The Crown College
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Student Concerns

ANY student is permitted to express grievances, concerns, or complaints. The following policies and procedures have been established to guide students in properly expressing their concerns and to ensure that each concern is reviewed, and a resolution reached.  

 

General Concerns

The student should seek to handle general concerns or complaints first on an informal level. This involves expressing the concern directly to the faculty member or administrative team member who is responsible for the area of concern. The Vice President of Administration will provide clarity as to areas of responsibility, if the student is unaware.

If an informal inquiry does not provide satisfactory review of the concern, the student may complete a formal Student Grievance Form. This form will provide a written record of the complaint and will be reviewed by an Administrative team consisting of one of the vice presidents, a dean, and at least one other member of faculty or administration. The student will receive response to his concern from the Administrative team. He may be asked to supply additional information or answer questions concerning the issue at hand. A formal resolution will be reached by the Administrative team, and a copy of the grievance and resolution will be kept by the office of the Vice President of Administration. 

If, after formal processes have been exhausted, the student does not feel as if an equitable resolution has been made, he may report his concern to the office of the President. After all of these processes have been completed, the student may file his concern with the college’s accrediting agency: Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools / P.O. Box 328 / Forest, VA 24551 / (434) 525-9539. After all of these processes have been completed, the student may also file his concern with the state authorizing agency, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission / 404 James Robertson Pkwy Suite 1900 / Nashville, TN 37243 / (615) 741-3605.

 

Academic Grievances

The Academic Handbook (available in Moodle) includes the procedures for addressing academic grievances. Students should seek resolution first on an informal level, then more formal procedures should be followed.

  1. Respectfully appeal to the instructor involved. Most situations can be resolved at this level.
  2. If there is no resolution after having dealt directly with the instructor, the student should take the matter to the Dean of his/her program.
  3. If a resolution is still unreached, the student may present the matter to the Academic Dean. The Academic Dean will mediate with all parties involved and provide a final resolution.

Dr. Loyd Ewing, Academic Dean
2307 W. Beaver Creek Dr.
Powell, TN 37849 / (865) 938-8186
[email protected]

If, after all the above procedures have been followed, the student feels that an inadequate resolution has been reached, he may complete a formal Student Grievance Form, and go through the review processes listed above under “General Concerns.”

Moral Concerns

As a distinctive Christian college, Crown students along with faculty and staff agree to uphold biblical values in our conduct. These behaviors are delineated in both the Student Handbook and Faculty Handbook, and those who do not adhere to these expectations are subject to discipline and/or dismissal from the college.

Any student presenting a grievance that is of a moral nature will be asked to submit the concern formally through completing the Student Grievance Form. Concerns of a moral nature include, but are not limited to, issues such as lying, cheating, stealing, sexual misconduct, etc. If these matters are brought to an administrative or faculty member informally, the student will be asked immediately to complete a formal complaint so that a written record of the concern may be received, and due process can be followed in investigating the issue. Each formal concern submitted through a Student Grievance Form will be reviewed by an Administrative team, and the processes of review will be followed as stated above under “General Concerns.”

If a moral concern is a criminal offense, the college will follow laws that require a report to be made to the local authorities, in such situations where those laws apply. If a criminal investigation is conducted regarding any issue, the college will cooperate with law enforcement investigations.

Complaint Resolution Policies and Procedures for Non-Tennessee Resident Students in State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement States, Commonly known as SARA. 

 

Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws that involve distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution.

Complainants not satisfied with the outcome of the Institution’s internal process may appeal, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/request-for-complaint-review.html).  

For purposes of this process, a complaint shall be defined as a formal assertion in writing that the terms of SARA or the laws, standards or regulations incorporated by the SARA Policies and Standards (https://nc-sara.org/resources/guides) have been violated by the institution operating under the terms of SARA. 

For a list of SARA member States, please visit the NC-SARA website (https://nc-sara.org/directory). Students residing in non-SARA states should consult their respective State of residence for further instruction for filing a complaint.