Student Complaint Policy and Procedure
TCCC strives to resolve complaints for distance learning students as well as those on-campus. Tri-County Community College's representative for student complaints is:
| Dr. Steve Wood, Vice President for Instruction and Institutional Effectiveness |
| Tri-County Community College, 21 Campus Circle, Murphy NC 28906 |
| 828-835-4254 |
| swood@tricountycc.edu |
| https://www.tricountycc.edu/learning-resources/ |
Students should use the links provided below to locate the appropriate form and process for complaints.
In State and Out-of-State Students enrolled in distance courses who wish to resolve a complaint related to their enrollment must first follow the steps below:
1. Follow the Tri-County Community College’s Student Complaints Policy located in the current Tri-County College Catalog (TCCC Student Grievance Policy TCCC Catalog (pdf) or visit the Tri-County Student Rights and Policies web site.
2. North Carolina residents may use the NC Higher Education Complaint Policy and Procedure as follows:
The Licensure Division of the University of North Carolina System Office serves as the official state entity to receive complaints concerning post-secondary institutions that are authorized to operate in North Carolina. If students are unable to resolve a complaint through the institution's grievance procedures, they can review the Student Complaint Policy, complete the online student complaint form.
North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
223 S. West Street, Suite 1800
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 962-4550
For more information, call (919) 962-4550 or send an email to: studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu. website address: https://www.northcarolina.edu/post-secondary-education-complaints/
To file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice, please visit the State Attorney General’s web page at: http://www.ncdoj.gov/complaint. Or access the NC DOJ online fillable complaint form. North Carolina residents may call (877) 566-7226. Outside of North Carolina, please call (919) 716-6000. En Espanol (919) 716-0058.
If you choose to mail a complaint, please use the following address:
Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General's Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
4. Out-of-State Students enrolled in distance courses who wish to resolve a complaint related to their enrollment must first follow the steps above.
If an issue cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, you may file a complaint with SARA-NC the authorizing agency for North Carolina on the SARA-NC complaint website address: https://www5.ncseaa.edu/SARANC/Complaint.html and Complaint Form.
| SARA North Carolina State Portal Contact Information |
| North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority c/o SARA North Carolina P.O. Box 41349 Raleigh, NC 27629 |
| Phone: toll free (855) 727-2162 |
| Fax: (919) 248-6667 |
| Email: information@saranc.org |
| website: https://www5.ncseaa.edu/SARANC/index.html |
For students residing outside North Carolina, each SARA-member state has a liaison office. You may also file a complaint in your own state of residence. Contact information can be found in the Directory of State Authorization Agencies and Contacts
5. Tri-County Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Contact information for SACSCOC:
| 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033 |
| Phone: (404) 679-4500 |
| Fax: (404) 679-4558 |
| http://www.sacscoc.org/ |
If a student finds that TCCC is in non-compliance with SACSCOC Complaint Policy (1-2020) standards, policies and procedures, they may contact SACSCOC using the (SACSCOC) contact us page.
For more information on filing complaints with the State of North Carolina, your home state or accrediting agencies, please refer to the agency contacts above.
