Complaint Process and Intake Form

Southeast Technical College strives to resolve complaints at the lowest level possible. Students and community members should first attempt to resolve matters by working directly with the individuals involved. Southeast Tech provides the opportunity for students and community members to file a complaint once informal resolution is not achieved or is not appropriate.

Southeast Tech will follow approved policies and procedures for handling complaints. These policies can be found on the Sioux Falls School Board Policies page. 

If the matter is not resolved through Southeast Tech’s complaint resolution processes, the complaint may be filed at the state level as follows:

With the South Dakota Board of Technical Education
The South Dakota Department of Education recognizes that there may be conditions on the technical college campuses that are in need of improvement, and that students and others should have some means by which their concerns may be effectively expressed, considered, and dealt with fairly. Such means can do much to maintain harmonious relationships between the technical colleges, their students, and the community.

For all complaints, the first course of action should be to attempt to resolve the complaint directly with Southeast Tech through informal or formal processes. If the matter is not resolved through formal processes, an individual may choose to file a complaint with the South Dakota Department of Education’s Board of Technical Education (BOTE).

BOTE will only handle those complaints that concern educational programs or practices and that have exhausted the individual institution’s formal process for complaints. BOTE does not handle anonymous complaints, nor does it intervene in matters concerning an individual’s grades or examination results, as these are the prerogative of Southeast Tech’s faculty.

Complaints must be filed within one year of the event/concern. Complete the complaint form and submit it to Deputy Director, Scott DesLauriers.

For more information about filing a complaint at the state level, contact:

Scott DesLauriers - Deputy Director
South Dakota Board of Technical Education
800 Governors Drive - Pierre, SD 57501
scott.deslauriers@state.sd.us
605-295-7033 (Office)

SARA is an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate postsecondary distance education. Online students in California should make complaints to California's Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education.

With the State SARA Coordinator, South Dakota Board of Regents (exclusively online students only)
Non-South Dakota Residents taking exclusively online courses at Southeast Tech should first file any complaints with Southeast Technical College. Any unresolved online student complaints regarding the belief that Southeast Tech has violated deceptive trade practices or consumer protections, or that the institution does not meet standards established by the institution’s accrediting agency or the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), may be sent to the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR). The SDBOR will only address complaints after a student has exhausted his/her appeals at Southeast Tech. Complaints involving student grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely by Southeast Tech policy.

Contact State SARA Coordinator

A complaint of consumer fraud should be directed to the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.

With the Higher Learning Commission
Southeast Tech is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. For complaints relating to institutional practices that may not meet the Criteria for Accreditation established by The Higher Learning Commission, individuals should direct complaints to HLC. Follow the complaint process on the Higher Learning Commission complaint page.