If a student feels that he or she has been treated unfairly or unjustly by an employee, online mentor, or instructor with regard to an academic process such as grading, testing, or assignments, the student must submit a written statement of the grievance, including the allegation; all relevant names and dates, a brief description of the actions forming the basis of the complaint; and copies of any available documents or materials that support the allegations, to the Office of Student Affairs (studentaffairs@acacia.edu), who is the final authority on all academic matters.
To file a grievance on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, marital status, national origin, physical disability, veteran’s status, any other basis prohibited by applicable US federal, state, or local laws or any other matter, the student must submit a written statement, including the allegation; all relevant names and dates; a brief description of the actions forming the basis of the complaint; and copies of any available documents or materials that support the allegations, to the Office of Student Affairs (studentaffairs@acacia.edu). The students’ grievance will be assessed within 30 days.
If the complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the institution’s grievance procedure, the student may file a complaint with the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. The student may contact the Board for details.
The State Board address is:
1740 W. Adams, Ste. 3008
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Direct Line (602) 542-5709
Fax (602) 542-1253
Last Updated: March 3, 2026
Website: https://ppse.az.gov/student-complaint-procedure
Students who are or were students at Acacia University and who believe that the school, or anyone representing the school has acted unlawfully, have the right to file a complaint with the accrediting commission:
Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)
1101 17th Street NW, Suite 808
Washington, DC 20036
Website: www.deac.org
DEAC has an “Online Complaint System” that enables individuals to file a complaint directly from the DEAC website. The complaint form may be found at www.deac.org (select “Contact Us” and select the link in the left-hand column). All complaints should be submitted using this form. For those who cannot access the Internet, written complaints will be accepted provided they include the complainant’s name and contact information and a release from the complainant(s) authorizing the Commission to forward a copy of the complaint, including identification of the complainant(s) to the institution. Where circumstances warrant, the complainant may remain anonymous to the institution, but all identifying information must be given to DEAC.
Written complaints must contain the following: the basis of any allegation of noncompliance with DEAC standards and policies; all relevant names and dates and a brief description of the actions forming the basis of the complaint; copies of any available documents or materials that support the allegations; a release authorizing the Commission to forward a copy of the complaint, including identification of the complaint(s) to the institution. In cases of anonymous complaints or where the complainant requests for his/her name to be kept confidential, the Commission considers how to proceed and whether the anonymous complaint sets forth reasonable and credible information that an institution may be in violation of the Commission’s standards and whether the complainant’s identity is not necessary to investigate.
Students who have completed the internal institutional grievance process and the applicable State grievance process may appeal non-instructional complaints to the AZ SARA Council. For additional information on the complaint process, please visit the AZ SARA Complaint page.
Webpage: https://azsara.arizona.edu/complaints
