Procedures to follow in response to U.S. Department of Education 10.29.10 Final Rules
In accordance with the Department of Education’s final regulations published on October 29, 2010, the following is the complaint process related to receiving and resolving complaints for TICUA member institutions that are legally authorized to provide post-secondary education in Tennessee and are exempt from regulation by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
Complaints
- All complaints should first be routed through the appropriate complaint/appeals process as outlined by MTSA.
- Depending on the nature of complaint, the matter should be brought to the attention of the Office of Executive Vice President.
- A complaint must be submitted in writing using a Student Complaint-Grievance form available on the MTSA website. Complaints should be addressed to the Office of Executive Vice President, Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia, P.O. Box 417, Madison, TN 37116.
Off Campus Authorities
- Complaints relating to quality of education or accreditation requirements shall be referred to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), (https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2020/01/ComplaintPolicy-1.pdf) or the Council on Accreditation (COA) (https://www.coacrna.org/contact-us/concerns/)
- Complaints related to the application of state laws or rules related to approval to operate or licensure of a particular professional program within a postsecondary institution shall be referred to the appropriate State Board (i.e., State Boards of Health, State Board of Education, and so on) within the Tennessee State Government and shall be reviewed and handled by that licensing board (http://www.tn.gov, and then search for the appropriate division);
For students attending programs in Tennessee, complaints related to state consumer protection laws (e.g., laws related to fraud or false advertising) shall be referred to the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs and shall be reviewed and handled by that unit https://www.tn.gov/commerce/section/consumer-affairs.
- For out-of-state students using distance learning programs, complaints related to consumer protection laws shall be filed using the Tennessee NC-SARA Portal form:
https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization.html
Distant Education and State Authorization
As an institution that participates in federal financial aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, MTSA is required to comply with regulations regarding distance education. MTSA’s distance education is authorized on a state level primarily through the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. MTSA participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which is an agreement among states that establishes national standards for the interstate offering of postsecondary distance-education courses and programs. This authorization is required by both state and federal law. See below information regarding MTSA’s membership and participation in NC-SARA:
Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia NC-SARA Approval (https://www.nc-sara.org/directory)
Distant Education Complaint Process
The NC-SARA distance education complaint process is described here. Students with a grievance regarding their distance education should seek a resolution of all matters through MTSA’s complaint structure first. A complaint must be submitted in writing using the Complaint-Grievance form. Complaints should be addressed to:
Office of Executive Vice President
Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia
P.O. Box 417
Madison, TN 37116
Download» Complaint-Grievance Form from the website
Complaint Resolution Policies and Procedures for Non-Tennessee Resident Students in State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement States, commonly known as SARA
Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws that involve distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution.
Complainants not satisfied with the outcome of the Institution’s internal process may appeal, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/request-for-complaint-review.html).
For purposes of this process, a complaint shall be defined as a formal assertion in writing that the terms of SARA or the laws, standards or regulations incorporated by the SARA Policies and Standards (http://www.nc-sara.org/content/sara-manual) have been violated by the institution operating under the terms of SARA.
For a list of SARA member States, please visit the NC-SARA website (http://nc-sara.org/sara-states-institutions). Students residing in non-SARA states should consult their respective State of residence for further instruction for filing a complaint.