The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) participates in federal student aid programs that are authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Participating institutions must be legally authorized to operate with the state in which it is located.
Title 34 CFR §600.9 requires states to have a "process to review and appropriately act on complaints concerning the institution including enforcing applicable State laws." Title 34 CFR §668.43(b) requires that institutions: "make available for review to any enrolled or prospective student upon request, a copy of the documents describing the institution's accreditation and its State, Federal, or tribal approval or licensing. The institution must also provide its students or prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accreditor and with its State approval or licensing entity and any other relevant State official or agency that would appropriately handle a student's complaint."
To comply with this regulation, UMB provides the following information to our prospective and current students.
UMB makes every effort to resolve student complaints internally, using policies and procedures outlined by the University and/or by their school/program. It is expected that students will fully utilize any and all of such administrative procedures to address concerns and/or complaints in as timely a manner as possible.
For procedures regarding:
- Academic Grade Appeal: Consult your academic dean.
- Academic Honesty Violations: Consult your academic dean.
- Non-Academic Complaints (incidents of unprofessional behavior and other complaints that are not of an academic grade concern and do not concern allegations of discrimination): Consult with your academic dean.
- Nondiscrimination Policy: Refer to UMB's Nondiscrimination Policies.
- Americans with Disabilities Act: Refer to UMB's Nondiscrimination Policies.
- Harassment or Discrimination: Refer to UMB's Nondiscrimination Policies.
- Affirmative Action: Diversity, ADA, and Affirmative Action Nondiscrimination Policies
- Title IX: Refer to UMB's Nondiscrimination Policies.
- Report Sexual Misconduct: Report Sexual Misconduct here.
- Whistleblower Hotline: To make a report.
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): Refer to UMB Policy on Confidentiality and Disclosure of Student Records.
- Criminal Activity: Complaints involving matters of a criminal nature, such as assault, battery, and theft, should be directed to the Campus Police at 6-6882 or 410-706-6882.
- Student Right to Know: Refer to UMB's Student Right to know procedures
In the unlikely event that an issue cannot be resolved by the University, students may file a complaint with their respective state licensing authority. For students living in Maryland, the Maryland Higher Education Commission is the applicable agency.
For online students who do not reside in Maryland, the state agency would generally correspond with the student's state of residence. These agencies should be contacted only after the student has registered a complaint with the University and has not received a response to the request for resolution. Contact information for all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories is set forth below.
Unresolved complaints also may be filed with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the University's regional accrediting agency, once all other avenues have been exhausted. The link above provides information on its complaint policies and procedures.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street, 2nd Floor West, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Telephone: 267-284-5000
Email: info@msche.org Spanish: españolinfo@msche.org
General link: www.msche.org
State Authorizations
The U.S. Department of Education requires higher education institutions to obtain authorization for distance education instruction or programs provided in states other than their own. The University of Maryland, Baltimore's current authorization status and more information about state authorizations is listed here.