The Right Choice for Your Success

Comments and Complaints

Participants in the Title IV Federal Financial Aid under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, are required to direct students to a state agency for assistance with unresolved complaints. Related regulations require all Title IV participating institutions, regardless of the origin of their state authorization to operate, to comply with state agency complaint process and to communicate such information publicly. Under Federal rule 34 CFR §600.9 and §668.43(b), Title IV eligible institutions must make available to students or prospective students, upon request, a copy of the documents describing the institution’s accreditation and state authorization. The institution must provide its students or prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with the University, its accreditor, and the state.

Student and graduate comments and complaints are addressed separately for discrimination, ethics, police conduct, and/or all other institutional issues. University policy, procedure, and contact information for each type of complaint are described below.

All student complaints should first be addressed at the local level (the level at which the complaint arises). If it cannot be resolved at the local level, the complainant should express the complaint to the head of the academic department or administrative unit after referring to the University Organizational Chart or the University Directory to determine the appropriate contact. If the complaint is not resolved at this level, the following individual(s) should be contacted:

Complaint Type Contact Information
Discrimination

Ms. Joani Wilson
Director, Equal Opportunity and Access
Sherman Hall 312
Phone: (309) 298-1977
Fax: (309) 298-3455
eoa-office@wiu.edu
Ethics Chief Ethics Officer/Office of the General Counsel
Sherman Hall 208
Phone: (309) 298-3070
ethics@wiu.edu
Police Conduct Mr. Derek J. Watts
Director, Office of Public Safety
Mowbray Hall
Phone: (309) 298-1949
Fax: (309) 298-2884
DJ-Watts@wiu.edu
Student Success-Macomb Mr. Justin Schuch
Interim Vice President, Student Success
Sherman Hall 321
Phone: (309) 298-1814
Fax: (309) 298-2558
JL-Schuch@wiu.edu
All Other-Macomb Dr. Mark A. Mossman
Interim Provost and Academic Vice President
 Sherman Hall 211
 Phone: (309) 298-1066
 Fax: (309) 298-2021
 provost@wiu.edu
Quad Cities Dr. Kristi S. Mindrup
Vice President, Quad Cities Campus Operations
220 Riverfront Hall
Phone: (309) 762-9481
KS-Mindrup@wiu.edu

State of Illinois:

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) maintains the master plan which guides development of the state’s system of public and private colleges and universities, and it maintains an online complaint system for registering institutional complaints at complaints.ibhe.org/. This website includes step-by-step instructions and key information regarding the complaint process.

State of Iowa:

Western Illinois University is certified by the State of Iowa to provide educational certificates and degree programs in Museum Studies and distance education in Iowa. In serving students from Iowa, the Iowa College Student Aid Commission maintains a system (information available at https://www.iowacollegeaid.gov/StudentComplaintForm) to document concerns, questions, and complaints related to post-secondary educational institutions.

Out-of-State Distance Learning Students:

Students enrolled in distance learning classes who live outside Illinois are protected by the State Authorization and Reciprocity Act (SARA) consumer protection provisions. These provisions require the investigation and resolution of allegations of dishonest or fraudulent activity, including the provision of false or misleading information. The SARA Student Complaints process and directions are available at https://www.nc-sara.org/student-complaints.