Student Complaints

Applies To: Students

Responsible Office: Dean of Students

Policy Statement

Mitchell Hamline School of Law seeks to provide responsive service and an exceptional student experience. Students who have complaints should contact the Dean of Students at dean.students@mitchellhamline.edu.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. Students with a complaint may also wish to contact:

Institutional Licensing and Registration Division
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
Saint Paul, MN 55108
651-259-3912
irl.ohe@state.mn.us
Minnesota Office of Higher Education

I. Distance Learning Students

Mitchell Hamline School of Law is an approved institutional participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).

Mitchell Hamline School of Law is authorized to operate in all SARA member states. As a participant in SARA, Mitchell Hamline School of Law follows the SARA Student Complaint Resolution Process in addressing the complaints of distance education students from SARA member states.

If you believe further action is necessary, you may contact the Minnesota State Agency entity:

Institutional Licensing and Registration Division
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350 ean
Saint Paul, MN 55108
651-259-3912
irl.ohe@state.mn.us
Minnesota Office of Higher Education

Or you may wish to contact the office of higher education in the state where you live:

Student Complaint Information by State and Agency

The following state is not a member of SARA. Students who reside in this state may wish to contact the agency below to file a complaint.

California
California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education
PO Box 980818
West Sacramento, CA 95798-0818
Bureau for Private Post-Secondary Education
Student Complaint Form

II. Grades and Student Conduct

Disputes regarding grades and student conduct violations fall outside the SARA complaint process and are governed entirely by the law school’s policy and Minnesota law.

III. American Bar Association Accreditation

Many of the policies and procedures in this Catalog are published and crafted in accordance with the American Bar Association’s Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools (see ABA Standards).

Students who have concerns or complaints regarding a significant problem which directly implicates the law school’s program of legal education and/or its compliance with the Standards are encouraged to write to:

Office of the Dean of Students
Mitchell Hamline School of Law
875 Summit Avenue, Suite 119
Saint Paul, MN 55105

The specific problem(s) and the manner in which compliance with the Standards is questioned should be clearly articulated. The Dean of Students will address the issue by convening a meeting of the administrator(s) and/or faculty members with principal responsibility for maintaining compliance with the standard in question. In the event that the administrator with principal responsibility for the standard is the Dean of Students, the question will be referred to the President and Dean.

Students who issue a complaint will receive a response from the institution within 45 days of receipt of the complaint. In the event it is determined that corrective action is required, all necessary steps will be taken as swiftly as possible and, unless the nature of the issue requires a longer timeline, in all cases the corrective action will be taken within one year. A record of complaints, including the resolution of each, will be maintained in the Office of the Dean of Students.

Disclaimer

Mitchell Hamline policies are for informational purposes and to set expectations and do not constitute a contract, either express or implied, with any employee, student, or third party. Subject to applicable law, Mitchell Hamline reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate any of the policies or procedures described herein, in whole or in part, at any time, with or without prior notice, at its sole discretion. Mitchell Hamline also may choose not to apply a policy in certain circumstances if it determines a different course of action is more appropriate.