Purpose

The Student Complaint Form provides students with an avenue to submit a concern regarding any area on campus for which no other specific process exists.

This form should NOT be used to submit complaints or grievances regarding:

If a student has a complaint other than those related to Identity-based bias, Title IX, disabilities/special needs, grade appeal, or student conduct appeals, the student should:

  • Attempt to resolve the issue at the office that is the source of the complaint by speaking with a supervisor.
  • If step #1 does not result in a satisfactory resolution, the student will be instructed to submit a written complaint by filling out the online form.  A link is provided below.  Individuals without login credentials may complete the form below that does not require a login.
  • Any University staff member or administrator can also submit a form on behalf of a student.
  • A University staff person from the office of the Vice President for Student Life will then direct the information to the appropriate department to determine a course of action.
  • You will receive confirmation that your complaint was received and routed to the appropriate office within 24 hours.
  • The assigned office will communicate with you to follow up on your complaint. This communication typically occurs within the next two business days after the assigned office has received the complaint.
  •  If you wish to appeal the resolution of or decision regarding your complaint as determined by the assigned office, you may do so by submitting an appeal to the Vice President who oversees the area assigned to your complaint.

If this is an emergency situation, please contact campus safety and police at (336) 278-5555.

If you have questions about this form or would like to speak with a staff member about your complaint, please contact Susan Lindley, Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Student Life at (336) 278-7220 or slindley@elon.edu. Address:  2188 Campus Box, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244.

Submit a Complaint

Note: If you are having trouble logging in, please use your full Elon email address as your username.

SACSCOC – Complaint Policy and Process

Elon University  is  accredited by the  Southern Association of  Colleges  and Schools  Commission on Colleges  (SACSCOC)  to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees, the doctor of physical therapy and juris doctor degree. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such  as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Elon University may be directed in writing  to the  Southern Association of  Colleges  and Schools  Commission on Colleges  at  1866 Southern Lane,  Decatur,  GA   30033-4097,  by calling (404)  679-4500,  or  by  using information available  on  SACSCOC’s  website (www.sacscoc.org).

Individuals may submit complaints to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the University’s regional accrediting body.  In most cases, SACSCOC complaint procedures require that the complainant exhaust all other avenues to address the complaint. Prior to filing a complaint, please carefully review the SACSCOC Complaint Procedures Policy Statement.

The links below provide information on the SACSCOC complaint policy and process.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097
Telephone:  (404) 679-4500
http://www.sacscoc.org
SACSCOC Complaint Procedures and Complaint Form (page 7 of the document – http://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2020/01/ComplaintPolicy-1.pdf)

State Agencies – Complaint Policies and Processes

Additionally, if you are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint, you may choose 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 regarding complaints at: http://www.ncdoj.gov/complaint (link directly to the online complaint form https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/). North Carolina residents may call (877) 566-7226. Outside of North Carolina, please call (919) 716-6000. En Español (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

Online and Distance Education

Elon University participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement – North Carolina (SARA-NC) (http://www.saranc.org/Approved.html).

Complaints related to Online and Distance Education may be submitted using the general complaint form on this page. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional complaint process, you may choose to file a complaint with North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) which is the SARA portal entity for North Carolina.

North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
c/o SARA North Carolina
P.O. Box 41349
Raleigh, NC 27629
T: (855) 727-2162
Email: information@saranc.org
Website: www.saranc.org
NCSEAA (SARA-NC) Complaint Process (https://www5.ncseaa.edu/SARANC/Complaint.html) 
NCSEAA (SARA-NC) Complaint Form (https://www5.ncseaa.edu/SARANC/docs/SARA-NC-ComplaintForm.pdf)

Professional Licensure Programs and Disclaimer

Under SARA-NC guidelines, Elon University discloses that it does not offer any entirely (or substantially) online programs that lead to professional licensure.

Disclaimer Statement

NC-SARA does not deal with professional licensing board approval for any courses or programs leading to professional licensure. If you are not a resident of North Carolina and you are taking an online course or clinical/field placement in a program that may lead to professional licensure, Elon University recommends directly contacting the relevant program (contacts provided below) prior to beginning a course of study.   With respect to clinical or field placement, Elon University offers those in three programs that make some placements in states other than North Carolina.  For those programs (J.D., Physical Therapy Education, and Physician Assistant Studies), the general disclosures regarding professional licensure are provided below.

For questions about this disclaimer or further information about licensure, please contact the program director of the appropriate program or you may visit the websites provided for contact information for state licensure boards.

Physical Therapy Education (DPT):  Charity Johansson; cjohanss@elon.edu; 336.278.6348; Address:  CB 2085, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244

Contact information for state licensure boards may be found on the Federation of State Boards of Physical  Therapy site at https://www.fsbpt.org/Free-Resources/Licensing-Authorities-Contact-Information/.

Professional Licensure Disclosure: The program has determined that it meets the state educational requirements for licensure or certification by examination in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands secondary to its accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, based on the following:

CAPTE accreditation of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program satisfies state educational requirements in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Thus, students graduating from CAPTE-accredited physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, refer to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website at www.fsbpt.org.

Additional requirements for Michigan and Pennsylvania:

The program has determined that it does not meet all of the basic educational requirements for initial licensure by examination in Michigan.  In addition to the National Physical Therapy Examination, Michigan requires training in identifying victims of human trafficking and implicit bias training.  Please see https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bpl/health for information about how to meet these training requirements.

The program has determined that it does not meet all of the basic educational requirements for initial licensure by examination in Pennsylvania.  In addition to the National Physical Therapy Examination, Pennsylvania requires training in identifying and reporting victims of child abuse.  Please see http://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/049/chapter40/s40.208.html&d=reduce for information about how to meet this condition of initial licensure.

Physician Assistant Studies (MS):  Kim Stokes; kstokes3@elon.edu; 336.278.6860; Address:  CB 2083, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244.

Contact information for state licensure boards may be found on the National Commission on Certification of Physicians Assistants site at https://www.nccpa.net/stateboards/.

Professional Licensure Disclosure: As of July 2020, all 50 states require graduation from an ARC-PA accredited program and certification following successful completion of the PANCE examination as conditions for initial PA licensure. By virtue of ARC accreditation, the Elon University PA program offers a curriculum necessary to meet the requirements to take the PANCE examination required in all 50 states.

The program has determined that it meets the basic state educational requirement for initial licensure by examination in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,  Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

While the program includes training on opioid use disorders and treatment, child abuse, sexual abuse, interpersonal violence, and suicide, no determination has been made on whether it meets all of the basic state educational requirements for licensure by examination in the following states because of specific training requirements as indicated by the respective state licensing board. These states include:

  • Alaska (pain management and opioid use)
  • Massachusetts (training on recognizing the reporting suspected child abuse, training and education on domestic violence and sexual
  • violence, and opioid and pain management training)
  • Michigan (training on identifying victims of human trafficking)
  • Nevada (training on bioterrorism and suicide prevention and awareness)
  • New York (training in identifying and reporting of child abuse and training to prevent the transmission of HIV and HBV)
  • Pennsylvania (training in identifying and reporting of child abuse and opioid training for prescribing)
  • Guam

Nursing (B.S. and Accelerated B.S.):  Cathy Quay; cquay@elon.edu; 336.278.4879; Address:  CB 2085, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244

Contact information for state licensure boards for Nursing may be found on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing site at https://www.ncsbn.org/contact-bon.htm/

Professional Licensure Disclosure: The program has determined that it meets the basic state educational requirements for initial licensure by examination in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Colombia, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Marianna Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Law (J.D.):  Zachary Kramer; zkramer@elon.edu; 336.278.9201; Address:  CB 2005, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244.

Professional Licensure Disclosure:  The program has determined that as an ABA-accredited law school, Elon’s J.D. degree meets the basic state educational requirements for initial licensure by examination (to sit for the bar examination) in all 50 states (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming), the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  This does not guarantee that a state licensure or certification board will approve or deny your application.  This disclosure does not apply to other requirements for licensure.

Links to State Bar Associations:  State Bar Associations

M.S. in Accounting:  Catherine Chiang; cchiang@elon.edu; 336.278.5939; Address:  CB 2075, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244.

CPA Licensure: Requirements for licensure as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the United States are determined by the Boards of Accountancy in 55 jurisdictions (50 US states, four US territories, and the District of Columbia). In each jurisdiction, candidates for licensure must pass the CPA Examination and meet certain educational, work experience and residency requirements. While the CPA Exam is uniform, individual jurisdictions establish their own educational requirements to sit for the Exam, including total hours of education, type of undergraduate degree, specific hours earned in accounting, hours in general business, or other content-specific courses (e.g., ethics, communications, or research). Certain jurisdictions will allow candidates to sit for the CPA Exam before the educational requirements are fully met.

Professional Licensure Disclosure:  The determinations made by the university are provided in the attached table (click here).

For more information about the CPA Exam and specific licensure requirements for each jurisdiction, students should consult the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy:  https://nasba.org/stateboards/

B.S. in Accounting: Catherine Chiang; cchiang@elon.edu; 336.278.5939; Address:  CB 2075, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244.

CPA Licensure. Requirements for licensure as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the United States are determined by the Boards of Accountancy in 55 jurisdictions (50 US states, four US territories, and the District of Columbia). In each jurisdiction, candidates for licensure must pass the CPA Examination and meet certain educational, work experience and residency requirements. While the CPA Exam is uniform, individual jurisdictions establish their own educational requirements to sit for the Exam, including total hours of education, type of undergraduate degree, specific hours earned in accounting, hours in general business, or other content-specific courses (e.g., ethics, communications, or research). Certain jurisdictions will allow candidates to sit for the CPA Exam before the educational requirements are fully met.

Professional Licensure Disclosure: The B.S. in Accounting program alone is not designed to or advertised to meet the educational requirements for eligibility for initial CPA licensure by examination. Thus, the program does not meet state educational requirements in any state or territory of the United States (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming), the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).

However, students in the program may have the opportunity to satisfy state educational requirements for initial licensure by taking additional credit hours or pursuing an additional program of study. For more information about the CPA Exam and specific licensure requirements for each jurisdiction, students should consult the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy https://nasba.org/stateboards/.

Education Teacher Licensure Programs:  Ann Bullock; abullock9@elon.edu; 336.278.5900; Address:  CB 2105, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244.

Many candidates choose to teach somewhere besides North Carolina. Once a candidate is eligible for and receives their North Carolina teaching license, it will make it easier for a candidate to work in another state. North Carolina has reciprocity with more than 25 other states. This means the other state will honor the North Carolina teaching license, but candidates may be required to take additional testing or meet another educational licensure requirement. However, candidates are typically given a year or so to fulfill these requirements while teaching. Candidates who plan to teach outside of North Carolina, can find more information about Teacher Reciprocity Agreements at https://www.ecs.org/teacher-license-reciprocity-state-profiles/.

Professional Licensure Disclosure: The table (click here) provided gives information on states with reciprocity along with states that Elon has not determined whether the programs meet the state educational requirements for licensure.

Contact information for each state’s Board of Education can be found at https://www.ed.gov/contact-us/state-contacts.

Complaint Resources by State

Student Complaint Information by State and Agency

State Authorization Agencies and Lead Contacts Directory

SARA-Participating Institution Directory

SARA Policy Manual

Elon University participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements.