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South Piedmont Foundation

Business & Workforce Solutions

NC-SARA: Complaint Assistance for Online/Out-of-State Students

State Authorization

Logo of NC SARA

U.S. Department of Education regulation 600.9(c) requires that if an institution is offering distance education in a state where it is not physically located, the institution must meet individual state requirements for offering distance education to students within that state.

South Piedmont Community College has been approved by North Carolina to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). SARA represents an agreement between all affiliated states, districts, and territories and indicates that each institution adheres to comparable national standards for interstate post-secondary education opportunities for learners. South Piedmont is able to offer online distance education classes to students residing in affiliate states and territories, which include 49 states (all but California), the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

State Authorization is a legal issue dealing with a college’s adherence to state requirements for colleges to secure authorization to offer instruction in that state. Compliance with individual state requirements is now part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, Amended 2010. Institutions offering distance education courses or programs must provide current and prospective students with the contact information for filing complaints with the college, its accrediting agency, and with the state agencies that handle complaints in the students’ state of residence.

The State Authorization Federal Regulation Chapter 34, ß 600.9(c)If an institution is offering post-secondary education through distance or correspondence education to students in a State in which it is not physically located or in which it is otherwise subject to State jurisdiction as determined by the State, the institution must meet any State requirements for it to be legally offering distance or correspondence education in that State. An institution must be able to document to the Secretary the State’s approval upon request.

In compliance with state regulations and with the U.S. Department of Education, South Piedmont Community College desires to resolve student complaints in a fair, timely and effective manner.  Students who desire to resolve a grievance should follow South Piedmont’s Student Grievance Policy and Procedure which can be found in the SPCC College Catalog and Student Handbook. Please use the following link to access the digital grievance form: SPCC Grievance Form

Students should exhaust all possible avenues of complaint resolution before going outside of the college.  For assistance with the grievance procedure, students may contact:

Elaine Clodfelter, Director of Student Wellness and Accountability
Email: eclodfelter@spcc.edu
Office: 704-272-5302
PO Box 126, Polkton NC  28135

The State Authorization Unit of the University of North Carolina System Office serves as the official state entity and acts as the clearinghouse to receive complaints concerning post-secondary institutions that are authorized to operate in North Carolina. If students are unable to resolve a complaint through the institution’s grievance procedures, they can review the Student Complaint Policy (PDF) and submit their complaint using the online complaint form at https://studentcomplaints.northcarolina.edu/form. For more information review the North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaint Website.

NC Office of Post-Secondary Education Complaints

North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
223 S. West Street, Suite 1800
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 962-4550

Website: https://www.northcarolina.edu/post-secondary-education-complaints/

For Out-of-State Online Students Grievance

South Piedmont Community College students residing outside the state of North Carolina who desire to resolve a student grievance are encouraged to follow South Piedmont’s internal grievance procedure as shown in the SPCC College Catalog and Student Handbook. If an issue cannot be resolved internally, a complaint may be filed with SARA North Carolina, with the student’s home state, or with South Piedmont Community College’s accrediting agency SACSCOC. Please see contact information below.

Contact information for SARA North Carolina:
SARA North Carolina Director
NCSEAA
c/o SARA North Carolina
PO Box 41349
Raleigh, NC 27629
Phone: (855) 727-2162, toll free
Fax: (919) 248-6667

Email: complaint@saranc.org

SARA North Carolina Website
Student Complaint Process
Student Complaint Form

Students can access updated direct contact information for any state by visiting the NC Sara Portal website.

StateAgencyComplaint Procedures
AlabamaAlabama Commission on Higher EducationComplaint Process and Form
AlaskaAlaska Commission on Postsecondary EducationComplaint Process
ArizonaArizona Sara Council for State Authorization Reciprocity AgreementComplaint Process and Form
ArkansasArkansas Department of Higher EducationComplaint Process and Form
CaliforniaBureau for Private Postsecondary EducationComplaint Form
ColoradoColorado Department of Higher EducationComplaint Process
ConnecticutOffice of Higher EducationComplaint Process
DelawareDelaware Department of EducationComplaint Process
District of ColumbiaOffice of the State Superintendent of EducationComplaint Process
FloridaFlorida Department of Education – Commission for Independent EducationComplaint Process
GeorgiaNonpublic Postsecondary Education CommissionComplaint Process
HawaiiHawaii Postsecondary Education Authorization ProgramComplaint Process
IdahoIdaho Board of EducationComplaint Process
IllinoisIllinois Board of Higher EducationComplaint Process
IndianaIndiana Commission for Higher EducationComplaint Process
IowaIowa College Student Aid CommissionComplaint Process
KansasKansas Board of RegentsComplaint Process
KentuckyKentucky Council on Postsecondary EducationComplaint Process
LouisianaLouisiana Board of RegentsComplaint Process
MaineMaine Department of EducationComplaint Process
MarylandMaryland Higher Education CommissionComplaint Process
MassachusettsMassachusetts Board of Higher EducationComplaint Process
MichiganMichigan Department of Licensing & Regulatory AffairsComplaint Process
MinnesotaMinnesota Office of Higher EducationComplaint Process
MississippiMississippi Commission on College AccreditationComplaint Process
MissouriMissouri Department of Higher EducationComplaint Process and Form
MontanaMontana University SystemComplaint Process
NebraskaNebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary EducationComplaint Process
NevadaNevada System of Higher EducationComplaint Process
New HampshireNew Hampshire Department of EducationComplaint Process
New JerseyNew Jersey Secretary of Higher EducationComplaint Process
New MexicoNew Mexico Higher Education DepartmentComplaint Process
New YorkNew York State Education DepartmentComplaint Process
North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina SystemComplaint Process
North DakotaNorth Dakota University SystemComplaint Process
OhioOhio Department of Higher EducationComplaint Process
OklahomaOklahoma State Regents for Higher EducationComplaint Process
OregonHigher Education Coordinating CommissionComplaint Process
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Department of EducationComplaint Process
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico Council on Higher EducationComplaint Process
Rhode IslandOffice of the Postsecondary CommissionerComplaint Process
South CarolinaSouth Carolina Commission on Higher EducationComplaint Process
South DakotaSouth Dakota Board of RegentsComplaint Process
TennesseeTennessee Higher Education CommissionComplaint Process
TexasTexas Higher Education Coordinating BoardComplaint Process
UtahUtah Division of Higher EducationComplaint Process
VermontVermont Agency of EducationComplaint Process
VirginiaState Council of Higher Education for VirginiaComplaint Process
WashingtonWashington Student Achievement CouncilComplaint Process
West VirginiaWest Virginia Higher Education Policy CommissionComplaint Process
WisconsinUniversity of Wisconsin SystemComplaint Process
WyomingWyoming Community College CommissionComplaint Process

South Piedmont Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. South Piedmont Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of South Piedmont Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Contact information for SACSCOC:
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097
Phone: (404) 679-4500
SACSCOC Website
SACSCOC Complaint Policy

Students who do not live in North Carolina and are considering a program at South Piedmont Community College that leads to licensure or certification should contact the appropriate individual listed for a specific program. 

The mailing address for each program that leads to professional licensure is below:
1851 South Piedmont Street,
Monroe, NC 28110

Students may review the list of licensure disclosures down below.

State/TerritoriesBLETCDL Class BComputed TomographyEarly Childhood EducationEMTGeneral Medical SonographyHVAC-RLPN-RefresherMammographyMRINurse Aide
(CNA)		Nursing-LPNNursing-ADNPhlebotomyReal EstateTherapeutic Massage
AlabamaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
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ConnecticutDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeets*Does Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
DelawareDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeets*MeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
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MaineDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
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MissouriDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
MontanaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
NebraskaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
NevadaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeets*Does Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
New HampshireDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeets*MeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
New JerseyDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
New MexicoDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
New YorkDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeets*Does Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
North CarolinaMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeets
North DakotaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
OhioDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
OklahomaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
OregonDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeets*Does Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
PennsylvaniaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
Rhode IslandDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeets*MeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
South CarolinaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
South DakotaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
TennesseeDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeets*MeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
TexasDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
UtahDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeets*MeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
VermontDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeets*MeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
VirginiaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
WashingtonDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
West VirginiaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetMeets
WisconsinDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetMeetsDoes Not MeetMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeetsMeets*MeetsMeetsMeetsDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
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American SamoaDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
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Commonwealth of Northern Mariana IslandsDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
Puerto RicoDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet
Virgin IslandDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not MeetDoes Not Meet

Basic Law Enforcement Technology (BLET)
Mike Smith
Email: jsmith@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5884
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

CDL Class B
Cornelius Dunlap, Program Lead
Email: CDunlap@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5862
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

Computed Tomography
Mez Chen
Email: mchen@spcc.edu
Office: 704-701-0480
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

Early Childhood Education
Tonya Silas
Email: tsilas@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5864
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
Christopher Floto 
Email: cfloto@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5817
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

Firefighter Training
Christopher Floto 
Email: cfloto@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5817
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

General Medical Sonography
Britney Autry
Email: bautry@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5209
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

HVAC-R
Kelly Stegall
Email: kstegall@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5263
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

Mammography
Mez Chen
Email: mchen@spcc.edu
Office: 704-701-0480
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Mez Chen
Email: mchen@spcc.edu
Office: 704-701-0480
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

Certified Nurse Aide (CNA I)
Jessica Bowers
Email: jbowers@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5210
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

Nursing – ADN, CNA II, LPN, LPN Refresher
Ashley Steagall
Email: asteagall@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5816
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State 

Phlebotomy
Aeysha Morman-Robbs
Email: amorman-robbs@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5825
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

Real Estate
Kelly Stegall
Email: kstegall@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5263
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State

Therapeutic Massage
Elan Schacter
Email: eschacter@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5867
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State