Complaints Policy

Student Concerns and Complaints

USAHS is committed to providing a learning and working environment in which concerns and/or complaints are addressed fairly and resolved promptly. Students are encouraged to address concerns or complaints promptly, generally within 5 business days of the date of the incident or occurrence that has given rise to the concern or complaint. USAHS endeavors to resolve all concerns and complaints; however, delayed reports of a concern or complaint may make the matter harder to investigate and resolve. The Director of Student Welfare, Candice Vasquez is available for consultation at any point in the process.

Open Door Policy

Students are encouraged to use the Open Door Policy and address issues directly with faculty and staff, before filing a formal complaint. Open communication between students, faculty, and staff is strongly encouraged, and students are free to speak directly with all members of the USAHS community regarding any complaints or concerns that they have.

Students may utilize the procedures outlined below to address concerns including but not limited to: 

  • seeking clarifications in policies, regulations, and procedures;
  • reporting an incident(s) of discrimination or bias; and
  • notifying the University of technology or facility concerns.

Conflict Resolution Assistance

Students may seek conflict resolution assistance from the Director of Student Welfare cvasquez@usa.edu. Assistance may be a simple clarification of a University policy or information regarding options for resolving the conflict. The Director of Student Welfare may assist by arranging a face-to-face meeting with the other individual/s involved in the conflict, if possible and appropriate under the circumstances. In all cases, USAHS will try to secure a mutually agreeable solution to any situation.

Concern for Other Students

From time to time, you may interact with other students for whom you have a concern related to their well-being. All members of the USAHS community share in our responsibility to alert university officials when a student needs additional support or intervention. Please see below for additional information about to notify the university of your concern for another student.

How to report concern for a student:

  1. Discuss your concerns with your Program Director, Campus Director or the Director of Student Welfare.

How to report concerning or threatening student behavior:

  1. In emergencies in which a member of the USAHS community is in imminent danger, dial 9-1-1. 
  1. Once emergency services are notified, notify your Campus Director, Program Director and complete the Behavioral Intervention Reporting Form.

No person who, in good faith, reports threatening or otherwise troubling behavior per this policy will be subject to retaliation. Anonymous referrals are allowed but may limit the ability of the University Behavioral Intervention Team to investigate and respond fully. Additionally, requests to maintain the anonymity of a referral source will also be honored to the degree possible but cannot be guaranteed. 

Formal Complaint Process

While students are encouraged to use the informal procedures described above, students may also initiate the Formal Complaint process, as outlined in the Complaints Policy in the Student Handbook/Catalog to resolve a complaint. All complaints are taken seriously. The procedure for handling complaints from current students encourages informal conciliation, facilitates early resolution, and maintains individual privacy and confidentiality. Please note that complaints regarding the sexual misconduct policy should be referred to the Title IX Coordinator at titleixcoordinator@usa.edu. Complaints related to academic dismissals or professional misconduct should follow the procedures outlined in the Student Handbook/Catalog.

Step 1

The Formal Complaint Process requires students to complete the Student Complaint Form (see below), which should be submitted to the Student Welfare and Accessibility at usastudentaffairs@usa.edu. The complaint will be directed to the responsible party to investigate and attempt to resolve the complaint. A written summary of any resolution reached will be provided to the student by the Office of Student Welfare and Accessibility, generally within 10 business days after receipt of the written complaint.

Step 2

Students may appeal a Step 1 decision, in writing, to the Grievance Committee by completing the Grievance Form within 5 business days after the Step 1 response was issued to the student. The Grievance Committee will investigate the complaint and give the student an opportunity to discuss the complaint. The Office of Student Welfare and Accessibility will seek to provide the student with a written response from the Grievance Committee within 60 business days.

Step 3

The student may request a reconsideration of the Grievance Committee’s decision, in writing, to usastudentaffairs@usa.edu within 5 business days after the Grievance Committee response was issued to him or her. Requests for reconsideration will be forwarded to the President or their designee. In most cases, a Dean will serve as the designee for the President. For purposes of a request for reconsideration, the President or designee will review the existing record from the previous investigations. The Office of Student Welfare and Accessibility will provide the student with a written response to the request for reconsideration at the conclusion of the process.

Confidentiality

All information submitted as part of a student complaint will be treated as confidential and will be available only to the appropriate/involved parties. The student should also respect the need for confidentiality throughout the complaint process. A student who submits a complaint should be aware that complete confidentiality cannot always be guaranteed if effective action is to be taken. USAHS accepts and endeavors to resolve anonymous complaints; however, anonymous complaints may make the matter harder to investigate and resolve.

No retaliation

No adverse action will be taken against a student as the result of the submission of a complaint through the USAHS complaint procedure. This protection against retaliation shall apply even if the findings of an investigation do not support the nature of the report, so long as the report was filed in good faith; however, students who knowingly file misleading or false reports or without a reasonable belief as to truth or accuracy, will not be protected by this policy.

Printable Forms

Student Complaint and Grievance Forms