Distance Education

Ignatius Loyola Statue

Le Moyne College (via New York State) has been approved as a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). This is an agreement among 49-member states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico that establishes comparable standards for interstate offering of post-secondary distance education (e.g., online courses or programs). NC-SARA allows institutions to provide online courses and programs outside of their own state borders by seeking and maintaining state approvals via a streamlined process.

When students participate in distance education coursework, it is a Le Moyne College policy that the address submitted on their application/program approval form will be presumed to be the same as the location of the student when completing the online coursework. It is the student's responsibility to notify the college if their location while completing distance education coursework differs from that listed on the application/program approval form.

Student Complaint Process Relating to Consumer Protection Laws

Overview. Students have a right to file a complaint or grievance relating to consumer protection laws via the NC-SARA Complaint Process. The NC-SARA student complaint process can be found at:

https://www.nc-sara.org/student-complaints

Le Moyne College will ensure that all concerns and complaints of students are addressed fairly and resolved promptly.  Please note that complaints regarding grades and general student conduct issues are not governed by this distance education consumer protection complaint process. Academic related complaints should follow the processes outlined in the “Le Moyne College Catalog” and student conduct concerns should follow the processes outlined in the “Student Handbook”.

Key NC-SARA Student Consumer Protections include:

  • All SARA institutions must be accredited.
  • SARA institutions must have U.S. oversight
  • SARA institutions must demonstrate healthy finances.
  • SARA institutions are accountable for third-party providers.
  • SARA institutions must adhere to high standards.
  • SARA institutions must uphold stringent reporting and accountability requirements.
  • SARA institutions are required to have transparency around professional licensure.
  • SARA institutions must find ways to meet obligations to students.
  • Student complaints are taken seriously.
  • Compliance is non-negotiable.

To learn more about each of these protections, click here.

As required by the NC-SARA student complaint process, student complaints relating to consumer protection laws offered under the terms and conditions of NC-SARA must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution. For complaints not satisfactorily resolved at the institutional level, a student may file an appeal directly with the New York State Education Department or through the New York NC-SARA State Portal. Details are as follows.

Le Moyne College Consumer Protection Complaint Resolution Process

Students who have a consumer protection-based complaint regarding a distance education course or program should first seek to resolve such a complaint with the Academic Dean in the college or the school where the online course or program in which the student is registered is offered, i.e., College of Arts and Sciences, Madden School of Business, or Purcell School of Professional Studies. The complaint should be initially provided in writing to the Academic Dean and identify the specific consumer protection law perceived to be of concern and accompanied by any relevant supporting documentation or data. The Academic Dean shall discuss the complaint with the student and shall make a recommendation to the student as to a resolution. If the concern is not perceived to be resolved by the Academic Dean’s recommendation, the student may appeal the Academic Dean’s recommendation to the Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs within 15 days.

Consumer Protection Complaints Unresolved at the College Level

If a complaint by a student who has followed all grievance procedures and protocols defined by Le Moyne College is not resolved satisfactorily by the College, then the student may also file a complaint with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) which oversees higher education in New York State. Information on filing a complaint can be found on the NYSED website at:
http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/filing-complaint-about-college-or-university.

The New York NC-SARA State Portal can be found at: https://www.nc-sara.org/state-portal-entity-contacts
New York State Portal Entity Contact
Andrea Richards
Supervisor of Higher Education Programs
518.474.1551
[email protected]
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12234