Student Complaint & Grievance Procedure
Please read and review the following information to learn how to obtain assistance to resolve any difficulty you may experience at Napa Valley College. Become informed!
To see ALL NVC BOARD POLICIES (BPs) and Administrative Procedures (APs), go to the NVC Board Policies in BoardDocs(click on the Policies tab on the upper right-hand corner; then click on the drop-down arrow to select either the BP or AP. Then select Chapter 5 - Student Services and select the item that you want).
AP 5530 provide a prompt and equitable means of resolving student grievances. These procedures shall be available to any student who reasonably believes a college decision or action has adversely affected his/her status, rights, or privileges as a student.
Adopted December 1, 2005; Last Revised December 14, 2023
Grievances have 2 stages: Informal Resolution and Formal Resolution including a Grievance Hearing. Per the policy, students should make a reasonable effort to resolve the matter on an informal basis and attempt to solve the problem directly with the person with whom they have a grievance, that person's immediate supervisor, or the local college administration. If no satisfactory resolution is reached informally within given timelines, students can request a Grievance Hearing.
Step 1 of the informal Process is to complete a Statement of Grievance Form. You can do this by submitting this online reporting form or going to the Office of Student Affairs, 1330, to obtain a printed copy. The Statement of Grievance is due "within 10 days of the incident on which the Grievance is based, or 10 days after the student learns of the basis for the Grievance, whichever is later" (AP 5530).
After submission, the Office of Student Affairs will contact you to schedule an appointment with the Grievance Officer/Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Alejandro Guerrero, who will explain subsequent steps and answer your questions.
Dr. Alejandro Guerrero is the Grievance Officer who handles grievances.
If you have doubts or questions about the grievance process, reach out to the staff in the Office of Student Affairs for assistance. Contact us via phone (707) 256-7363, email at NVCStudentAffairs@napavalley.edu or in person in the 1300 Bldg., Room 1330.
Staff will assist you in scheduling an appointment with the Grievance Officer after the submission of your Statement of Grievance Form.
Most complaints, grievances or disciplinary matters should be resolved at the campus level. This is the quickest and most successful way of resolving issues involving a California Community College (CCC). You are encouraged to work through the campus complaint process first before escalating issues to any of the following resources. Issues that are not resolved at the campus level may be presented:
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To the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) at https://accjc.org/complaint-process/ if your complaint is associated with the institution’s compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards. ACCJC is the agency that accredits the academic programs of the California Community Colleges.
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To the CCC Chancellor’s Office by completing the Complaint Form if your complaint does not concern CCC’s compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards.
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To the Office of General Counsel-Discrimination Appeals, if your complaint involves unlawful discrimination.
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Community college students may also file an unlawful complaint with the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education (OCR). See section "How to File a Complaint with the Office of Civil Rights." You may file file an electronic complaint form at the following website or by emailing it to OCR@ed.gov or faxing it to (202) 453-6012.u
- Distance Education
Report a Complaint ("Grievance")
Please review the Student Rights and Grievances Administrative Procedures 5530 linked above. Click on the link below to submit.