Student Complaint

Student Complaint Procedure

The student complaint process is designed to provide students with a way to register complaints. Ideally, a complaint of unfair treatment charged by a student against a college employee, in regard to the application of college rules, policies, procedures, and regulations, would be resolved without initiating the formal process. This procedure does not supersede the policies set forth for formal grievances (Merced College, Administration Procedure 5530) which can be accessed in the Merced College course catalog.

Students will first seek to resolve the issue informally by following the procedure below:

  1. Seek to resolve the issue with the individual involved.
  2. If a resolution cannot be reached, the next step is to contact the individual’s supervisor or Dean within ten (10) calendar days after speaking with the individual involved.
  3. If you are not satisfied after speaking with the supervisor or Dean, you can initiate the formal student complaint.
  4. To initiate the formal complaint process, complete our Student Complaint form located on our website within ten (10) calendar days after speaking with the department supervisor or Dean.

For Title IX complains, please contact Merced College Title IX Coordinator, Kelly Avila, Vice President of Human Resources at 209-384-6102 or [email protected].  Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education programs or activities that receive federal funding, including athletic programs.  Title IX holds schools liable for sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual assault.  Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment, rape, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

At Merced Community College we always welcome your comments and feedback. However, to submit comments or complaints to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges see below.

Third Party Comments

Individuals who wish to make comments on the institutions that are undergoing review in the current semester and that are being considered by the Commission at its next meeting, should use the Third Party Comments Form and be sure to include their name, address, phone number, and email address. The comments must be received five weeks before the scheduled Commission meeting. The Third Party Comment form may be found at: Third party comments.

ACCJC Complaint Process

Complaints against Member Institutions; Students and members of the public who desire to file a formal complaint to the Commission about one of its member institutions should become familiar with the requirements for doing so prior to contacting the Commission. Following is the Commission’s Policy on Student and Public Complaints Against Institutions which will explains the issues the Commission can address through its complaint process and the procedures for filing a complaint. Go to Complaint Process. The Policy on Student and Public Complaints Against Institutions may be found at: Student and Public Complaints Against Institutions. The complaint form may be found at Complaints against member institutions .

Complaints against the Commission

Individuals who wish to file a formal complaint to the Commission about the ACCJC should become familiar with the requirements for doing so prior to contacting the Commission. Following is the Commission’s Policy on Complaints Against the ACCJC which explains the issues the Commission can address through its complaint process and the procedures for filing a complaint. Go to Complaint Process. The Policy on Complaints Against the ACCJC may be found at: Policy on Review Complaints Against the ACCJC (Rev-Sept-2016). The complaint form may be found at Complaints against the ACCJC .