Department of Education Complaint Process
The University of Illinois at Chicago is committed to respecting all members of the University community and providing a quality educational experience for all students. Further, federal regulations require institutions of higher education to disclose information for filing complaints. The information below is intended to provide both institutional and external contact information to current and prospective students.
Academic Concerns
Students are encouraged to contact their college office to seek advice. The Student Handbook, the undergraduate catalog, and the graduate catalog provide guidance on campus-level policy.
If complaints cannot be resolved at the college level or with the help of Student Ombuds Service (see below), the formal mechanism to register student complaints is through the Student Academic Grievance Procedures. They define an administrative process through which students may seek resolution of complaints or grievances regarding academic standing during their enrollment at UIC. Examples of complaints addressed by this process include but are not limited to grade disputes and program dismissals. Note that these procedures may not be used for decisions made as a result of the Student Conduct Process, described below.
Other Complaints
If a complaint cannot be resolved within the college or the student prefers to speak to someone outside of the college, students have access to several services within the Office of the Dean of Students (DOS). The Student Ombuds Service within the Office of the Dean of Students provides an impartial advocate for fairness who investigates student complaints. The Ombudsperson may serve as a counselor, go-between, mediator, or informal fact finder. Some of the matters which may be addressed by this service include grade disputes / grievance procedures, student record errors, billing / financial issues and registration problems.
The Student Conduct Process within the Office of the Dean of Students is also available to any student, university employee, or community member with a complaint about a UIC student. They can file a student misconduct incident report or academic integrity incident report form regarding possible violations of the University Standards of Conduct, which is included in the Student Disciplinary Policy.
The Office for Access and Equity strives to increase access to employment, programs, and services in an environment free of unlawful discrimination and harassment. As part of the Office of the Chancellor, the Office for Access and Equity (OAE) is the office charged with reviewing and addressing complaints of harassment and/or discrimination. This includes sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and retaliation. Students may file a complaint internally using the established reporting process on the OAE website.
UIC is committed to maintaining a barrier-free environment so that individuals with disabilities can fully access programs, services, and all activities at UIC. Students with complaints or concerns about accessibility issues on campus can submit an Online Report of UIC Accessibility Issues available at the UIC Disability Resources website. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) receives these reports and follows up with different units on campus based on the nature of the complaint. If the student experiences discrimination based on disability it should be reported directly to the Office of Access and Equity (OAE).
External Resources
If a student's complaint cannot be resolved by the University, a complaint may be filed with the Illinois Board of Higher Education, which regulates higher education institutions in Illinois, through their Complaint System; or the student may contact the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), UIC's regional accrediting agency, through their Complaint Process.
Online Education State Authorization and Complaint Resolution
The University of Illinois Chicago is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). NC-SARA is a private nonprofit organization that helps expand students’ access to educational opportunities and ensure more efficient, consistent, and effective regulation of distance education programs. For more information about University of Illinois System NC-SARA compliance, professional licensure, and complaint procedures, visit the University of Illinois System’s State Authorization webpage.
Students enrolled in Online or Distance Education are encouraged to contact their college office or UIC Online at onlineinfo@uic.edu to seek advice or assistance in resolving their concerns. If the issue cannot be resolved through either of these offices or the resources listed in the sections above, online students may file a complaint with the Illinois Board of Higher Education through the Illinois State Portal Entity Contact. Online students may instead choose to work through their own state's NC-SARA office for complaint resolution, however, the Illinois Board of Higher Education is responsible for staffing the investigation and complaint resolution. California residents should refer to the California Department of Consumer Affairs website.
Professional Licensure Programs
Please be aware, programs that require professional licensure in your home state may have different requirements than those found in Illinois. Accordingly, we strongly encourage you to reach out to the appropriate licensing agency in your home state before enrolling in an academic program outside of your home state. For a state by state listing of licensing agencies, visit https://www.uillinois.edu/online/state_authorization.
As required by federal regulations, UIC also maintains a list of professional licensure disclosures by program/college.