ÌÇÐÄvlog

Skip to main content
College and University Evaluation

Quick Links for Students

SARA – Student Complaint Process

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among member states, districts, and territories that establishes comparable national standards for the approval of interstate postsecondary distance education courses and programs. New York State joined SARA on December 9, 2016.

As the SARA State Portal Entity, the Office of College and University Evaluation reviews and evaluates student complaints regarding distance learning programs offered by New York State institutions that are members of SARA.

SARA Complaints are those that pertain to distance (online) education provided by New York State to students residing in another . If you are located in New York and studying via distance education at a New York institution, your complaint does not fall under SARA; please see the Filing a Complaint about a College or University webpage.

SARA policies cover complaints related to consumer protection and distance education concerns, such as the provision of false or misleading information about program completion time or costs. More information can be found in Section 4 of the . The time limit for filing a SARA complaint is two years from the incident in question. Complaints about grades and student conduct cannot be heard under SARA policies.

The is as follows:

  1. Students must first attempt to resolve their complaint using internal administrative procedures offered by the SARA participating institution.
  2. Students attending a State University of New York (SUNY) or a City University of New York (CUNY) campus must also exhaust the complaint process at the system administration level:

State University of New York

Central Administration

State University Plaza

Albany, NY 12246

Web: Ìý

Ìý

City University of New York

Office of the General Counsel

205 East 42nd Street, 11th floor

New York, NY 10017

  1. If not satisfied with the result of the institution’s complaint process, the student may file an appeal with the SARA State Portal Entity in New York State by completing the Office of College and University EvaluationÌýComplaint Form.
  • Complainants should include documentation of the institution’s complaint determination, and if applicable the results of a complaint appeal to CUNY or SUNY System Administration.
  1. In reviewing a student complaint under SARA, OCUE may consult with other offices and agencies as appropriate and will share the complaint and supporting documentation with the institution involved. OCUE must report a SARA complaint to the student’s home State Portal Entity

NOTE: OCUE must provide aggregate data on complaints to the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). The public may view the .