Student Complaints About the Delivery of Distance Education
Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act includes regulations regarding the delivery of distance education to out-of-state residents. The United States Department of Education (USDOE) requires that institutions comply with any applicable state approval or licensure requirements in each state to which distance education instruction is delivered.
Students may reference the NC-SARA website to verify that Mid-Atlantic Christian University is authorized to offer distance learning courses in their state. Registration of students from states not included in NC-SARA may require additional time and information so please allow additional time for this process.
Students have the right to file a complaint against an institution when regulations regarding the delivery of distance education are not followed or regarding the loss of tuition and fees as a result of unfair business practices. Institutions must provide both current and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accrediting body and the appropriate state agency for handling complaints in a student’s resident state.
Students residing outside of the State of North Carolina while taking online courses from Mid-Atlantic Christian University who desire to resolve an academic grievance or complaint should first follow Mid-Atlantic Christian University’s Student Complaint Process. For more information, see the following official MACU policy on student complaint processes, found here. Questions may be addressed to Dr. Bane Angles (bane.angles@macuniversity.edu; 252-334-2000) or Dr. Kevin Larsen (vpaa@macuniversity.edu; 252-334-2000) at Mid-Atlantic Christian University, 715 N Poindexter St., Elizabeth City, NC 27909.
If a complaint cannot be resolved through the institution’s complaint process, students may file a complaint with:
The North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints unit. Please review the NC Post-Secondary Education Student Complaint Policy (PDF) and complete the online NC Post-Secondary Education Complaint Form. For more information contact:
North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
223 S. West Street, Suite 1800
Raleigh NC 27603
Website: North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints (https://www.northcarolina.edu/post-secondary-education-complaints/)
For more information, call (919) 962-4550
If for some reason the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, the next step would be to file a complaint with Mid-Atlantic Christian University’s accrediting agency. Mid-Atlantic Christian University (MACU) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award certificates, associate, and bachelor degrees. Students who file a complaint with the accrediting agency should follow the SACSCOC Complaint Procedure by completing the Commission’s Complaint Form (PDF, see the last couple of pages) and send two print copies to: President, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097. The contact information for SACSCOC is:
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097
Telephone: 404-679-4500
Website: http://www.sacscoc.org
Students may also file a complaint through SARA-NC. Students should follow the SARA-NC Complaint Process and use the SARA-NC Complaint Form (PDF). SARA-NC contact Information: email to complaint@saranc.org or
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
c/o SARA North Carolina
P.O. Box 41349
Raleigh, NC 27629
T: (855) SARA-1-NC (727-2162)
T: (919) 549-8614, ext. 4667
Website: www.saranc.org
As a last resort students may contact the appropriate authority in the student’s state of residence:
In most cases, these complaint procedures require the student to exhaust all complaint avenues internal to the institution before a complaint can be filed at the state or accrediting agency level. MACU students are advised to first attempt to resolve complaints with MACU administration.
Professional Licensure
Currently MACU does not offer any programs via distance/online education that lead to professional licensure. Professional licensure is attainable in two teacher education programs that are offered for residential students. Information about these programs and licensure requirements may be found by clicking here.