Office of the Provost

Questions, Concerns, and Complaints

Students and prospective students of the Montana University System are encouraged to initially address complaints through the applicable institution’s complaint or review procedures. For distance education students and for on-campus students, please refer to the following:

• For concerns about academic performance, contact the Office of the Provost at 406-496-4127 or email telgren@mtech.edu.
• For concerns about safety, contact Montana Tech Campus Security at 406-496-4357 (HELP) or visit mtech.edu/campus-safety.
• For concerns about campus life, contact Dean of Student Affairs Joe Cooper at 406-496-4198 or email jcooper2@mtech.edu.
• For concerns about student conduct and for general assistance, contact Dean of Student Affairs Joe Cooper at 406-496-4198 or email jcooper2@mtech.edu.
• For concerns about discrimination or protected-class harassment, contact Title IX Coordinator Vanessa Van Dyk at 406-496-4322 or email vvandyk@mtech.edu.

Complaints that remain unresolved after engaging in the process above may be further pursued in the following manners:

• An individual adversely affected by the final decision of a university president may appeal the decision to the Commissioner of Higher Education and the Board of Regents pursuant to Board of Regents’ Policy 203.5.2.
• Complaints concerning broad institutional academic practices, such as those that raise issues regarding an institution’s ability to meet accreditation standards, may be filed with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
• Complaints concerning consumer protection violations may be directed to the Montana Department of Justice Office of Consumer Protection.
• Individuals enrolled in an online or distance course with the Montana University System and residing outside of the State of Montana can seek to utilize the complaint processes in their state of residence. The Montana University System website has a list of information regarding the complaint processes of other states.
• Individuals enrolled in an online or distance course with the Montana University System and residing outside of the State of Montana can seek to utilize the complaint processes in their state of residence. The Montana University System website has a list of information regarding the complaint processes of other states.
• For Montana residents and students located in a state or territory that has joined SARA, complaints that the terms of SARA, or of laws, standards, or regulations incorporated by SARA, are being violated may be directed to the SARA State Portal Entity. If a person bringing a complaint is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process for handling complaints, the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to Montana’s SARA State Portal Entity (MUS page).

Program Integrity

In October 2010, the United States Department of Education released new regulations known as the “Program Integrity” rules, which are intended to address concerns relating to the integrity of academic programs offered by postsecondary educational institutions and authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA), as amended. As part of those new rules, each state must have in place a process for receiving, reviewing, and responding to complaints concerning post-secondary educational institutions delivering educational services in that state, and each institution must inform students how to initiate complaints in the state where the student receives instruction. This notification provides information on the complaint process available to students of the Montana University System.

Pursuant to Mont. Code Ann. § 20-25-201 and Title 20, Chapter 15 Mont. Code Ann., the designated units of the Montana University System and the duly organized community college districts in the State of Montana are legally authorized to provide postsecondary education in the State of Montana.  Together, these fourteen entities form the group of public postsecondary educational institutions in the State of Montana, all of which are under the authority and control of the Board of Regents of the Montana University System. Those institutions are as follows:

• Montana State University – Bozeman
• Montana State University – Billings
• City College at Montana State University Billings
• Montana State University – Northern
• Great Falls College Montana State University
• The University of Montana
• Missoula College the University of Montana
• Helena College the University of Montana
• Montana Tech
• Highlands College of Montana Tech
• The University of Montana Western
• Dawson Community College
• Flathead Valley Community College
• Miles Community College

These institutions are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, 8060 165th Avenue NE, Suite 100, Redmond, Washington 98052, 425-558-4224, www.nwccu.org. Evidence of each institution's accreditation can be found at http://www.nwccu.org/member-institutions/directory/.