Newlane University is committed to providing a learning environment that champions and exhibits high standards for education, including clear expectations, rigorous verification of mastery of learning goals and objectives, fair and equitable assessment processes, and ethical business practices. The University’s complaint/grievance policy addresses scenarios where students or other community members may feel underserved, or that the university is in violation of Utah’s Postsecondary Proprietary Schools act, or accreditation standards of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, or United States federal law, and a clear process for resolution.
Disputes about the outcomes of course project reviews, or course hearings, and similar academic disputes do not fall under the complaint/grievance policy, unless they are complaints of a civil rights nature, including complaints related to discrimination based on age, sex, race, religion, color, ethnic/national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Student allegations of discrimination are grounds for initiating a grievance.
Procedure:
Informal Resolution: Community members, including students, faculty and staff, are encouraged to attempt first to resolve complaints under this policy informally with the individual(s) against whom they have the complaint/grievance. If the grievant is uncertain who the appropriate individual is, they should contact the Chief Academic Officer. This informal resolution step does not require communication or notification of any other Newlane personnel beyond the individual against whom the grievant has the complaint. If the attempt for an informal resolution is unsuccessful, or unsatisfactory, the grievant is encouraged to attempt to resolve the complaint through mediation.
Mediation: Only after the complaint has either given reasonable time for the individual against whom they have the complaint to respond to a request for an informal resolution (no less than five working days) or is not satisfied with the response to the request, should the grievant move to this step. At this step, the grievant must contact the Chief Academic Officer and request a mediation. The Chief Academic Officer will discuss the option of mediation with the grievant and any involved parties. If all involved parties agree to mediation, the University will appoint a mediator to attempt to work with the involved parties to resolve the matter. If, during the mediation, the parties reach a resolution, the mediator will document the resolution and share it by sending an email including the agreed-upon resolution to all parties involved and the Chief Academic Officer.
Formal Resolution: If the issue is not resolved through the previous steps, the grievant may elect to initiate the formal complaint process by completing the Complaint Form, updated to reflect the grievant’s dissatisfaction with previous resolution attempts, and delivering it to the Chief Academic Officer. The Chief Academic Officer has 10 working days from receipt of the Form to form a Complaint Committee of at least three members total (including the Chief Academic Officer). If the complaint involves a faculty member or staff member or administrator, this committee requests a response to the complaint from the individual in question to be submitted within 5 working days from the time the Complaint Committee is formed.
The Complaint Committee has 10 working days from receipt of the faculty member/administrator response to share a written decision, including any necessary follow up or enforcement actions to be taken, and a timeline for these to take place, with the grievant and the individual(s) against whom the grievant has the complaint. The Complaint Committee may convene an additional faculty panel to advise on this decision.
If, after 10 working days from receipt of the faculty member/administrator response, the Complaint Committee deems it impossible to achieve a satisfactory resolution between the parties, the grievant can choose to close the matter or file a formal complaint. If the grievant is unsatisfied with the Complaint Committee’s decision, they can choose to close the matter or file a formal complaint.
If a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached at the institutional level, or a community member wishes to file a complaint, they can file the complaint to:
Utah Division of Consumer Protection
160 East 300 East, 2nd Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
801-530-6601 or 1-800-721-SAFE
dcp.utah.gov/complaints.html
UT SARA and DEAC as arbiters for students in other states enrolled under SARA who exhaust Newlane’s complaint process and are still not satisfied. (All complaints from Utah students are arbitrated by Utah Division of Consumer Protection.)
UT SARA is the final contact point for complaints about Utah SARA institutions for students located in other states resulting from distance education courses, activities, and operations. As the state portal agency, UT SARA serves as the final decision-maker on SARA-related complaints.
Once a complaint is filed, UT SARA will conduct a review within five business days. If the complaint fits within the SARA jurisdiction, investigation and follow up will take place. If the complaint does not fall under the SARA jurisdiction, it may be referred to another entity for investigation and follow up.
- Complaints covered by the student code of conduct, such as grade grievances or conduct issues – that have not been filed with the institution — will be referred to the institution. Students should follow an institution’s process for filing a complaint.
- Complaints relating to fraud, false advertising, or other deceptive practices will be referred to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection:
Utah Division of Consumer Protection
160 East 300 East, 2nd Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
801-530-6601 or 1-800-721-SAFE
dcp.utah.gov/complaints.html
Complaints relating to an institution’s quality of education may be referred to the UT SARA institution’s accreditor.
Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) |1101 17th Street NW, Suite 808 Washington, D.C. 20036 | Phone: 202-234-5100 | Fax: 202-332-1386 https://www.deac.org/Student-Center/Complaint-Process.aspx