Student Complaint Policy

Aurora University is committed to thoroughly and promptly addressing student concerns, complaints, and grievances. The Student Complaint Policy refers to student concerns or dissatisfaction not otherwise subsumed under the Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy, the Sex Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct, and Interpersonal Violence Policy, or the policies described in the Academic Catalog or A-Book.

Student Complaint Process and Procedure Overview

Students may report complaints informally, formally in writing, by contacting the Illinois Board of Higher Education (California Department of Consumer Affairs if an online student living in California), or by contacting the Higher Learning Commission.

  • Informally: Students are encouraged to resolve complaints by discussing the issue with the office or employee directly. Many problems are resolved through honest and open communication. Students may also reach out to a member of Student Success to share complaints and feedback.
  • Formally: Formal complaints must be documented in writing through the online student complaint form.
    • The complaint will be reviewed by a member of Student Success. Within 10 business days, the student will be advised in writing either that the complaint has been referred for further investigation or that the complaint has been dismissed and the reason for the dismissal. Complaints relating to a properly executed university process will be dismissed without further action.
    • An administrator to whom a complaint has been referred has 20 business days from the date of the referral to investigate and address the complaint. The Student Success office may extend the investigation period beyond 20 business days by notifying, in writing, the student who filed the complaint, using the contact information provided on the form.
    • During the investigation and resolution process the administrator to whom the complaint has been referred and/or a member of Student Success will communicate directly with the student who has filed the complaint. At the conclusion of the investigation, the Student Success office will notify the student in writing of the results of the investigation and the resolution of the complaint.
    • The Student Success office will maintain a record of each complaint and its resolution. The Student Success office shall produce an annual report summarizing the complaints and their resolutions for continuous quality improvement purposes.
  • Aurora University participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) and is an approved SARA institution in the state of Illinois. If the complaint cannot be resolved through the formal Student Complaint Process, and the student does not live in California, the student may file a complaint with the Illinois Board of Higher Education using their Institutional Complaint System located at ibhe.org. Online students who live in California may file a complaint with the California Department of Consumer Affairs at https://www.dca.ca.gov/consumers/complaints/oos_students.shtml
  • All students who have exhausted Aurora University and state options for handing complaints may contact the university’s accreditor:

    The Higher Learning Commission
    30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400
    Chicago, IL 60602-2504
    800-621-7440 or 312-263-0456
    https://www.hlcommission.org/Student-Resources/complaints.html