It is the policy of CoARC to review all complaints received from any source, including students, against either an accredited program or CoARC itself that are related to compliance with CoARC’s standards, policies, and procedures and to resolve any such complaints in a timely, fair, and equitable manner using established timelines for each step of the complaint procedure. Furthermore, it is the policy of CoARC to retain all documentation associated with any such complaint received against an accredited program for a period of not less than one accreditation cycle (typically ten years), and for a period of not less than five (5) years for any complaints received against CoARC itself.
Unless the complaint of conduct potentially constitutes a violation of the Standards or established Accreditation Policies or Procedures, CoARC will not intervene on behalf of individuals or act as a court of appeal for faculty members or students in matters of admission, grades, appointment, promotion, or dismissal. CoARC cannot assume authority for enforcing the policies of programs or institutions regarding faculty, professional staff, or student rights. The CoARC’s role is to ensure that the policies and procedures of an institution regarding complaints are implemented fairly and as written, or if policies are not present, to make certain that such policies and procedures of a program are developed and implemented. A copy of the Standards may be obtained through the CoARC Web site (www.coarc.com) or by contacting the CoARC Executive Office.
Before submitting allegations, the individual should first attempt to resolve the complaint directly with program/institution officials by following the due process or grievance procedures provided by the program/institution. If the individual is unable to resolve the complaint with program/institution officials or believes that the concerns have not been properly addressed, he or she may submit allegations of non-compliance to CoARC:
Executive Director
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, TX 76021-4244
Ph: (817) 283-2835 Fax: (817) 354-8519
E-mail: tom@coarc.com
To receive formal consideration, all complaints must be submitted in writing to the CoARC Executive Office that:
a. describes the nature of the allegation and the related accreditation Standards or accreditation policies or procedures that the complainant believes are not being met by the program;
b. documents that the complainant has made reasonable efforts to resolve the complaint, or alternatively that such efforts would be unavailing; and
c. is signed by the complainant.
d. contains a return postal address and phone number.
If the complaint indicates circumstances which, if substantiated, would indicate areas of noncompliance with accreditation standards, the Executive Director will contact the complainant to (1) obtain additional documentation or corroboration, if needed, and (2) request a signed release form granting permission to CoARC to send a copy of the complaint to the sponsoring institution’s Chief Executive Officer and Program Director for a response. If the complainant does not comply with either request, the file will be closed and no further action will be taken. The CoARC will not contact the sponsoring institution concerning the complaint until such permission is received. However, the CoARC cannot proceed with its review unless the institution is permitted to see the complaint and to respond to specific charges in the complaint.
The CoARC shall attempt to maintain the confidentiality of complaints and any corroborating material. However: A. Any information about a program may be released to the Chief Executive Officer or Program Director, members and staff of the CoARC, their respective attorneys, and other persons authorized by the sponsoring institution, required by law or necessity, at the discretion of the CoARC, to fully investigate the complaint; and B. The complainant will be required to sign an authorization to release the written complaint and corroborating materials to the sponsoring institution, staff and Board members of the CoARC, their respective attorneys, and appropriate outside parties.
CoARC will not investigate complaints that are not in writing or that are anonymous. Receipts of all complaints will be acknowledged within fourteen (14) days.
If a complainant fails to submit appropriate materials as requested, the complaint will be closed. | 
