State Authorization
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. SPCC is able to offer online distance education classes to students residing in affiliate states and territories which includes 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.
Student Complaint Procedures
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 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 Advocacy 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, send an email to: studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu or review information at 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/
Email: studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu
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 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
SACSCOC Complaint Procedures
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
Out-of-State Student Grievance Information:
State | Agency | Contact information |
Alabama | Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education | P.O. Box 302000 |
Alaska | Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education | P.O. Box 110505 |
Arizona | Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education | 1400 W. Washington St. |
Arkansas | Arkansas Department of Higher Education | 425 Main St., Suite 400 |
California | California Department of Consumer Affairs | Consumer Information Center |
Colorado | Colorado Department of Higher Education | 1560 Broadway, Suite 1600 |
Connecticut | Office of Higher Education | 61 Woodland Street |
Delaware | Delaware Department of Education | Delaware Department of Education |
District of Columbia | District of Columbia Education Licensure Commission | 810 First Street, NE 9th Floor |
Florida | Florida Department of Education | Commission for Independent Education |
Georgia | Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission | 2082 East Exchange Place, Suite 220 |
Hawaii | Hawaii Post-secondary Education Authorization Program | P.O. Box 541 |
Idaho | Idaho Board of Education | 650 West State Street |
Illinois | Illinois Board of Higher Education | 1 N Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333 |
Indiana | Indiana Board for Proprietary Education | Board for Proprietary Education |
Iowa | Iowa College Student Aid Commission | 430 East Grand Ave. |
Kansas | Kansas Board of Regents | 1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 520 |
Kentucky | Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education | Director of Postsecondary Licensing |
Louisiana | Louisiana Board of Regents Consumer Protection Division Office of the Attorney General | Consumer Protection Division |
Maine | State of Maine Department of Education | 23 State House Station |
Maryland | Maryland Higher Education Commission | Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division |
Massachusetts | Massachusetts Board of Higher Education | Alex Nally |
Michigan | State of Michigan | Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs |
Minnesota | Registration & Licensing Minnesota Office of Higher Education | 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350 |
Mississippi | Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation | 3825 Ridgewood Road |
Missouri | Missouri Department of Higher Education | 205 Jefferson Street |
Montana | Montana University System Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education | 2500 Broadway |
Nebraska | Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education | P.O. Box 95005 |
Nevada | Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education | 8778 South Maryland Parkway, Suite 115 |
New Hampshire | New Hampshire Department of Education, Division of Higher Education, Higher Education | 101 Pleasant Street |
New Jersey | New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education | 20 West State Street, 4th Floor |
New Mexico | New Mexico Higher Education Department | 2044 Galisteo St., Suite 4 |
New York | Office of College and University Evaluation New York State Education Department | 89 Washington Ave., Room 969 EBA |
North Carolina | North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints | North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints North Carolina Complaints |
North Dakota | Director of Distance Education & State Authorization | 600 East Capital Ave. |
Ohio | Ohio Department of Higher Education | 25 South Front Street |
Oklahoma | Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education | 655 Research Parkway, Suite 200 |
Oregon | Higher Education Coordinating Commission | ATTN: Complaints-ODA |
Pennsylvania | Bureau of Postsecondary & Adult Education Pennsylvania Department of Education | 333 Market Street, 12th Floor |
Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education | P.O. Box 19900 |
Rhode Island | Commissioner of Higher Education Rhode Island Office of Higher Education | Shepard Building, Suite 524 |
South Carolina | South Carolina Commission on Higher Education Academic Affairs & Licensing | 1122 Lady St., Suite 300 |
South Dakota | South Dakota Board of Regents | 306 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 200 |
Tennessee | Tennessee Higher Education Commission | Division of Postsecondary State Authorization |
Texas | Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | College Readiness & Success Division |
Utah | Utah Division of Consumer Protection | Utah Division of Consumer Protection |
Vermont | Vermont Department of Education | 120 State Street |
Virginia | Virginia State Council of Higher Education | 101 N. 14th St., 10th Floor |
Washington | Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board | Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board |
West Virginia | West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Community & Technical College System of West Virginia | 1018 Kanawha Blvd. East, Suite 700 |
Wisconsin | Wisconsin Educational Approval Board | Department of Safety and Professional Services |
Wyoming | Wyoming Department of Education | Hathaway Building, 2nd Floor |
Professional Licensure
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:
4209 Old Charlotte Highway
Monroe, NC 28110
Students may review the list of licensure disclosures located here – Professional Licensure Disclosures by State.
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
Gabriela Danley
Email: gdanley@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5212
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)
Troy “Sam” Bishop
Email: tbishop@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5817
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State
Firefighter Training
Troy “Sam” Bishop
Email: tbishop@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5817
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State
General Medical Sonography
Britney Smith
Email: bsmith@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5209
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State
HVAC-R
Ben Dorfield
Email: bdorfield@spcc.edu
Office: 704-272-5365
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)
Donna Lee
Email: dlee@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5217
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State
Nursing – ADN, CNA II, LPN, LPN Refresher
Britney Stegall
Email: bstegall@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5826
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State
Phlebotomy
Lori Laney
Email: llaney@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5825
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State
Real Estate
Stephanie Gilbert
Email: sgilbert@spcc.edu
Office: 704-993-2404
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by State
Therapeutic Massage
Tim Reischman
Email: treischman@spcc.edu
Office: 704-290-5867
Information on Professional Licensing Boards by Stat