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Distance Learning : Student Complaint Process

North Carolina Student Grievance Contact Information

Out of State Student Grievance Contact Information

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 (page 56) 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 (PDF), print out and complete the Student Complaint Form (PDF) and submit the complaint to:

North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
University of North Carolina System Office
910 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688

For more information, call (919) 962-4550 or send an email to: studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu.  website address: https://www.northcarolina.edu/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. 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 theSARA-NC complaint webpage and Complaint Form.

SARA North Carolina State Portal Contact Information
NCSEAA c/o SARA North Carolina
P.O. Box 14103
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Phone: toll free (855) 727-2162
Fax: (919) 248-6667
Email: information@saranc.org
website: http://www.saranc.org/

 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) standards, policies and procedures, they may contact SACSCOC using the SACSCOC Student Complaint Process webpage.  

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. 

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)