WVU College of Law Policy for Student Complaints
Implicating Compliance with ABA Accreditation Standards
Students enrolled at the College of Law have a right to make a formal complaint if they believe the College is not in compliance with any ABA Accreditation Standard. This policy governs that complaint process.
Filing a Complaint
Access the Complaint Form here: wvu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bqkhfGgHWXOqIZM
The above link provides access to the form for students to file a formal, written complaint to bring attention to any significant problem that directly implicates the College of Law's compliance with ABA Standards. The University and the College of Law have multiple complaint policies, and filing a complaint using this form may be used to raise concern regarding any type of complaint at the University or College as long as it implicates ABA Accreditation Standards. However, if this complaint is covered by another College or University policy or process, the complaint must also be filed according to that policy and process; filing a complaint using this form will not be sufficient for any other policy. Most information about filing complaints related to other University or College policies can be found in the West Virginia University Graduate and Professional Catalog ( catalog.wvu.edu/graduate) or on the University or College website. For information about the Standards a law school must meet, visit this ABA website: americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/accreditation/standards.
All fields on the Complaint Form must be completed in order to submit a complaint. Anonymous submissions are not accepted, and any complaint not directly from a College of Law student will not be filed. Complaints will be directed to appropriate College administrators, including the Dean. Complaints filed using the Complaint Form and the resolution of the complaints will be kept on record at the College of Law for ten years (2026-2036).
Addressing a Complaint
- The appropriate College administrator will acknowledge receiving the complaint within ten business days of receipt of the complaint by reply email to the WVU email address listed on the complaint form.
- No later than ten business days after the acknowledgment, the appropriate College administrator will respond to the student with either a resolution of the complaint or, if continuing investigation is required, the student will be informed of the steps that have been taken, the reason why the appropriate resolution requires more time, and a timeline for reaching a final resolution, which will not extend beyond an additional twenty days without additional contact with the student making the complaint. All complaints should be investigated and resolved as soon as reasonably possible.
- Once the investigation is complete and a resolution has been determined, the appropriate College administrator will contact the student making the complaint by sending an explanation of the resolution to the student's WVU email address.
Appeal
If the student believes the response to the complaint is not adequate, the student may file a written appeal using the same Complaint Form linked above within ten business days of being informed of the resolution of the complaint. The appeal must describe why the student believes the College of Law still fails to comply with the identified ABA Standards. The Dean will provide a written decision on the appeal within 30 days, and this decision will be final.
