Policy Statement
NCLab is dedicated to the fair treatment of and professional conduct with our students. Should you have a complaint, follow the procedure outlined below. The purpose of this Grievance Policy is to provide a fair and consistent process for resolving such concerns. No learner shall be subjected to discrimination or adverse treatment for participating in the grievance process.
What May Be the Subject of a Grievance
A grievance may be brought for matters related to discrimination, harassment, bullying, academic (clear error in NCLab courses and/or curriculum), or a misapplication of a written NCLab policy.
Who May Bring a Grievance
Only individuals who were enrolled as NCLab learners (and whose tuition payments were current) at the time of the event(s) that lead to the grievance are eligible to participate in the grievance process outlined in this Learner Grievance Policy.
Procedure
NCLab’s learner grievance process consists of three procedures: Informal Procedure, Formal Procedure, and Appeal Procedure.
Informal Procedure
In most cases, learner concerns can be resolved quickly and informally. As such, the first step in the grievance process is for a learner to simply contact Learner Support about his or her concern. After the grievance has been initiated by the learner, a Learner Support representative will respond in a timely manner.
The following time limits apply to the Informal Procedure:
- The learner must initiate the grievance within 10 business days of the event(s) that led to the grievance.
- The Learner Support representative must respond to the learner’s grievance within 5 business days of its submission.
Formal Procedure
If the Informal Procedure fails to resolve the grievance, the learner may initiate a formal grievance by submitting a written and signed statement to the Learner Grievance Coordinator by sending an email to leonard@nclab.com or by sending a letter to the following address:
NCLab (Learner Support-Grievance)
450 Sinclair Street
Reno, NV 89501
The written statement should include:
- The Learner Support representative(s) involved in the Informal Procedure.
- The relevant facts that form the basis of the learner’s grievance.
- The particular NCLab course or section of the curriculum containing the error and/or the policy that the learner asserts has been misapplied.
- The resolution sought by the learner.
After receiving the learner’s written statement, the Learner Grievance Coordinator or his or her designee may:
- Confirm that the Informal Procedure was followed. If the Informal Procedure was not followed, the Learner Grievance Coordinator or his or her designee will refer the learner back to the Informal Procedure.
- Determine if the learner has submitted the grievance in a manner consistent with this policy. If the grievance has not been submitted in a manner consistent with this policy, it may be dismissed and the learner will be notified.
- Request information on the grievance from the representative(s) involved in the Informal Procedure.
- Correspond with the learner about the grievance.
- Review the totality of the facts as presented by the learner, the representative(s) and the supervisor, and any other facts deemed appropriate by the Learner Grievance Coordinator.
- Reach a decision and provide the learner with a written response to the grievance.
The following time limits apply to the Formal Procedure:
- The learner’s written statement must be submitted no later than 10 business days after the end of the semester in which the event(s) leading to the grievance occurred.
- The Learner Grievance Coordinator or his or her designee must provide a copy of the decision to the learner 10 business days after the learner submits their written statement.
Appeal Procedure
If the Formal Procedure fails to resolve the grievance, the learner may initiate an appeal by submitting a written and signed statement to the Executive Management Team’s assistant, explaining the reason(s) for the appeal and requesting a review, at the mailing address listed in the Informal Procedure or by sending an email to leonard@nclab.com. The Executive Management Team or their designee will then decide on the grievance and provide the learner with a written copy of the decision.
The following time limits apply to the Appeal Procedure:
- The learner must submit the written statement requesting a review no later than 10 business days after receiving the decision by the Learner Grievance Coordinator.
- The Executive Management Team must provide a copy of their decision to the faculty member no later than 10 business days after the Executive Management Team’s assistant receives the request for review.
Legal Actions: The NCLab Enrollment Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Nevada. The parties agree that the venue shall be in Nevada courts for any disputes arising between the parties and both parties agree to the personal jurisdiction and venue of such courts and waive any right to assert otherwise. In any action between the parties, which arises out of or relates to this Agreement, the prevailing party, in addition to all other rights or remedies, shall be entitled to an award of its costs incurred in connection with the action, including reasonable attorney fees and costs.