SUNY Downstate
Distance Learning Students – Registration and Filing of Complaints or Grievances
Registration of Distance Programs
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s degree and certificate programs delivered
through distance education are registered with the State University of New York (SUNY)
and the New York State Education Department (NYSED).
The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is a national initiative to provide
more access to online courses while maintaining compliance standards with state regulatory
agencies. SARA is a voluntary agreement among its members states that allows institutions
to provide online courses outside of their own state borders by seeking and maintaining
state approvals via a streamlined process. To learn more about SARA, visit: nc-sara.org. New
York State joined SARA on December 9, 2016 and the National Council for State Authorization
Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) approved institutional participation for SUNY Downstate
Health Sciences University.
Students Residing Outside New York State and Taking Distance Education Courses
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is a NC-SARA participating institution As
a participating institution, SUNY Downstate can enroll residents of other SARA participating
states in its distance education courses and programs. This policy only applies to
students taking distance learning courses from outside of New York State.
Programs Leading to Professional Licensure
SARA does not affect state professional licensing requirements. Please note that certain
programs leading to professional licensure may be subject to additional state professional
licensing requirements, which are not covered by SARA. Students and prospective students
are encouraged to consult with their own state and/or professional licensing body
to ensure that any courses taken or degrees/certificates earned in an online program
at SUNY Downstate will be accepted in their home state.
Complaint Resolution Procedures
Federal regulations require institutions delivering distance education courses to
provide students and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints
with (1) the state approval or licensing entity in the student's state of residency
and (2) any other relevant state official or agency that would appropriately handle
a student complaint.
SARA requires SUNY Downstate to provide all students taking courses under SARA's provisions
with information on SUNY Downstate’s and SARA's complaint resolution policies and
procedures. SARA applies solely to distance education activity conducted across state
lines. It does not apply to distance education activities inside New York State. Only
those complaints resulting from distance education courses or activities offered to
students in other SARA states come under the terms of SARA. Complaints from in-state
students are to be resolved under SUNY Downstate’s provisions (see below), not those
of SARA.
Complaints against SUNY Downstate resulting from distance education courses or activities
offered to students in other SARA states should first go through SUNY Downstate’s
procedures for resolution of grievances. Please refer to SUNY Downstate’s Complaint
Resolution Procedure, which outlines how students can have their complaints evaluated,
referred, and appropriately addressed. (See “Filing of Formal Student Complaints”
at: http://sls.downstate.edu/policies/.)
If a person bringing a complaint resulting from distance education courses or activities
offered to students in other SARA states is not satisfied with the outcome of SUNY
Downstate’s process for handling complaints, the complaint (except for complaints
about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed through SARA's provisions,
within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made. Please refer to
NC SARA's State Portal Entity Contacts for a list of student complaint contact information by state and agency. For more
information about how to file complaints as an out-of-state student, visit the NC-SARA
web site: https://nc-sara.org/student-complaints
Complaints regarding student grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely
by SUNY Downstate policy and the laws of the State of New York. For information on
how to resolve these complaints, see the applicable annual Student Handbook (located
on-line: http://sls.downstate.edu/policies/).
For more information on filing complaints with the State University of New York (SUNY)
or the New York State Education Department (NYSED), please refer to the NYSED Office
of College and University Evaluation's Student/Public Resources webpage: http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/filing-complaint-about-college-or-university.
Adopted/Updated: Sept 30, 2020
Approved by: Council of Deans
