Complaint Process

State Authorization

Northern Arizona University (NAU) participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and the Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (AZ-SARA) as an HLC-accredited public, nonprofit institution. As of July 2020, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all states except for California are members of NC-SARA. Students located in California can participate in NAU’s distance education offerings.

SARA Complaint Process

The Arizona SARA Council has jurisdiction over Arizona SARA-approved institutions including NAU in relation to non-instructional complaints. Instructional complaints, such as grade grievances, are not reviewed by the Council and should not be submitted for review. Prior to registering a non-instructional complaint with the Arizona SARA Council, the student/complainant must complete NAU’s and the Arizona Board of Regent’s complaint process, see below. If you are non-Arizona distance education student, non-instructional complaints may be submitted here. An NAU student who resides in a SARA state may also contact that state’s SARA portal agency with a non-instructional complaint.

Resolution and Compliance

Northern Arizona University is dedicated to treating all students fairly and respectfully. The university’s policies that apply to students are available in the NAU Policy Listing and academic policies are included in the University Catalog. In addition, there are policies under the purview of individual offices/departments.

When a student encounters a problem on campus or feels they have been treated unfairly, the student should first try to resolve the issue informally with the faculty/staff member or department involved directly with the issue. Many times this can be resolved if a student makes an appointment with a faculty or staff member and communicates their concerns. If an issue cannot be resolved at this level, a student may contact the designated administrator of the department or unit for information on how to proceed with a formal complaint.

If the issue involves a dispute concerning a grade, there is a grade appeal process. If the issue involves an allegation of academic dishonesty, please review the academic integrity policy.

If an issue submitted to NAU by a student is left unresolved and involves a complaint arising under State laws, Arizona Board of Regents policy, or any other matter, the student may contact the designated senior administrator of the university unit in which the issue originated or the Arizona Board of Regents (in accordance with 75 Fed. Reg. 66865-66, Oct. 29, 2010), by visiting: ABOR sites or by submitting a request directly or call the ABOR office at 602-229-2511.

Other Resolution Options

Students have the right to contact higher education regulatory agencies or an accrediting agency contacts for specific issues. For students who are residents of states outside of Arizona, consumer inquiries also may be directed to the following consumer protection agencies. NAU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Questions about NAU’s compliance with criteria for accreditation can be directed to:

Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, Illinois 60604-1411
1-800-621-7440

Updated: 11/15/2021