Concern/Complaint Procedure

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 - Suzi Murphy
Watson Hall, ground floor
(617) 989-4145 or murphys14@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
http://www.mass.edu/forstufam/complaints/complaints.asp
http://www.mass.edu/forstufam/complaints/complaintform.asp

and/or

New England Commission of Higher Education – NECHE
3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100
Burlington, MA 01803-4514
(781) 425-7700
https://www.neche.org/for-the-public/comments-complaints/

Student Complaint Procedures for Online (Distance) Students

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.

Online Student Complaint Procedures

If you have any questions, please contact: Brian Burns, Director of Compliance and Risk Management at complianceandrisk@wit.edu.

For Massachusetts Residents and Online Students in Non-SARA Member States and Territories

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.)

For Online Students Located in SARA Member States and Territories

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, practica, clinical experiences, etc. in SARA member states and territories outside Massachusetts.

Online (Distance) Education & State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)

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:

Students must first attempt to resolve their complaint using internal administrative procedures offered by the SARA institution.
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
The DHE shall send a copy of the complaint to the institution that is the subject of the complaint;
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.
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.