College Compliment and Complaint
The staff at Highland Community College strives to provide a positive college experience for all students and has established policies and procedures to respond appropriately should that not be the case. The college has established the following Shared Performance Expectations for all staff and students.
- Be Competent at your Work
- Communicate Effectively
- Respect Others
- Make Good Decisions
- Act Responsibly
- Work Effectively in Teams
HCC provides various opportunities on a routine basis for assessment of these expectations. Students and stakeholders of the college are encouraged to let staff members know when things are going well or when they are in need of improvement.
In accordance with the U. S. Department of Education Program Integrity Rule, 34, C.F.R. Part 600.9, HCC has a process to review and respond to student complaints. The college seeks to resolve any and all student complaints in an appropriate and timely manner and adheres to procedures for resolving academic and non-academic concerns. Steps, timelines, and resolution processes are addressed through procedures:
Informal Complaint Process
Online Options
HCC students are encouraged to offer feedback-compliments or complaints- to staff at any time.
In addition, students wishing to report violations anonymously may complete the onlineSilent Witness (Anonymous Crime Report).
Face-to-Face Options
Students who wish to issue a complaint regarding a matter associated with Highland Community College are encouraged to begin with an informal process by discussing the matter with the faculty or staff of the department where the issue originated and only escalating it to their supervisor or vice president if not resolved. In most cases, complaints may be resolved through this informal process. The general divisions of the College are as follows:
- Athletics
- Contact Director of Athletics, Jerre Cole
- Oversees issues surrounding all athletic teams and NJCAA eligibility issues.
- Academic
- Contact Vice President for Academic Affairs, Eric Ketchum
- Oversees issues arising in the classroom, online, and with faculty members.
- Student Services
- Contact Dean of Students, Lexy Clark
- Oversees and deals with issues arising in housing, financial aid, registrar, advising, Student Support Services, security, admissions, student conduct, and information technology.
- Finance and Operations
- Contact Vice President for Finance and Operations, Andrew Gutschenritter
- Oversees and deals with issues of billing statements, third party payments, payment plans, and maintenance.
Formal Complaint Process
Complaints that remain unresolved after following the informal complaint process may be addressed by filing a formal complaint. Students or others needing assistance with the filing of any form should contact the Vice President for Student Services office at 785.442.6020.
Discrimination, Harassment, or Gender-Based Misconduct Form (Title IX)
The incident reporting for is for reporting academic misconduct, concerning or threatening behavior, or someone violating the rights of another person on campus)
For grade appeals, please refer to the HCC Student Handbook (listed above) "Grade Appeals Process."
Unresolved Complaints
Complaints that have not been resolved through the informal or formal process may be addressed to the Highland Community College Board of Trustees. These should be addressed to the HCC Board of Trustees Chairperson, 606 West Main, Highland, KS 66035 or emailed to hccboardchair@highlandcc.edu.
The written complaint should include the following information:
- Name, current mailing address, phone number of complainant
- Email address
- Dates of your enrollment
- Details of your complaint
- Expected outcome
The Board will reply to you within 10 business days to let you know they have received your complaint and whether it requires any additional information. The Board will let you know their tentative plan for investigating and resolving the complaint, and will update you if it takes longer than originally planned. The Board will send you a written response, usually within 45 days of receipt of your complaint, explaining the investigation and the resolution.
Additional Resources
- Kansas Attorney General's office - Consumer protection and/or fraud complaints
- Kansas Human Rights Commission - Discrimination complaints
- Kansas Board of Regents office - Complaints regarding State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) courses delivered by SARA member community colleges (may be filed by students enrolled in those courses).
- Higher Learning Commission - Kansas Community Colleges are regionally accredited by the North Central Association of the Higher Learning Commission on Colleges and Universities (NCAHLC). Complaints regarding an institution's ongoing ability to meet the Criteria of Accreditation.