Distance Education Students

SPS Policy: Complaint Procedures for Distance Education Students

Student consumer complaints against an institution operating under SARA must first go through the institution’s own procedures for resolution of grievances. Students should first address complaints to the school within Columbia where they are registered.

Student consumer complaints regarding programs at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS) should be directed to Zelon Crawford, senior associate dean of student affairs.

Complaints regarding student grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely by institutional policy and the laws of New York State. If a person bringing a complaint is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process for handling complaints, the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the SARA Portal Entity in the home state of the institution against which the complaint has been lodged.

Student consumer complaints regarding programs at the School of Professional Studies (SPS) should be directed to Zelon Crawford, senior associate dean of student affairs at zec2001 [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (zec2001[at]columbia[dot]edu) or 212-853-2139.

Andrea Richards
Supervisor, Higher Education Programs
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
518.474.1551
IHEauthorize [[at]] nysed [[dot]] gov (IHEauthorize[at]nysed[dot]gov)

Additional information about complaint procedures can be found here:

NC-SARA complaint procedures (https://www.nc-sara.org/student-complaints)

NYSED’s complaint procedures (http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/filing-complaint-about-college-or-university)