Under the provisions of the federal law known as the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), eligible students, or where applicable, the parents of the students, are afforded certain rights pertaining to university records and personally identifiable information on file with the institution. An eligible student is defined as any person who is currently enrolled or has been enrolled in the institution’s programs. It is the policy of the institution to treat all student information, both personal and academic, as strictly confidential. Student information will only be released after appropriate written permission has been obtained.
Student records are maintained and viewed only by authorized NationsUniversity personnel. Under no circumstance is student information divulged to the general public without the student’s consent. Students are not permitted to view other student’s personal information. Student data are maintained electronically and/or in hard copy and protected from unauthorized access.
NationsUniversity further protects students from the possibility of arrest and harassment when they live in a country inclined to take action against citizens who engage in unauthorized religious study. In such countries, postal contact is limited or curtailed. Persons assigned to communicate with these students are trained to deal with the delicate situation. NationsUniversity is in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
Students can request to have their names withheld from public view in the online list of graduates. Student names, personal testimonies, and pictures are published only with a student’s written (e-mail or post) consent.
The University encourages all who have complaints to resolve them informally. The complainant shall identify the person responsible for the area of concern, e.g., a professor for grades; the registrar for admissions; the Director of Fiscal Affairs regarding finances. If that person is not responsive within two weeks, the complainant may contact the next level. e.g. grades disputes are directed to the Director of Academic Affairs; dissatisfaction with the Advisor are addressed to the Director of Student Services. If there is no response at the second level, the student may register his complaint with the CEO.
Policy
The University encourages all student or employee complaints to be resolved through informal, interpersonal communications between the parties impacted. Many complaints can be quickly resolved through effective communication and cooperation. However, there may be situations that require a more formal process. Therefore, the University has adopted an informal complaint procedure and a formal grievance procedure in which the student, volunteer, administrator, employee, or any other person can seek assistance from the university to resolve an issue or concern.
Definitions:
1. Complaint—A complaint is the initial effort by students, employees, volunteers, or others to request assistance from the university to resolve a conflict arising from routine operations. Examples of complaints include but are not limited to a student dissatisfied with a professor’s application of a grading rubric, an employee who feels a supervisor does not provide sufficient guidance for successful job completion, or a volunteer who is repeatedly left out of critical communications.
2. Grievance—A grievance is the formal process initiated by students, employees, volunteers, or others to seek assistance from the university to resolve a conflict that (a) was not resolved at the informal level or that (b) is a result of the university or one of its representatives violating institutional guidelines, including but not limited to university policy and procedures, federal or state laws, or accreditation standards.
Complaint Procedure:
1. A student may choose any form of written communication to inform the appropriate university representative of his or her complaint. In most cases, the complaint should be filed with one of the following administrators.
a. Faculty issues: Dean of Faculty
b. Advising issues: Director of Advising
c. Student Services issues: Director of Student Services
d. Admission or records: Registrar
e. Financial or business issues: Chief Financial Officer
f. Prisons Student issues: Director of Student Services
g. In the event the complaint is against one of these university personnel, the complaint should be filed with the Compliance Officer.
2. The person filing the grievance must provide the following information.
a. Name and ID number,
b. Name of person or department against whom the complaint is filed,
c. Date of and reason for Complaint,
d. Efforts made to resolve problem, and
e. Desired resolution by complainant.
3. The identified supervisor will contact the person or department head against whom the complaint is filed to discuss possible resolutions.
4. The identified supervisor will then contact complainant to work out resolution to the issue.
5. If a resolution is found, the informal complaint process ends.
1. The grievance procedures are in place to assist students, volunteers, administrators, employees, or others in resolving complaints that (a) were not resolved through the informal complaint procedures or that (b) result from the university or its representatives failing to comply with guidelines, including but not limited to university policy and procedures, federal or state laws, or accreditation standards. Examples of such violations include the following.
a.Sexual Harassment,
b.Financial Irresponsibility or Fraud,
c.Failure to provide acceptable accommodations for disabilities,
d.Misrepresentation of the degree, educational services, or expected outcomes, or
e.Failure to meet university obligations as outlined in the Enrollment Agreement,
2. The aggrieved party fills out the NU Grievance Form, which is available for download from NU’s website or by requesting a hard copy by writing to the office at 650 Poydras St., Suite 1400, PMB 133, New Orleans, LA 70130. The aggrieved party is then required to fax or mail the completed form and all supporting documentation, including previous attempts at resolution, to the University’s compliance officer within 60 days from the incident for which he or she is filing a formal grievance.
3. The Compliance officer after receiving the completed grievance form must notify the aggrieved via email or other acceptable method within 3 days that the University has received the completed form and has been assigned a formal grievance process number.
4. Assigning grievance process number is based on the year, the grievance is received, and a sequential number of the total grievances filed with the University, for that year. For example, a grievance is received by the University on December 20, 2018 and it is the sixth grievance received by the University. The compliance officer would assign the following number 2018-6. Thus, for a grievance received on February 3, 2017 and it was the third grievance received during the year the compliance officer would assign the official grievance process number 2017-3.
Stage One (Compliance officer)
Compliance officer contacts all parties involved and attempts to resolve the issue. If the compliance officer finds a solution that is acceptable to the aggrieved, the formal grievance process ends, and all forms and paperwork involved is archived for three years. The compliance officer must photocopy and then return the original grievance form to the aggrieved at which time the aggrieved will send an email to the compliance officer affirming they are now satisfied.
Stage Two (CEO)
If the compliance officer is unsuccessful in resolving or otherwise correcting the problem the compliance officer will forward the complete file to the University’s Chief Executive Officer who, in collaboration with the compliance officer and one other NU staff member, will address the grievance. At this time, the CEO can:
1. Reject the grievance as being frivolous, untrue, unfounded, or it is an issue that cannot be grieved.
2. Determine the issue is beyond the scope of the University’s grievance procedure process i.e. criminal act, professional malpractice, and civil litigation.
3. Partially accommodate the aggrieved.
4. Fully accommodate the aggrieved.
Stage Three (Board Regents)
Within 10 days of receiving the grievance file, the CEO and Compliance officer will notify the aggrieved in writing of the determination. If the determination is 1, 2, or 3, the aggrieved can appeal and request that two University Regents and one neutral party reconsider the grievance. (It is at the discretion of the Board of Regents how, where and when this will be conducted i.e. telephone, in person or Skype.) The Board chooses the neutral party or can decide to let the aggrieved put forth their own neutral party. Under no circumstances is the University obligated to pay for the aggrieved to have a neutral party present at the conference whether by skype, in person, or telephone.
If the aggrieved is not satisfied with the Board of Regent’s conference determination, they may seek whatever action they feel necessary from an outside source. The University will deem the issue beyond the scope of further University grievance process. After which time the University will archive and store all documents and notes pertaining to this particular grievance for ten years.
Note: Under no circumstances will NU use any staff that is named in the grievance as decision makers in the grievance process.
At any time before, during or after any complaint or grievance process the aggrieved can contact any counsel, regulatory body, enforcement, judiciary or state department of education concerning his/her issue as they deem necessary.
For complaints related to educational offerings, licensure, and state authorization:
Board of Regents
P.O. Box 3677
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3677
For complaints related to accreditation:
Distance Education Accrediting Commission
1101 17th Street NW, Suite 808
Washington, D.C. 20036
telephone (202) 234-5100, fax (202) 332-1386,
website at www.deac.org.
For complaints related to NU’s 501(c)3 status:
Internal Revenue Service District Director
P.O. Box 2508,
Cincinnati, OH 45201.
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