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!

BP 5530 - Student Complaint and Grievances (S6320)

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 (not administrative regulations)
Reference: Education Code Section 67224(a)
Adopted through mutual agreement, 10/17/96, Rev 12/05

Who to go to when you have a complaint:

NON-INSTRUCTIONAL COMPLAINTS
Addressed by the Office of Student Affairs

  • Includes difficulties with services such as enrollment, advising, financial aid, student support programs, student success centers & more
  • Questions:
  • (707) 256-7362 or (707) 256-7363
  • Building 1300, Room #1330
  • NVCStudentAffairs@napavalley.edu

INSTRUCTIONAL COMPLAINTS
Addressed by the Office of Academic Affairs

PROCEDURES

Stage 1 Informal Complaint:

  1. Within the statute of limitations, the student is expected to contact the staff member directly to discuss the complaint during the semester in which the problem occurs.
  2. If the matter cannot be resolved at Stage 1a, the student shall contact the program administrator, supervisor, or coordinator to attempt to resolve the matter informally. The staff member against whom the complaint is directed must be present at all meetings between the student and the supervisor.
    See "Getting Help with Difficulties" document above for contact information to Student Affairs office supervisors and deans.
  3. If the complaint cannot be resolved at Stage 1b, the student shall discuss the matter next with the supervising administrator, who shall also attempt to resolve the complaint informally. If the matter cannot be resolved at this level, the student may progress to Stage 2 after informing the staff member and program administrator, supervisor, or coordinator of his/her decision to pursue a grievance.

Stage 2 Formal Grievance:

If your complaint has not been resolved or needs further attention, complete the Comlaint and Grievance Form and submit it to the Office of Student Affairs. (Important: Stage 1 Informal Complaint process must have been completed before you can proceed with a Stage 2 Formal Grievance.)

STATE COMPLAINT PROCESS NOTICE

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:

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • To the Office for Civil Rights if your complaint involves unlawful discrimination. See section "How to File a Complaint." You mail email OCR's Discrimination Complaint Formor your own signed letter to ocr@ed.gov.

Distance Ed Students

If you are a distance education student that resides and participates in online classes outside of California, you should contact the appropriate agency in your state of residence. For a list of these agencies by state go to http://www.sheeo.org/sites/default/files/Complaint%20Process%20Links%2012-2012.pdf.
Nothing in this disclosure should be construed to limit any right that you may have to take civil or criminal legal action to resolve your complaints.

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) has provided this disclosure to you in compliance with the requirements of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, as regulated in CFR 34, Sections 600.9 (b) (3) and 668.43(b). If anything in this disclosure is out of date, please notify the CCCCO at 1102 Q St., Sacramento, CA 95814. This disclosure was last revised on 5-09-11.