Compliance and Complaint Resolution

Consumer Complaint Process at Charter Oak State College

As a regionally accredited institution, Charter Oak State College has a set of standards and policies that guides our delivery of programs and services. These policies can also be found in our Official Catalog. Our catalog and website outline how students may request permitted exemptions from these policies and the appeal process for administrative and academic decisions.

Department of Higher Education and New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Students who feel their complaint has not been resolved through the College's procedures above, may contact the Connecticut Department of Higher Education by calling (860) 947-1800. Students who have concerns regarding the college's compliance with the Standards for Accreditation, not a specific student complaint, the student may contact Charter Oak's regional accrediting agency, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). For information on this process, please consult Consideration of Complaints Against Affiliated Institutions. For guidance on filing a complaint, email Louise Zak, or call (781) 541-5413.

Department of Education Compliance

Recent amendments to the Higher Education Act of FY 1965 include changes in regulation for State Authorization that may impact online education providers.

What Charter Oak is Doing

Charter Oak is currently working cooperatively with higher education authorities in all states and other U.S. jurisdictions to ensure compliance with any other state and federal authorization requirements that govern the offering of online courses in those states, including complaint processes. Charter Oak will continue to monitor developments in the jurisdictions in which it enrolls students, and, if authorization or licensure is or becomes necessary, it will obtain approvals.

Currently Charter Oak has approval, or does not need approval, to offer online courses in the following states:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota (students must take 8 credits of science or math), Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

In Process:
Arkansas and Massachusetts

Complaint Resolution Contacts by State

Charter Oak is required to have contact information on its web site for out-of-state students who want to file a complaint within their home state. This list is subject to change and the college is working with a number of national organizations to update it as needed.

• Complaint Process Links by State (PDF)

Please open the document, then click on your state's link to be connected to the complaint form or to your state's Department of Higher Education. If an agency is not listed for your state, you may contact the departments of education or higher education, or your Attorney General's office, regardless of whether Charter Oak is required to be registered in that state. For any further questions, please call the College's Provost Office for assistance at (860) 832-3836.