Student Complaint Procedures  

The CEO of ACA has designated the CAO to receive and resolve student grievances and complaints.

The CAO will:

Be publicly identified in a manner designed to provide students with reasonable notice, in the catalog and in the notice of student rights prescribed by Section 94866 of the Code.

Be regularly accessible for reasonable periods of time before or after class sessions and during the range of time in which students are scheduled to attend the institution.

Have the authority and duty to do all of the following:

1. Investigate the complaints thoroughly, including interviewing all people and reviewing all documents that relate or may potentially relate to the complaint.
2. Reject the complaint if, after investigation, it is determined to be unfounded or to compromise or resolve the complaint in any reasonable manner, including the payment of a refund.
3. Record a summary of the complaint, its disposition, and the reasons; place a copy of the summary, along with any other related documents, in the student's file, and make an appropriate entry in the log of student complaints.
4. If the complaint is valid, involves a violation of law, and is not resolved within 30 days after it was first made by the student, notify the Bureau, the accrediting association, and law enforcement authorities of the complaint, investigation, and resolution or lack of resolution. A person who has a duty to provide notice under this paragraph is not required to disclose any matter to the extent of that person's privilege under Section 940 of the Evidence Code. If the authorized person does not provide all of the information required by this paragraph because of a claim of privilege under Section 940 of the Evidence Code, the institution shall appoint another person, who may not lawfully claim that privilege, to provide the omitted information.
5. If the complaint is valid, determine what other students, if any, may have been affected by the same or similar circumstances and provide an appropriate remedy for those students.
6. Implement reasonable policies or procedures to avoid similar complaints in the future.
7. Communicate directly to any person in control regarding complaints, their investigation, and resolution or lack of resolution.