Student Complaints and Professional Licensure

Student Complaints

Pursuant to the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Integrity Rules, East Carolina University must provide contact information for state complaint agencies for filing complaints to its out-of-state students or prospective students.

If a student located in a State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) state has a complaint about East Carolina University, complaints must first go through ECU’s standard procedure for resolution of student grievances. ECU’s Dean of Students office is located at 125 Umstead Hall on ECU’s main campus. You may visit the Dean of Students website and the office may be reach by phone (252) 328-9297 or by email: DOS@ecu.edu.

If a complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting East Carolina University’s procedure described above, the student may file a complaint with the following agencies:

• North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints, c/o Student Complaints, 223 S. West Street, Suite 1800, Raleigh, NC 27603, Telephone (919) 962-4550. Please review the Student Complaint Process and complete the Student Complaint Form
  located on the website.
• The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033, Telephone (404) 679-4500. Please visit the Complaints Against Institutions: Information Sheet and complete the Complaint Form (PDF) to inform SACSCOC of the complaint.

Complaints about East Carolina University may also be filed with the student’s home state by referring to the following list of state complaint agencies.

Students not residing in North Carolina and enrolled in a North Carolina institution that operates under SARA North Carolina may submit complaints to the organization listed below only after completing the complaint process established by the institution attended by the student. The SARA portal entity in the state where the student is located will be notified that the complaint was received and may assist as needed. Resolution of the complaint by the SARA portal entity in the institution’s home state is final.

Examples of types of student complaints that may be brought to a SARA portal entity include, but are not limited to, complaints regarding accuracy of job placement data, tuition or fee information, accreditation, whether a program meets licensure requirements, or course transfer information. SARA does not allow grade or student conduct appeals.

Professional Licensure Disclosures

The curriculum for all ECU academic degree programs have been designed to meet the licensure/certification educational requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for licensure/certification exams in North Carolina. The various licensure boards in each state are responsible for setting educational requirements for licensure/certification in their state. Other states have their own requirements, and you’ll want to make sure your program meets criteria in your home state (or state where you intend to work) before you apply.

ECU highly recommends that you engage with the academic degree program to best understand the professional licensure/certification questions and enrollment options prior to enrolling in the program. Academic degree programs and individual graduates must meet standards set by that state’s licensure requirements in order to be eligible for a license.

• Search ECU’s state Licensure Dashboard to see if the program you’re interested in meets the educational requirements for licensing/certification in your home state (or state where you intend to work).
• Please visit  Professional Licensure Boards  for licensing or certification organizations and their requirements along with the contact information.
• Please visit U.S. Department of Education Professional Licensure for information about most licensed professions by states.
• Updated and complete contact information for all state licensing boards can be found NC-SARA Professional Licensure Directory.
• Download a PDF version of the Licensure Statement (PDF).

Relocation Policy

Please be aware that students who relocate while enrolled at the East Carolina University may become ineligible for Title IV funding or potentially be unable to complete their studies if they are moving to a country or state where ECU does not meet licensure or certification requirements. Prospective students should contact their admissions adviser to discuss how relocation could alter their eligibility, while current students should contact their program coordinator if they are considering relocating during their course of study.

International Students

International students are advised to understand and be apprised of the rules, regulations, and requirements related to online distance education programs in their country of residence, particularly:

• If the country will recognize an online degree;
• Whether the program meets licensure or certification requirements in the country; and
• If the country charges any additional taxes, withholding or fees associated with online distance education programs.

International students considering an academic program that leads to a professional license should first confirm with the appropriate professional licensing board in their country of residence or the country where they intend to work as to whether an online degree awarded from East Carolina University will be recognized when seeking licensure or certification.