Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Commission handle complaints or other grievances against institutions?

The Commission receives complaints about substantive matters that are related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. All such complaints are judged against the Commission's standards in Characteristics of Excellence.

Complaints must be written, signed, and addressed to the President of the Commission. However, the Commission investigates these complaints only when the complainant has exhausted all of the institution's appeal procedures. For more information, see the Commission's policy statement, "Complaints Involving Member and Candidate Institutions."

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education will address concerns that are clearly related to an accreditation action taken by the Commission. However, the Commission is not a judicial or quasi-judicial body, and therefore cannot settle disputes between individuals and institutions, whether these involve students, faculty, administration, or members of other groups. Examples of these would be a student's complaint about a grade received from a faculty member or a faculty member's complaint about his or her hiring or continued employment.

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