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Florida Gateway College is committed to helping students find resolution to any issue that may arise. Below you will find information to assist students who may have complaint issues.

Academic Appeals

Appeal procedure for a student who has an academic complaint. Academic complaints are defined as: A claim by the student that an assigned grade is the result of arbitrary and capricious application of otherwise valid standards of academic evaluation; or a claim by the student that the standards for evaluation are arbitrary or capricious; or a claim by the student that the Faculty Member has taken an arbitrary or capricious action which adversely affects the student’s academic progress.

Find Academic Appeals Policy 6Hx12:09-39 at: 6Hx12:-09-39 (PDF)

General Student Complaints

Complaint procedure for registering and handling student complaints against any College employee. This procedure is NOT for cases involving an academic appeal, harassment, discrimination, violation or misapplication of rule, law or policy, or misconduct. Accommodations will be made to serve students who are enrolled in distance learning courses.

Find General Student Complaints Policy 6Hx12:09-39 at: 6Hx12:9-38 (PDF)

Financial Aid Appeals

Appeal procedure for students appealing the loss of financial aid due to lack of Satisfactory Academic Progress.  

Find Financial Aid Appeals Policy 6Hx12:9-30 at 6Hx12:9-30 (PDF)

Find Appeal Instructions at: Satisfactory Academic Progress

Student Discipline Appeals

Procedures related to Student Code of Conduct, discipline system and related appeals.

Student Discipline Policy 6Hx12:9-08 (PDF)

Grievances

Involves a complaint by an employee, applicant, or student that a Federal Statute, Florida Statute, a State Board of Education Rule, or a Florida Gateway College policy has been violated, misapplied, or inequitably applied.

Grievances Policy 6Hx12:6-10

Discrimination and Harassment

Procedure for reporting complaints concerning an incident of discrimination or harassment.

Discrimination and Harassment Policy 6Hx12:6-23

Sex/Gender Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct

Unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation on the basis of sex in any employment decision, education program or educational activity, which means all academic, educational, extracurricular, and other programs and operations. This policy applies to all faculty, staff, administration, supervisors, employees, students, applicants, volunteers, and visitors to campus, including guests, patrons, independent contractors or clients of FGC (individually “Person(s)”; collectively “the FGC Community”).

Sex/Gender Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct Policy at: 6Hx12:6-45 (DOC)

Ombudsperson

A student may appeal to the Office of the Ombudsperson a decision that is related to the student’s access to courses and credit granted toward the degree. The Ombudsperson can be reached at (386) 754-4441.

  • The student may contact the Ombudsperson directly.
  • The Ombudsperson may serve as a student advocate and/or mediator regarding academic matters.
  • The Ombudsperson is accountable to the College President in his/her role as Ombudsperson.

Other Complaints

If a student has an issue that does not involve one of the above, then we encourage the student to attempt to resolve the issue at the most informal level first.  If the issue is not resolved at this level, then the student should proceed to the next administrative level.

If after exhausting the institutional complaint, grievance or appeal process, the complaint has not been resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student may file a complaint with the Florida Colleges Division of the Florida Department of Education and/or the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Access the Florida Department of Education webpage on complaints at https://www.fldoe.org/schools/higher-ed/fl-college-system/about-us/complaints.stml. Information on the College’s accrediting agency, the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC) visit https://sacscoc.org/. The  SACS-COC policy relating to Complaints can be found here: https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2020/01/ComplaintPolicy-1.pdf

Fo information regarding student complaints involving distance learning at Florida Gateway College, please refer to the Distance Learning Grievance Procedure & State Authorization web page at https://www.fgc.edu/students/distance-learning-grievance-procedure-state-authorization/