Report a Complaint

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Complaint

Unless otherwise specified in a College policy, handbook or applicable law, a Complaint is any report of actual or suspected breaches or violation of laws, College policies, or College handbooks, ethical misconduct, conflicts and/or disputes. For complaint reporting purposes, bystander/witness reports, suggestions, recommendations, requests for assistance (such as computer technical assistance or maintenance requests or work orders), feedback, and notices of dissatisfaction are not considered “Complaints.” The College may have a legal and/or ethical obligation to respond to Complaints. Responses may include but are not limited to follow up, informal resolutions, formal investigation, procedures as outlined in the Employee Handbook and/or the respective Collective Bargaining Agreement, the student ethics adjudication process, other Complaint Resolution Handbooks and/or supplying supportive measures. The type of College response to any Complaint is determined by law, College policy and College Administration.

Report a Complaint, Suspected Policy Violation or Other Non-Compliance to the College

Students, employees or any other individual associated with or conducting business with the College who have experienced, witnessed, or become aware of any behavior or conduct that may be interpreted as prohibited under law or College policy may submit a report or file a complaint.

Reporting Options

Report to the College via the Website
You may report suspected policy violations or other non-compliance as well as file a complaint on the College’s website. You may click the relevant link below:

VIEW REPORTING FLOWCHART

 

Other Quick Links for Assistance

Below are links to report other incidents and/or request assistance. Students may refer to the directory published in this Student Handbook for additional assistance or search the College’ website.

Report to the College via Telephone, Email or In-person

Students may contact any of the individuals named below by telephone, email or in person during regular office hours at their respective locations, email addresses and/or phone numbers:

MAIN CAMPUS
Earlye Adams Julien, PHR, M.S.Ed., Senior Director
Office of Compliance
1000 Brady Street, Davenport, IA 52803
563-884-5476
earlye.julien@palmer.edu

Lori Larsen, B.A., Compliance Specialist
Office of Compliance
1000 Brady Street, Davenport, IA 52803
563-884-5246
lori.larsen@palmer.edu

PALMER FLORIDA
Angela Carter, SHRM-CP, Manager of Human Resources
Office of Human Resources
4777 City Center Parkway, Port Orange, FL 32129
386-763-2665
angela.carter@palmer.edu

 

Report Anonymously via Lighthouse (anonymous hotline)

Because of the inherent difficulty in investigating and resolving allegations that are vague or from unidentified persons, the College encourages reporters to provide full information as specified in the “report content” information below when reporting a complaint, suspected policy violation or other non-compliance to the College.

However, should the College receive a generalized or anonymous report, such report will be reviewed and investigated to the extent feasible. 

Anonymous reports may be made through Lighthouse, the College’s anonymous reporting hotline provider:

Report Content

The College encourages reporters to provide full information and identify themselves when making reports of improper conduct. 

 

Complaints should contain sufficient information for the College to be able to adequately respond including, but not limited to, the reporter’s name and contact information, a detailed description in chronological order of the incident(s), who was involved (including any witnesses) and when and where the incident(s) occurred. 

 

Privacy

  1. The College makes reasonable efforts to maintain the privacy of the information it receives in connection with student reports and complaints. However, information is appropriately shared with alimited number of College employees who have a legitimate educational “need to know” when disclosure is required by law, policy, or is necessary to facilitate established College processes, including assessment, an equitable investigation and resolution of reports and complaints. 
  2. The identity of participants in an investigation shall be maintained subject to the same limitations above.
  3. Individuals who have reported complaints or potential violations or who have initiated or participated in the resolution procedures available are advised their identity may be known for reasons beyond the control of College officials or investigators.
  4. The College may also notify emergency contacts to inform them of situations in which there is a significant and articulable health and/or safety risk.
  5. The privacy of student education records is protected in accordance with FERPA. All employees who are involved in implementing this Handbook receive FERPA training.

Recordkeeping

Records of complaints will be retained by the appropriate custodian and in a manner as may be required by the College’s Records Retention Policy and/or applicable law.

Retaliation is Prohibited

The College strictly prohibits retaliation or reprisal of any kind against an individual who has reported, attempted to report or provided information regarding potential violations of College Policies or who has initiated, filed or participated in the complaint procedures available or has otherwise been involved in the process of responding to, investigating or addressing allegations reported to the College including serving as a witness, investigator, panel member or other College official.

Any person who attempts either directly, indirectly or through someone acting on another’s behalf to intimidate, threaten, retaliate, interfere with, restrain, coerce, bully, discriminate against, violate a College Limited/No Contact Directive or harass or engage in unwanted contact with any individual described above will be addressed by the College and is subject to discipline up to and including dismissal from the College. Allegations of retaliation shall constitute separate grounds upon which a complaint may be raised.

Time Limit to Report

There is no time limit to submit a report or complaint. However, the College strongly encourages a report or complaint to be submitted as soon as possible after the incident, behavior or conduct occurred.

Reporting False Claims

Any student or employee who knowingly makes a false report or complaint, does so in bad faith or makes false statements during the course of an investigation, proceeding, hearing or appeal may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal as a student or termination as an employee.

College Response

In its sole discretion, the College may initiate or take through a resolution process any complaint initially brought by another. If at any time the College believes an investigation is justified, an investigation may proceed. The College may take any appropriate measures designed to protect the health and/or safety of the College community.

Consolidation of Complaints

At the discretion of the College, the College may consolidate and coordinate the review, investigation and resolution efforts to collectively address multiple complaints alleging misconduct:

  1. Against more than one Respondent; or
  2. By more than one Complainant against one or more Respondents; or
  3. By one Party against the Party; or
  4. Under multiple policies and/or processes.

Complaint Resolution Processes: For Students, Employees and Public/Visitors

Resolution processes are unique to the type of complaint, the person (i.e., student, staff, faculty) against whom the complaint is directed, and the level of due process required to resolve a complaint. Accordingly, complaints are directed to the jurisdiction of the appropriate process recognized by the College. A complainant wishing to resolve a complaint is encouraged to consider informal and/or formal resolution processes offered by the College.

Informal Resolution
An informal resolution process entails presenting a complaint to an immediate supervisor or someone in authority to help resolve the complaint. Chain of command is important in following an informal resolution process. For guidance regarding to whom an informal complaint may be directed, refer to the bulleted list above, the Reporting Flowchart or contact the Office of Compliance for further assistance.

Complainants may have the option to register a formal complaint should an informal resolution process prove to be inadequate.

Formal Resolution
A formal resolution process entails registering a complaint via the website or with the appropriate College official. For guidance regarding to whom a formal complaint may be directed, refer to the bulleted list above, the Reporting Flowchart or contact the Office of Compliance for further assistance.

The College will engage the appropriate formal process toward resolution of all such complaints.

General Complaint Process for Formal Resolution

  1. Complainant registers a formal complaint via the website.
  2. The complaint is logged and forwarded to an appropriate contact person.
  3. The contact person follows up with the complainant within 10 academic days to initiate the appropriate resolution process.

Investigations

College Investigations (Required Participation)
The College may determine a complaint, allegation or report of suspected noncompliance requires an investigation. The College expects the timely participation and complete cooperation of its students and employees in College investigations.

The College may appoint an internal and/or external party(ies) to conduct a College investigation. No one other than the College appointed investigator(s) will be allowed to conduct an investigation on behalf of the College.

The College may impose any appropriate measures on an interim basis where it concludes that such action is needed to protect the health, safety or welfare of members of the College community, to facilitate an effective investigation or to avoid disruption to the work/educational environment. Such measures may include student suspension or employee administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation or resolution process.

Any person who fails to fully cooperate in a College investigation process or who abuses the process including, but not limited to, failure to respond in a timely manner, falsification, distortion, misrepresentation or any other abuse is subject to disciplinary action.

Non-College Investigations (Voluntary Participation)
Under certain circumstances, the College may allow an investigation to be conducted by a third party. These non-College investigations may involve requests for interviews or some other form of cooperation by students or employees. Participation by students or employees in such non-College investigations is voluntary. Students and employees are not obligated to take part in any non-College investigation that is not being conducted by the College.

Students and employees may have other rights when asked to participate in a non-College investigation not being conducted on behalf of the College. Such rights may include having a representative from the Office of Compliance attend an interview at the student’s or employee’s request. It is strongly recommended that students and employees contact the Office of Compliance for guidance when requested to participate in any way in a non-College investigation.

If a student or employee initially consents to participate in a non-College investigation, the student or employee may, at any time, withdraw that consent and refuse to take any further part in the non-College investigation. Retaliation against students or employees will not be tolerated based on whether or not they participate in a non-College investigation.

Differences Between College Processes and Legal Processes

Internal Administrative Process
College resolution process do not mirror criminal or civil legal processes. The College’s processes are administrative, not legal. Therefore, rules of law, evidence and criminal/civil procedure do not apply and will not be utilized, with minor exceptions as specified in those processes.

While the activities covered by the laws of the larger community and those covered by College rules may overlap, it is important to note that the community’s laws and the College’s rules operate independently and that they do not substitute for each other.

Proceedings may be instituted against a student or employee charged with misconduct that potentially violates both the criminal law and a College process (that is, if both possible violations result from the same factual situation) without regard to the pendency of civil or criminal litigation.

When Proceedings May Occur
The College may pursue enforcement of its own rules whether or not legal proceedings are underway or in prospect and may use information from third party sources (such as law enforcement agencies and the courts) to determine whether College rules have been broken.

Proceedings under College processes may be carried out prior to, simultaneously with, or following a civil or criminal proceedings at the discretion of the College.

Cooperation with Law Enforcement
The College will cooperate with law enforcement in order that College processes do not interfere with the integrity or timing of a criminal investigation. At the request of law enforcement, the College may temporarily defer the fact-gathering portion of its investigation.

Legal Determinations
Neither law enforcement’s determination of whether or not to arrest or prosecute a student or employee nor the outcome of any criminal prosecution are determinative of whether or not ethical misconduct has been proven under a College process. The College cannot and does not determine whether a crime has been committed beyond a reasonable doubt. That can only be done through the legal process.

Determinations made or sanctions/discipline imposed under College processes shall not be subject to change solely because criminal charges arising out of the same facts giving rise to a charge of ethical misconduct were dismissed, reduced or resolved in favor of or against a student or employee.

Special Considerations
When a student or employee is charged by federal, state or local authorities with a violation of law, the College will not request or agree to special consideration for that individual because of his or her status as a student or employee. If the alleged offense is also being processed under a College process, the College may advise legal authorities of the existence of the College process and of how such matters are typically handled within the College community.

Disciplinary Action

Students and employees found to have conducted themselves in a manner prohibited by College policies may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal as a student or termination as an employee.

Report a Complaint to the State Board or Commission

In accordance with federal law (see 34 C.F.R., Section 600.9), Palmer College of Chiropractic students may file complaints about the College with the state board or commission that governs postsecondary educational activity. The appropriate state boards/commissions, as well as contact information and links to pertinent websites, are provided below:

Iowa
Iowa College Student Aid Commission
877-272-4456
https://www.iowacollegeaid.gov/StudentComplaintForm

Florida
Florida Commission on Independent Education
325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 1414
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
or by email to CIEINFO@fldoe.org

Report a Complaint Regarding Distance Education

Palmer College of Chiropractic participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). This organization allows the College to offer select courses via distance education to students outside the state of Iowa. To participate, certain consumer protection standards must be met.

Iowa College Aid
If a student in a distance education course has a complaint, the student is first encouraged to follow Palmer’s internal complaint process. If the student feels that the complaint is not resolved, the complaint may be submitted to Iowa College Aid at: https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints

*Please note that the distance education complaint process is not the appropriate process for grade disputes. Grade disputes may be reported at: Report Academic/Clinic Course Related Complaints.

NC-SARA
For additional information about the NC-SARA complaint process, please visit: https://nc-sara.org/sara-student-complaints-0