during business hours, or report a problem to the Help Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Speech@Emerson program has a dedicated Online Campus Support team that will help troubleshoot any technical issues you encounter. They can be reached by logging into the Digital Campus Learning Management System.