Complaints Policy
The Division of Student Affairs will address and systematically process the student complaints it receives in a timely manner. In addition, the Code of Student Community Standards states that each Mount Marty University student has the right to initiate a complaint that may bring about an investigation and/or disciplinary action involving another member of the university's academic community.
If a student has a complaint, the recommended general strategy is for that student to first contact the Office of Student Affairs or the Director at the corresponding MMU location with the issue at hand unless there are good reasons for not doing so (for instance, a desire to maintain anonymity with the department). A complaint form is available at the Office of Student Affairs or may be downloaded.
If, for any reason, a student does not want to personally or directly contact a staff member to discuss a complaint, he or she may contact the person immediately above that staff member, who would commonly be the staff member's supervisor (director, dean, or vice president). The student can request an appointment to meet with the supervisor and/or send a signed written description of the issue or problem and can request that his or her identity be kept confidential. That request will be honored unless there are overriding reasons to do otherwise.
| Advice to Students - Steps for Submitting a Formal Written and Signed Complaint | ||
| 1. | First, try to resolve your complaint informally by talking with a staff member in the department most directly connected to your complaint. The staff member may request that you provide additional documentation if necessary or schedule an appointment to address your concern. | |
| 2. | If you want to submit a formal and written signed complaint, please submit it to the next highest level of authority. If you are not sure who the appropriate person is, simply ask any staff member for assistance. The written and signed complaint must include the following information: | |
| • | The actual complaint (be as specific as possible), | |
| • | The specific outcome you are seeking. | |
| 3. | The VP for Student Success or designee will address the complaint with the individual in a timely fashion and to the best of his or her ability. Appropriate actions and steps will be taken, if necessary, to resolve the issue for the good of the complainant and the department and with the goal of service improvement. | |
| 4. | If the problem remains unresolved, the VP for Student Success or staff member may refer the student to the Provost or his or her designee. | |
| General Information for Addressing Student Complaints from other areas All student complaints are taken seriously at the Division of Student Affairs. Students are encouraged to attempt to resolve their complaints by visiting the following areas to directly address their concerns with the appropriate staff members. |
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| • | For issues related to academic transcripts and transfer credits, students should contact the Registrar's Office; | |
| • | For issues regarding room reservation and event hosting, students should contact Pages Bookstore; | |
| • | For issues related to student activities, students should contact the Director of Student Activities; | |
| • | For issues about on-campus housing (residence halls/apartments), students with complaints should bring them to the attention of his or her Residence Assistant (RA) in the Residence Halls. If there is a concern about the Hall Director, students can speak with the VP for Student Success. | |
| Filing a Complaint With an Outside Agency An individual has the right to file a complaint with outside enforcement agencies including: |
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| • | United States Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights | |
| • | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | |
| • | South Dakota Division of Human Rights | |
| • | South Dakota Department of Labor | |
| • | South Dakota Secretary of State | |
| • | Higher Learning Commission | |
| • | State or local law enforcement or prosecution authorities | |
| In the event a student located in another state wishes to file a complaint with their state agency, a listing of all state boards can be found here. | ||
| Additional information on complaint procedures can be found here. | ||