Consumer Information

Wentworth Institute of Technology is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Commission indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation. Accreditation by the Commission is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution. Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the Commission should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact:

New England Commission of Higher Education
301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210,
Wakefield, MA 01880  
(781) 425 7785
Email: info@neche.org 

And/or

Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place
Room 1401
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 994-6950
Fax: (617) 727-0955 or (617) 727-6397

Wentworth Institute of Technology is required to designate an employee or department to assist enrolled or prospective students in obtaining pertinent information related to academic programs, college policies, and procedures, enrollment statistics, campus safety, and financial aid information. If Wentworth has designated one person for an area of responsibility, that person shall be available, upon reasonable notice, to any enrolled or prospective student during regular business hours. If a department is designated, their combined work schedules have been arranged so that at least one employee is available, upon reasonable notice, throughout the normal during regular business working hours.

Wentworth students have the right to bring forward concerns or complaints regarding staff, faculty, vendors, and/or contractors working on the Wentworth campus or any property or program owned or operated by Wentworth, as well as complaints regarding departments, services, or Wentworth’s education programs. Students have the right to do so without fear of retaliation.

Students can bring forward complaints to the following offices:

• Dean of Students - Jenn Kosses
  Rubenstein 003
  (617) 989-4486 or kossesj@wit.edu
   
• Human Resources - Lindsey Baumgardner
  Watson Hall, ground floor
  (617) 989-4379 or baumgardnerl@wit.edu 
   
• Office of the Provost - Joe Martel-Foley
  Wentworth Hall, 104B
  (617) 989-4895 or martelj@wit.edu

Students can bring forward a complaint anonymously using Ethicspoint, a web-based reporting portal used by Wentworth. The portal can be found at wit.ethicspoint.com. In addition to the above points of contact, students have the right to bring forward a complaint regarding Wentworth’s education programs by contacting:

Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place 
Room 1401 
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 994-6950

and/or 

New England Commission of Higher Education – NECHE
301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210
Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 425-7700

Effective Date: January 20, 2021

Wentworth Institute of Technology adheres to the Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Education established by the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC). To that end, Wentworth has effective procedures to ensure that the student who enrolls in an online (distance) education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the academic credit.

If you have any questions, please contact: Beth Devonshire at devonshireb@wit.edu.

If you have an outstanding complaint or concern, you may file a complaint with the DHE by using the general complaint form. The DHE general complaint form should be used by students who are located in: 

• Massachusetts
• Non-SARA Member States or Territories (e.g., California, Guam, etc.)

After you have exhausted the complaint procedures above, if your complaint has not been resolved, you may file a complaint with the DHE by using the SARA complaint form. The DHE SARA complaint form should be used by students who are located in SARA member states and territories. This includes all students who are located in SARA member states and territories for the purposes of completing out-of-state learning placements, such as internships, practical, clinical experiences, etc. in SARA member states and territories outside Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE), in its capacity as the SARA portal entity for Massachusetts, reviews and evaluates student complaints regarding distance learning programs offered by Massachusetts-based institutions that are members of SARA in accordance with 610 CMR 12.07. Complaints that should be filed as a SARA Complaint are those that pertain to distance (online) education provided by Massachusetts-based SARA institutions to students residing in other states pursuant to SARA only. Complaints about a SARA institution’s operations or activities can be filed to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and will be resolved pursuant to 610 CMR 2.00 or otherwise in accordance with the institution's policies.

The SARA complaint process is as follows: 

1. Students must first attempt to resolve their complaint using internal administrative procedures offered by the SARA institution.
2. After all administrative remedies have been exhausted with the MA-SARA institution, the student may submit a SARA Complaint to https://www.mass.edu/foradmin/sara/complaints.asp
3. The DHE shall send a copy of the complaint to the institution that is the subject of the complaint;
4. Within 30 days of the date that the DHE sends a copy of the complaint to the institution, the institution must provide a written response to the student and the DHE.
5. Within 30 days of the date the DHE received the institution’s response, or if the DHE receives no response, the Commissioner or his or her designee shall issue a notice to the institution containing the Commissioner’s findings regarding the complaint; any corrective actions that the institution shall take; and that, should the institution fail to take those corrective actions, the complaint shall be referred to the Office of the Attorney General for review and, if the Office of the Attorney General deems it appropriate, enforcement action. For more information visit the DHE Complaint Policy and Process document.