Student Complaint & Grievance Procedure
Please read and review the following information to learn how to obtain assistance to resolve any difficulty you may experience at Napa Valley College. Become informed!
To see ALL NVC POLICIES, go to the NVC Board Policy Manual in BoardDocs(click on the Policies tab on the upper right-hand corner), or find them in the NVC College Catalog.
- The Student Services Policies are found under Chapter 5.
Statement of Philosophy
The district believes that all students shall be afforde d fair and equitable treatment
in the application of all district procedures and regulations. Students who claim
that there has been a violation or misapplication of the procedures or regulations
set for t h in the college catalog, board policies, or operating procedures of the
college district or who claim misap p lication or denial of student due pro cess may
file a grievance. The Napa Valley College Student Grievance and Com p laint Procedures
are provided as a means for students to resolve grievances and complaints in an expedit
i ous and fair manner, as well as to educate students in constructive approa ches
to problem and conflict resolution . It is the policy of the Board of Trustees that
there shall be no harassment of or retaliation towards s t udents who file a grievance
or complaint, toward the subject of the grievance, or toward those who partici p ate
in the process. All p r oceedings held in accordance with these procedures shall relate
to a specific grievance or complaint, with an identified remedy or solution. Nothing
in the district procedures prevents the griev a nt or subject of the grievance from
app ealing to the Board of Trustees.
See accompanying procedures - Student Complaint and Grievance Procedures
Reference: Education Code Section 67224(a)
Adopted through mutual agreement, 10/17/96, Rev 12/05
Non-Instructional complaints, which include difficulties with services such as enrollment, advising, financial aid, student support programs, student success centers & more, are addressed by the Office of Student Affairs.
Questions:
(707) 256-7362 or (707) 256-7363
Building 1300, Room #1330
NVCStudentAffairs@napavalley.edu
Instructional Compliants, which include difficulties within a classroom or academic program, are addressed by the Office of Academic Affairs.
Questions:
(707) 256-7150
Building 1500, Room #1532
AcademicAffairs@napavalley.edu
Most complaints, grievances or disciplinary matters should be resolved at the campus level. This is the quickest and most successful way of resolving issues involving a California Community College (CCC). You are encouraged to work through the campus complaint process first before escalating issues to any of the following resources. Issues that are not resolved at the campus level may be presented:
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To the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) at https://accjc.org/complaint-process/ if your complaint is associated with the institution’s compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards. ACCJC is the agency that accredits the academic programs of the California Community Colleges.
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To the CCC Chancellor’s Office by completing the Complaint Form if your complaint does not concern CCC’s compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards.
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To the Chancellor's Office legal division if your complaint involves unlawful discrimination.
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Community college students may also file an unlawful complaint with teh Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education (OCR). See section "How to File a Complaint with the Office of Civil Rights." You may file file an electronic complaint form at the following website. You may also email OCR's Discrimination Complaint Formor your own signed letter to ocr@ed.gov.
- Distance Education