General Concerns and Complaints

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Grays Harbor College values your voice and wants you to feel safe in expressing concerns or complaints. For concerns or complaints about a course, first speak with your instructor, and if you are not able to reach an agreement, follow steps 1 and 2 below to escalate the matter to the appropriate person or department. For general complaints about the college, after exhausting the institutional complaint resolution process, please go to Step 3.

Step 1

Contact your instructor and inform them of your concern.  Propose solutions that would satisfy you, and work together to find a resolution that is satisfactory to you both.

Step 2

If you are not able to find a satisfactory resolution with your instructor, further steps in the complaint process are included in the student handbook, which will refer you to Washington Administrative Code 132B-120-220, Student complaint, grievance and grade appeal process.

Step 3

If you are unable to resolve your complaint internally and would like to request intervention from an external agency, you may contact any of the following:

  1. The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) has authority to investigate student complaints against specific schools. WSAC may not be able to investigate every student complaint. See: WSAC complaint process.
  2. The regional accrediting association for GHC is the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities (NWCCU), which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.
  3. The Department of Education from your current state of residence.

State Contacts by Location

Online students residing in Alabama may also file a complaint with:

Timothy Vick
Director of Operations and Fiscal Services
Alabama Commission on Higher Education
P.O. Box 302000
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
334.353.9153
tim.vick@ache.alabama.gov

Online students residing in Alaska may also file a complaint with:

Kierke Kussart
Program Coordinator Institutional Authorization
Alaska Commission on Post Secondary Education
P.O. Box 110505
Juneau, AK 99811-0505
907.465.6741
kierke.kussart@alaska.gov

Online students residing in Arizona may also file a complaint with:

Lanna Dueck
Executive Director
Arizona SARA Council
2323 W. 14th Street
Tempe, AZ 85281
480.517.8226
lanna.dueck@riosalado.edu

Online students residing in Arkansas may also file a complaint with:

Alana Boles
Program Director for Private Career and Out-of-State Education
Arkansas Department of Higher Education
423 Main Street, Suite 400
Little Rock, AR 72201
501.371.2060
alana.boles@sdhe.edu

Online students residing in California may also contact:

Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education
2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 400
Sacramento, CA 95833
(916) 431-6959

Online students residing in Colorado may also file a complaint with:

Heather Delange
Academic Policy Officer
Department of Higher Education
1560 Broadway, Suite 1600
Denver, CO 80202
303.866.4209
heather.delange@dhe.state.co.us

Online students residing in Connecticut may also file a complaint with:

Christon R. Kurker-Stewart, Esq.
Academic Affairs
Office of Higher Education
State of Connecticut
450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 510
Hartford, CT 06103-1841
Telephone: 860.947.1820
Fax: 860.947.1310
ckurker-stewart@ctohe.org

Online students residing in Delaware may also file a complaint with:

Nick A. Buono
Education Specialist
Delaware Office of Higher Ed
Delaware Department of Education
The Townsend Building
401 Federal Street, Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901
302.735.4193
nicholas.buono@doe.k12.de.us

Online students residing in the District of Columbia may also file a complaint with:

Angela H. Lee
Executive Director
Higher Education Licensure Commission
Postsecondary Education
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
1050 First St. NE
5th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
202.724-2095
Angela.Lee@dc.gov

Online students residing in Florida may also file a complaint with:

Morgan Champion
Director, Postsecondary Reciprocal Distance Education
Commission for Independent Education
325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 1414
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
850.245.3212
morgan.champion@fldoe.org

Online students residing in Georgia may also file a complaint with:

Patricia “Pat” Neri
GA-SARA Coordinator
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC)
2082 East Exchange Place, Suite 220
Tucker, GA 30084
770.414.3235
GASARA@gnpec.org

Online students residing in Hawaii may also file a complaint with:

Bobbi Lum-Mew
Program Administrator
Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program
Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 541
Honolulu, HI 96809
808.586.7327
hpeap@dcca.hawaii.gov

Online students residing in Idaho may also file a complaint with:

Valerie Fenske
Idaho Private Colleges & Proprietary Schools Coordinator
Idaho State Board of Education
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0037
208.332.1587
valerie.fenske@osbe.idaho.gov

Online students residing in Illinois may also file a complaint with:

Nkechi Onwuameze, PhD
Assistant Director for Academic Affairs
Illinois SARA Coordinator
Illinois Board of Higher Education
1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333
Springfield, Illinois 62701-1377
217.557.7382
sara@ibhe.org

Online students residing in Indiana may also file a complaint with:

Ken Sauer
Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer
Indiana Commission for Higher Education
101 W. Ohio Street, Suite 550
Indianapolis, IN 46204-1984
317.232.1090
academics@che.in.gov

Online students residing in Indiana may also file a complaint with:

Ken Sauer
Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer
Indiana Commission for Higher Education
101 W. Ohio Street, Suite 550
Indianapolis, IN 46204-1984
317.232.1090
academics@che.in.gov

Online students residing in Kansas may also file a complaint with:

Jennifer Armour
Associate Director
Academic Affairs
Kansas Board of Regents
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 520
Topeka, KS 66612-1368
(785)430-4288
jarmour@ksbor.org  

Online students residing in Kentucky may also file a complaint with:

Sarah Levy
Director of Postsecondary Licensing
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
1024 Capital Center Drive, Suite 320
Frankfort, KY 40601
502.573.1555
sarah.levy@ky.gov

Online students residing in Louisiana may also file a complaint with:

LeAnn Detillier
Assistant Commissioner for Program Administration
Louisiana Board of Regents
1201 N. Third St., Suite 6-200
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
225.342-4253
LeAnn.Detillier@la.gov

Online students residing in Maine may also file a complaint with:

Angel Loredo
Higher Education Specialist
Department of Higher Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0023
207.624.6846
angel.loredo@maine.gov

Online students residing in Maryland may also file a complaint with:

Michael J. Kiphart
Director of Academic Affairs
Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 N. Liberty Street, 10th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-767-3041
michael.kiphart@maryland.gov

Online students residing in Massachusetts may also file a complaint with:

Alex Nally
SARA Coordinator
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place, Room 1401
Boston, MA 02108
617.994.6910
SARAInquiries@dhe.mass.edu

Online students residing in Michigan may also file a complaint with:

James R. Farhat, Specialist
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau
Schools and Licensing
P.O. Box 30018
Lansing, MI 48909
517.241.4274
517.373.2162 fax
farhatj@michigan.gov

Online students residing in Minnesota may also file a complaint with:

Betsy Talbot
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
Saint Paul, MN 55108
651.259.3965
Betsy.Talbot@state.mn.us

Online students residing in Mississippi may also file a complaint with:

Menia Dykes
Director of Accreditation
Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, MS 39211
601.432.6372
mdykes@mississippi.edu

Online students residing in Missouri may also file a complaint with:

Leroy Wade
Assistant Commissioner
Missouri Department of Higher Education
205 Jefferson Street
P.O. Box 1469
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1469
573.751.2361
leroy.wade@dhe.mo.gov

Online students residing in Montana may also file a complaint with:

Joe Thiel
Director of Academic Policy and Research
Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
Montana University System
P.O. Box 203201
Helena, MT 59620-3201
406.422.8455
jthiel@montana.edu

Online students residing in Nebraska may also file a complaint with:

Kathleen L. Fimple, Ph.D.
Academic Programs Officer
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
P.O. Box 95005
Lincoln, NE 68509-5005
402.471.0030
Kathleen.Fimple@nebraska.gov

Online students residing in Nevada may also file a complaint with:

Crystal Abba
Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affairs
Nevada System of Higher Education
2601 Enterprise Road
Reno, NV 89512
775.784.4901
crystal_abba@nshe.nevada.edu 

Online students residing in New Hampshire may also file a complaint with:

Michael D. Seidel
Director of the Division of Higher Education
Higher Education Commission
New Hampshire Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301-3494
michael.seidel@doe.nh.gov

Online students residing in New Jersey may also file a complaint with:

Eric Taylor, Esq.
Director, Office of Licensure
New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
20 W. State St., 4th FL
P.0. Box 542
Trenton, NJ 08625
609.984.3738
eric.taylor@oshe.nj.gov

Online students residing in New Mexico may also file a complaint with:

Jeneva iRosi
General Counsel
New Mexico Higher Education Department
2044 Galisteo Street Suite 4
Santa Fe, NM 87505-2100
505.476.8402
Jeneva.LiRosi@state.nm.us 

Online students residing in New York may also file a complaint with:

Owen Donovan
Supervisor, Higher Education Programs
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
518.474.1551
IHEauthorize@nysed.gov

Online students residing in North Carolina may also file a complaint with:

Terrence R. Scarborough, M.P.A.
Director of SARA-NC
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
P.O. Box 14103
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
919.549.8614, ext. 4660
tscarborough@ncseaa.edu

Online students residing in North Dakota may also file a complaint with:

Dr. Richard Rothaus
Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs
North Dakota University System
600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 215
Bismark, ND 58505-0230
701.328.4136
richard.rothaus@ndus.edu  

Online students residing in Ohio may also file a complaint with:

Matt Exline
Assistant Director of Program Approval Operations
Ohio Department of Higher Education
25 South Front Street
Columbus, OH  43215
614.728.3095
mexline@regents.state.oh.us 

Online students residing in Oklahoma may also file a complaint with:

Daniel Archer
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Parkway, Ste. 200
P.O. Box 108850
Oklahoma City, OK 73101-8850
405.225.9142
darcher@osrhe.edu

Online students residing in Oregon may also file a complaint with:

Sean Pollack
Program Administrator
Higher Education Coordinating Commission
255 Capitol Street NE
Salem, OR 97310
503.947.5925
sean.pollack@state.or.us  

Online students residing in Pennsylvania may also file a complaint with:

Gina Wetten
Higher Education Associate II
Department of Education
Division of Higher and Career Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126
717.265.7723
giwetten@pa.gov

Online students residing in Rhode Island may also file a complaint with:

Paula Szulc
Associate Commissioner for Student Success
RI Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner
560 Jefferson Blvd.
Warwick, Rhode Island 02886-1304
401.736.1100
Paula.Szulc@riopc.edu

Online students residing in South Carolina may also file a complaint with:

Clay Barton
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
1122 Lady Street, Suite 300
Columbia, SC 29201
803.737.7781
Cbarton@che.sc.gov

Online students residing in South Dakota may also file a complaint with:

Katie Hubbart
Academic Affairs Specialist
South Dakota SARA Coordinator
South Dakota Board of Regents
306 East Capitol Ave., Suite 200
Pierre, SD 57501
605.773.3455
Katie.Hubbart@sdbor.edu

Online students residing in Tennessee may also file a complaint with:

Julie Woodruff
Assistant Executive Director and Lead Attorney for DPSA
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
404 James Robertson Parkway, Suite 1900
Nashville, TN 37243
615.253.8857
julie.woodruff@tn.gov

Online students residing in Texas may also file a complaint with:

Jessica Acton
Program Director, Academic Quality and Workforce
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, TX 78711
512.427.6214
jessica.acton@thecb.state.tx.us

Online students residing in Utah may also file a complaint with:

Cynthia “Cyd” Grua
Office of the Commissioner for Higher Education
Utah System of Higher Education
Board of Regents Building, The Gateway
60 S 400 W
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
801.321.7152
cgrua@ushe.edu

Online students residing in Vermont may also file a complaint with:

Cassandra Ryan
School Finance Analyst
Vermont Agency of Education
120 State St.
Montpelier, VT 05620
802.479.8545
Cassandra.Ryan@vermont.gov

Online students residing in Virginia may also file a complaint with:

Darlene Derricott
Director of Academic Services
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
101 N. 14th Street, 9th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
804.2252621
DarleneDerricott@schev.edu

If, after exhausting the Grays Harbor College Student Complaint Process, Washington State online students are not satisfied with the resolution of their complaint, they may file a complaint with:

The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC).  The SBCTC maintains a process to investigate complaints brought by community and technical college students in the state of Washington.  For information, contact SBCTC Student Services, PO Box 42495, Olympia, WA 98504-2495, (360) 704-4315 or visit sbctc.edu.

Online students residing in West Virginia may also file a complaint with:

Mark Stotler
Director of Academic Programming
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Blvd. East, Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301
304.558.0262
mark.stotler@wvhepc.edu

Online students residing in Wisconsin may also file a complaint with:

Monique Currie
Policy Advisor
Policy and Government Relations
Wisconsin Technical College System Office
4622 University Ave., PO Box 7874
Madison, WI 53707-7874
608.266.2449
Monique.Currie@wtcsystem.edu 

Online students residing in Wyoming may also file a complaint with:

Larry Buchholtz
Fiscal Operations Team Manager
State of Wyoming
Wyoming Community College Commission
2300 Capitol Ave., 5th Floor, Suite B
Cheyenne, WY 82002
307.777.7068
larry.buchholtz@wyo.gov