NC-SARA Complaint Procedures

Hostos is proud to be a member of NC-SARA.

(from the NC-SARA website)
Recognizing the growing demand for distance education opportunities, higher education stakeholders – including state regulators and education leaders, accreditors, the U.S. Department of Education, and institutions – joined together in 2013 to establish the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA), which streamline regulations around distance education programs.

Student Complaints Regarding Online Degree Programs

Hostos ensures that all concerns and complaints of students are addressed fairly and are resolved promptly. Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws (See SARA Policy Manual “Consumer Protection”) offered under the terms and conditions of SARA must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution. Examples of Consumer Protection include and are not limited to, accuracy of information about tuition, fees, and financial aid; accurate admission requirements for courses and programs; accuracy of information about the institution’s accreditation and/or any programmatic/specialized accreditation held by the institution’s programs (from pg. 30, SARA Policy Manual online). SARA policies do not cover complaints related to grades or student conduct violations. 

​Step 1. File and Try to Resolve the Complaint
For all complaints concerning students enrolled in fully online degree programs at Hostos Community College, students must exhaust all Hostos Community College internal complaint procedures available to them at the college. If a complaint cannot be resolved within the institutional procedures and processes, students can submit an appeal to the Office of College and University Evaluation after following and exhausting all options listed in the order below.

All online student complaints must first be sent to:

Office of Academic Affairs, B402
Attn: Student Complaints
Hostos Community College
500 Grand Concourse Bronx, NY 10451
nbrewer@hostos.cuny.edu

Step 2. Appeal to The City University of New York Office of Student Advocacy and Referral 

For all complaints that cannot be resolved internally at Hostos Community College, after exhausting all policies and processes meant to address such complaints, students can appeal the institution decision by sending an appeal to The City University of New York Office of Student Advocacy and Referral within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made. Appeals can be sent to the following address:  
  

Step 3. Appeal to the Office of the General Counsel
For appeals not resolved through The City University of New York Office of Student Advocacy and Referral, students may appeal the institution decision to the SARA State Portal Entity in New York State within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made. Appeals to SARA State Portal Entity in New York State may be sent to the following address:  

New York State Education Department
Office of College and University Evaluation
Supervisor of Higher Education Programs
89 Washington Avenue, Room 960 EBA
Albany, NY 12234
Telephone: (518) 474-1551
IHEauthorize@nysed.gov

Additional information about student complaint procedures against a college or university in New York can be found on the New York State Education Department website.  

The college website related to NC-SARA complaint procedures about fully online degree programs is accessible on this link: https://www.hostos.cuny.edu/Administrative-Offices/Office-of-Academic-Affairs/Hostos-Online/Student-Complaints  

Professional Program Disclosures
None of the fully online degree programs at Hostos lead to licensure.

Click on the link to learn more about the Institutional Policy on Determining Student Location