Student Legal Rights: Complaint Notice

Azusa Pacific University takes very seriously complaints and concerns regarding the institution.

If you have a complaint regarding Azusa Pacific University, the university has established a grievance process for graduate and professional students (“Graduate and Professional Student Grievance and Appeal Procedures”) and a grievance process for undergraduate students (“Undergraduate Grievance Policy”). The grievance processes, along with a specific grievance process for disability-related complaints, can be found in the Graduate and Professional and Undergraduate Catalogs. Various student handbooks issued by schools or departments and various other policies (e.g., Academic Integrity; Grade Change) may also define the steps you can take to grieve or appeal decisions made by university officials.

Other resources for student complaints can be found in APU’s Statement of Academic Freedom found in What We Believe, on APU’s Title IX website, and in the bias incident reporting system.

If you have a complaint not addressed by one of the grievance processes identified above, or if you have questions regarding the proper process for addressing your complaint, you may contact:

• Student Affairs administration at (626) 812-3061 or jbuckley@apu.edu
• Office of the General Counsel at (626) 387-5763 or jbuckley@apu.edu
• Office of Human Resources at (626) 815-4526
• Office of the Provost at (626) 812-3087

These contacts will provide guidance on the campus process for addressing your particular issue.

If you believe that your complaint warrants further attention after you have exhausted all the foregoing steps and appeals, you may present your complaint to the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) if your complaint is associated with the institution’s compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards. WSCUC is the agency that accredits Azusa Pacific University’s academic program.

If you believe that your complaint continues to warrant further consideration after exhausting the review of either WSCUC or administrators at Azusa Pacific University, you may contact the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education for review of a complaint. The bureau may be contacted by email at bppe@dca.ca.gov or by mail at Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, P.O. Box 980818, West Sacramento, CA 95798-0818 (office address: 1747 North Market Boulevard, Suite 225, Sacramento, CA 95834), bppe.ca.gov (website), (888) 370-7589 or (916) 574-8900 (phone), and (916) 263-1897 (fax).

Nothing in this disclosure should be construed to limit any right that you may have to take civil or criminal legal action to resolve your complaints. Azusa Pacific University has provided this disclosure in compliance with the requirements of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, as regulated in 34 C.F.R. §§600.9(b)(3) and 668.43(b). If anything in this disclosure is out of date, please notify the Office of the General Counsel at Azusa Pacific University, 901 East Alosta Avenue, Azusa, CA 91702.