Ohio Christian University Consumer Complaints

Policy and Procedure for Handling Grievances Letters of Complaint – On a few occasions, persons have felt it necessary to write letters of complaint to the Administrative Cabinet or Denominational representatives. All such letters must be signed if the writer wishes to gain the desired result. Anonymous letters will carry no influence and will be disregarded, except for potential prosecution of the writer by the university. Everyone is to be aware that letters of that nature potentially leave the writer open to lawsuit for defamation, liable, harassment, etc.

  1.  Students are encouraged to discuss grievances with the person/staff member having direct supervision over the area of concern. That person will attempt to resolve the problem. Concerns may be communicated verbally or in writing by the student to the staff member.
  2. If the need is not satisfactorily met, the department head or director of the area is the next level of contact. It is the student’s responsibility to demonstrate that they have already communicated with the staff member who oversees the program, office, or department. The director/department head will review the student’s complaint and provide a response.
  3. If the need is not satisfactorily met, the Vice President of the area with which they are experiencing the problem is the next contact. The complaint must be presented in writing. Evidence that the grievance has been passed through the prior levels will be necessary for each subsequent level.
  4. If the need is not satisfactorily met, the student has the privilege of appealing to the university Administrative Cabinet. The request for a hearing must be presented in writing to the Office of the President along with the written complaint. This step is only appropriate when there is evidence that prior steps have been followed.
  5. At the direction of the President, the Administrative Cabinet shall hold a hearing and will render a decision regarding the grievance made by the student.
  6. The student and the Administrative Cabinet shall have the right to call witnesses. The President may limit the number of witnesses to be called.
  7. The decision of the Administrative Cabinet shall be reported to the student in writing within one working day of the rendering of the decision by the Cabinet.
  8. The decision of the Administrative Cabinet shall be final.

Complaint procedure for Ohio and Online Students

If after the above processes have been completed and the student is not satisfied, they may contact the Ohio Department of Higher Education, 25 S Front St, Columbus, OH 43215. 1 (614) 466-6000

The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) is responsible for responding to formal complaints against public, independent non-profit and proprietary institutions of higher education in Ohio. While the ODHE has limited authority over colleges and universities and cannot offer legal advice or initiate civil court cases, the Chancellor's staff will review submitted complaints and work with student complainants and institutions. Students attending in Ohio or online who wish to file a formal complaint with ODHE can find the complaint process at the following link (https://www.ohiohighered.org/students/complaints).