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CoARC Complaint Policy
10.01 Any individual
member of an accredited program’s communities of interest may bring concerns about the program to the attention of the CoARC. In order for such a concern to be considered by the Committee, a signed and dated written letter must be sent to the
Executive Office via Certified USPS Mail, along with
any available supporting documentation.
The Committee will then consider the complaint in light of the CAAHEP Standards and/or CoARC Accreditation Policies.
If there are no CAAHEP Standards
and/or CoARC Accreditation Policies violations, the CoARC will avow jurisdiction, and refer the issue back to
the complainant.
10.02 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, appointment, promotion, or dismissal. A copy of the Standards may be obtained through the CoARC Web site (www.coarc.com/standards.htm) or
by contacting the CoARC Executive Office.
10.03 Before submitting complaints, the
individual must 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
complaints of non-compliance to CoARC:
Executive
Director
Committee
on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
1248 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX 76021-4244
Ph:
(817) 283-2835 Fax: (187) 354-8519
E-mail:
tom@coarc.com
10.04 To receive formal consideration, all
complaints must be submitted in writing to the CoARC Executive Office by either
of the following two methods:
1. A
written letter of complaint that:
a. Describes
the nature of the complaint and the related accreditation Standards or accreditation policies of 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. (The confidentiality of the complaining party is
protected by CoARC unless release of identity has been authorized, or
disclosure is required by legal action.)
2. A
Complaints Reporting Form is completed and sent to the above address with required supporting materials.
10.05 Complaints that do not meet all of the
above requirements will be returned to the complainant with an
explanation. Complaints meeting the
above requirements are transmitted by the CoARC Executive Director to the CoARC
Executive Committee for consideration.
Forms or letters submitted without signature or the required supporting
material will not be considered.
10.06 If a complainant fails to submit
appropriate materials as requested, the complaint will be closed.
10.07 CoARC is dedicated to providing a
sustained quality of program evaluation and review. Established procedures are followed when
complaints are received alleging that CoARC has not complied with established
accreditation practices, including noncompliance with its own policies and
procedures, exceeding its scope as defined by the Standards, the behavior of its on-site evaluation team members, or
noncompliance with the recognition criteria of CAAHEP. CoARC will not consider complaints that
include matters pertaining to an adverse action, it should refer to the
Requests for Reconsideration of Recommendation in Section 1.06.
No
institution or person who, in good faith, makes a complaint against CoARC, its
members, agents, or its staff will be subject to harassment, retaliation, or
adverse accreditation decisions by virtue of having lodged the complaint.
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