Student Complaints

What a complaint is

NSBT reasonably considers a student complaint to be any written expression of dissatisfaction that a student submits and asks the institution to address, concerning an act or omission by the institution or by a member of its faculty, staff, or community that the student believes to be unfair; a routine question or an informal concern resolved without invoking this procedure is not a complaint.

The grievance procedure

Any student who believes that he or she has a personal or professional grievance with another member of the NSBT community, other than one that is strictly academic in nature (that is, concerning a grade or other decision by an instructor), or is a matter of sexual harassment (see the next paragraph below), be it with another student, instructor, staff member, or administrator, should first seek to resolve that grievance directly with the person involved.

Beyond the institution

A student who has exhausted this grievance procedure and believes the matter remains unresolved may file a complaint with the Commission for Independent Education, Florida Department of Education, 325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 1414, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400, telephone 850-245-3200, www.fldoe.org/cie.

Raising a concern without a complaint

A student is not required to file a formal grievance to raise a concern. Every route is open for that purpose: the instructor, the academic advisor, the Academic Dean, the Office of Student Services, the contact form and telephone numbers published on the institutional website, and Evening with the Deans, at which any enrolled student may raise any matter directly with the deans. The single address for all student service inquiries is studentservices@nsbt.org.

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Questions regarding this policy or initiation of a grievance regarding sexual harassment should be directed to the Academic Dean. In a case where the Academic Dean may be compromised, questions or any report should go directly to the Executive Vice President or the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.

If a student is unable to resolve the grievance to his or her satisfaction through such means, the student should reach out to the Academic Dean in writing concerning the issue. If a grievance cannot be resolved through this means, the Academic Dean will bring the issue to the Executive Vice President and/or the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for resolution.

NSBT resolves a student complaint within a maximum of thirty (30) business days from the date the written complaint is received, and communicates the outcome to the student in writing within that period.