The College of Southern Idaho is committed to supporting students, faculty and staff in and outside the classroom. Grievance Policies exist to ensure students, faculty and staff have avenues to voice concerns and address both academic and non-academic matters in safe, unbiased environments.
CSI Faculty and staff strive to maintain a safe learning environment conducive to community and student success. A positive, productive learning environment is founded on mutual respect between CSI employees and the individuals they serve. These relationships can be achieved and maintained when parties engage in open discussion and active listening.
CSI Faculty and staff are committed to providing an effective conflict resolution and grievance process. The following principles guide this policy:
Students, faculty and staff are provided the opportunity to voice concerns without fear of consequence by following the appropriate steps. Individuals may begin the process of grievance resolution any time they feel there has been unfair treatment, lack of communication, or breach of policy. It is beneficial to resolve conflict and grievances as soon as possible. Be advised, approaching the person/people directly involved first and attempting to work out solutions is usually most effective. If a satisfactory solution is not obtained or the individual feels uncomfortable approaching the person/people involved, the individual may report their concern to CSI Administration using the Report a Concern link on the CSI website Home page.
It is unprofessional, counterproductive and inappropriate to take concerns and grievances to individuals who are not involved in the resolution process.
PROCEDURE
Prepare to share thoughts, feelings, and issues using clear and specific words. Complete a written, detailed description of the situation and include the outcome desired. A written statement allows those involved to respond to an individual’s concerns in an organized, efficient manner.
Each grievance has its own unique process and timeline for resolution. Please follow the appropriate link provided for more information.
Academic Appeals
Students should follow the guidelines established for academic appeals. Those detailed guidelines, processes and timelines can be found at the following link for the CSI Office of the Registrar.
Please Note: There are specific program appeal processes and procedures that must be followed in fields such as the health professions and nursing. Please check with an advisor about any such standards and their relationship with the college procedures.
American with Disabilities Act
Student Accessibility Services at the College of Southern Idaho, in concert with the faculty, staff, and administration, strives to ensure the provision of reasonable accommodations for all qualified student with disabilities. Our goal is to create equal access to all curricular and co-curricular offerings in order to provide an equal opportunity for students with disabilities to demonstrate their skills, knowledge, and abilities as they pursue their educational goals.
In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 as amended, Student Accessibility Services is proactive in developing specialized accommodations to support the abilities of each individual eligible for such services.
The Student Accessibility Services Grievance Procedures and forms can be found at this link: Student Accessibility Services Grievance Procedures
Non-Discrimination Statement
It is the policy of the College of Southern Idaho to comply with all federal, state and local authorities requiring nondiscrimination, including but not limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Executive Orders 12898 (Environmental Justice) and 13166 (Limited English Proficiency). College of Southern Idaho is an equal opportunity employer.
The college does not exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject any individual to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, income, protected veteran status, limited English proficiency, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance. Title IX states that:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Title IX requires all colleges to promptly respond to allegations of sex discrimination, including sexual violence and sexual harassment; limit its effects; and prevent its recurrence. Title IX prohibits all forms of sex and gender based discrimination including sexual harassment and sexual violence.
View CSI’s Unlawful Discrimination and Harassment policy. Also, view CSI's Student Code of Conduct.
For more information or if you believe you have been subject to discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, or if you believe you have been subject to discrimination on any other basis, please contact:
Jonathan Jord
Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
Email: jlord@csi.edu
Phone: (208) 732-6280
Office: Taylor Building 120E
OR
Eric Nielson
Deputy Title IX Coordinator
Director of Human Resources
Email: enielson@csi.edu
Phone: (208) 732-6267
Office: Taylor Building 212
OR
Rosa Lopez
Deputy Title IX Coordinator
Dean of Students
Email: rlopez@csi.edu
Phone: 208-732-6289
Office: Taylor Building 235
You may also file a complaint with:
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
810 3rd Avenue #750
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 607-1600
OCR.Seattle@ed.gov
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
Follow this link for additional information regarding the College of Southern Idaho FERPA policy.
Student Handbook
The most current information on student policies and information can be found in CSI's official Student Handbook.
Distance Education
College of Southern Idaho offers a variety of distance learning opportunities. Many of our courses are offered online, through our telecommunication system, or at our off-campus centers. We understand that many of our students have family or work responsibilities and are not able to come to campus during the day to take classes. Furthermore, many students prefer taking classes online. We even have students who live in our dorm yet choose to take online classes. Some students love this delivery method and they thrive in an online learning environment. Nevertheless, online learning is not for everyone. Online classes are just as challenging (if not more challenging) as their face-to-face counterparts. The learning outcomes are the same, only the delivery method and instructional strategies are different. Most students who do well in online classes are comfortable with technology and the Internet; like to read, do online research, and write; are self-motivated; and have very good time management skills. Our distance education students are just as important as on campus students and we make it a priority to resolve all student complaints and concerns in an expeditious, fair and amicable manner.
If a student is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process, or if the issue is not resolved at the institutional level, the student may appeal with either the institution's home state or the student's home state. For a complete listing of state contacts, please see the NC-SARA website. Students must first exhaust the institution's internal complaint resolution process prior to appealing to a state portal.
State Authorization and Regulatory Compliance
The State of Idaho is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and the College of Southern Idaho is one of the approved SARA institutions in Idaho. As such, we adhere to an established common set of standards for offering post-secondary distance education among member states, districts and territories. Participation in SARA is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state.
The College of Southern Idaho also works directly with states that are not NC-SARA members to ensure that when authorization or licensure is necessary, required approvals are secured. While we monitor the laws in each state, authorization of distance education is a dynamic environment and prospective students should check this site often for updates. It is the student’s responsibility to understand current circumstances or special requirements in their state of residence.