Policies and Procedures for Students in Distance Education Under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)

Policies and Procedures for Students in Distance Education Under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA

Complaint Resolution Policies and Procedures for Non-Tennessee Resident Students in State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement States, commonly known as SARA.

Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws that involve distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution.

The internal process for complaints at Memphis Theological Seminary are detailed the Student Handbook, sections 1.2.5 and 1.2.5.1  (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UjgZAMsDpNL6A6gnciHuN5L1lKR2HBCI/view)

Complainants not satisfied with the outcome of the institution’s internal process may appeal, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/request-for-complaint-review.html).

For purposes of this process, a complaint shall be defined as a formal assertion in writing that the terms of SARA or the laws, standards or regulations incorporated by the SARA Policies and Standards (http://www.nc-sara.org/content/sara-manual) have been violated by the institution operating under the terms of SARA.

For a list of SARA member states, please visit the NC-SARA website (http://nc-sara.org/sara-states-institutions). Students residing in non-SARA states should consult their respective state of residence for further instruction for filing a complaint.

Learn more about State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) > ncsara.org