Student Complaints
The University tracks and monitors student complaints as part of its quality review process. Students who are dissatisfied with a department or experience issues with either faculty or administrators are encouraged to speak to the person or department directly to resolve the issue. Often such an informal process will provide a quick resolution.
Students who wish to request an exception to University policy or appeal a decision may direct their inquiries as outlined in Addressing Issues of Continuing Concern.
If a student is not satisfied after working informally to resolve the concern, the student may file a formal complaint. Those eligible to file a formal complaint are:
- Students currently enrolled full-time or part-time
- Former students and alumni/ae recently enrolled in the previous two semesters (when the underlying facts and circumstances of the complaint first occurred)
Please note that only the student affected by the event may file a formal complaint. Formal complaints may not be anonymous and may not be submitted for issues that already have a defined process.
Students with complaints about a Title IX issue (harassment, discrimination sexual misconduct) should contact one of the following:
- Katie Snyder, Title IX Coordinator: ksnyder@miu.edu or (641) 233 5947
- Maggie Ventsias, Dean of Students: mventsias@miu.edu or (641) 472-1190
Students with concerns regarding Federal Financial Aid should contact Tal Ron, Co-Director of Financial Aid, at (641) 472 4168 or finaid@miu.edu.
Other complaints should be addressed to an appropriate faculty or staff member.
Process
Once a formal student complaint is received, an attempt will be made to resolve the issue in a timely manner by working with the student and the appropriate university employees to assure a fair process. Please note that a student’s complaint will be forwarded to the department by which it can best be addressed.
It is important to note that after a complaint has been reviewed and an outcome determined, it may be deemed “resolved” even though a student may not be satisfied with the outcome. Students have the option to direct unresolved complaints to:
Bureau of Iowa College Aid
Iowa Department of Education
400 E. 14th St. | Des Moines, IA 50319-0416
(877) 272 4456
Iowa Department of Education website: https://educate.iowa.gov/
Higher Education Student Complaints Webpage: https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints
Student Dispute Resolution Form
In accordance with the Policy FDCR.A.10.030 – Institutional Records of Student Complaints, Maharishi International University is required by law to share information about complaints with its accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission; however, individual identities will not be revealed without the express permission of the complainant or as required by law.
Once per year, the Dean of Students will summarize student complaints and submit that summary to the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Life. The summary will include:
- Number of complaints by category
- Number of complaints by department
- Average time to resolution
- Recurring patterns of complaints
The Vice-President for Enrollment Management and Student Life will review the data to identify any trends or issues that warrant further investigation or revision of existing policies.
For Distance Education Students
Maharishi International University is a member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) through the Midwestern Higher Education Compact which regulates the manner in which participating institutions may offer distance learning education to students who reside in other states. Maharishi International University participates in the Midwest Higher Education Compact. The terms and conditions of SARA can be found at http://nc-sara.org/content/sara-policies-and-standards.
If a student has a complaint that involves distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of SARA, the student may file a complaint by contacting the Dean of Students, Maggie Ventsias (mventsias@miu.edu) who may contact the student’s department chairperson or one of the academic deans to help resolve the complaint.
If no resolution is reached, then the student may file a complaint with:
Bureau of Iowa College Aid
Iowa Department of Education
400 E. 14th St. | Des Moines, IA 50319-0416
(877) 272 4456
Iowa Department of Education website: https://educate.iowa.gov/
Higher Education Student Complaints Webpage: https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints
Student Dispute Resolution Form