Complaints & Grievance Policy

Cummings Graduate Institute Complaint and Grievance Policy

A grievance is an educational issue or condition that a student believes to be unfair, inequitable, discriminatory, or a hindrance to their education. The institute aims to resolve complaints quickly and to the satisfaction of the aggrieved party. With some exceptions, students should first attempt to resolve difficulties informally by bringing those concerns directly to the person responsible for the action, with the student's Advisor, the program Director, or the immediate supervisor of the person responsible for the action. If these options for resolution cannot occur, then student’s may follow CGI’s Complaint Procedure to carry out a complaint and/or grievance against the institution. 

The Complaint Policy is printed in all editions of the Cummings Graduate Institute Catalogs. It is also posted on the Cummings Graduate Institute website, located at https://cgi.edu/complaints_grievances/.

Cummings Graduate Institute Complaint and Grievance Procedure

To pursue a formal complaint, students must adhere to the following:

  • The students must first bring their grievance directly and informally to the person or persons with whom they have the grievance. 

If this informal effort to resolve a grievance fails, the student must file a written grievance complaint & supporting documentation, using the Grievance Form, with the Compliance Office. The student must file such written complaints within three (3) months of the incident that is the subject of the grievance. The complaint must include a concise statement of the allegations that form the basis of the complaint, including a careful statement of the facts, a summary of the informal attempts at resolution, and a suggested remedy.

  • The Compliance Office reviews the grievance complaint, conducts a thorough investigation, and provides a written response to the student within ten (10) business days.
  • A student who wishes to appeal the  Compliance Office response must file a copy of the complaint and the  Compliance Office’s response to the Chair of the Cummings Graduate Institute Board of Directors within five (5) business days of receiving the  Compliance Office response. The most current list of Cummings Graduate Institute’s Board of Directors and contact information can be located here: https://cgi.edu/who-we-are/
  • The Chair of Cummings Graduate Institute's Board conducts an investigation and renders a final written response to the student within fifteen (15) business days of receiving the copy of the complaint and the  Compliant Office’s response.

Note: Privacy rights of students, faculty, and staff will be respected. Access to the summaries for all legitimate purposes will be afforded to all parties until the grievance is resolved. Copies may be retained only by those parties against whom a grievance is alleged. Grievance records will not be made part of any permanent student, faculty, or staff record.

Cummings Graduate Institute Complaint and Grievance Forms

A grievance is an educational or personal issue or condition that a student believes to be unfair, inequitable, discriminatory, or a hindrance to their education. Students who have a complaint or grievance should complete the Complaint/Grievance Form. The student must file such written complaints within three (3) months of the incident that is the subject of the grievance. The grievance complaint must include a concise statement of the allegations that form the basis of the complaint, including a careful statement of the facts, a summary of the informal attempts at resolution, and a suggested remedy.

Cummings Graduate Institute’s Complaint/Grievance Form can be located here. 

Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education Complaint Procedure

If a student complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the complaint or grievance procedures as listed above, the student may file a complaint with the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. Complaints or grievances must be filed within two (2) years of the student’s last date of attendance. The Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education staff shall investigate the complaint of the allegations and if the complaint is true and violates the statue of the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education rules. Upon completion of the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education’s staff investigation, the complaint shall be referred to the Complaint Committee for review. Based upon the information provided the Complaint Committee can do one of the following: 

  1. Dismiss the complaint if the committee determines that the complaint is without merit; 
  2. File a Letter of Concern; 
  3. Refer the complaint to the full Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education for further review and action.  

The student must contact the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education for further details. Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education’s Complaint/Grievance Form and further information can be found at this website: https://ppse.az.gov/complaint. The Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education address is 1740 West Adams Suite 3008, Phoenix, AZ 85007, Phone: 602-542-5709, Fax: (602) 542-1253, http://www.ppse.az.gov

State Agency List

Students also have the right to contact state authorization or accrediting agency contacts for specific issues. 

For distance education students who are residents of states outside of Arizona, consumer inquiries may be directed to the following ​list of consumer protection agencies​. The most up to date list of state agencies can be found at this location: State Authorization Agencies.

SARA Complaint Procedure

Cummings Graduate Institute is an Arizona SARA approved institution. The Arizona SARA Council has jurisdiction over Arizona SARA-approved institutions in relation to non-instructional complaints. Instructional complaints, such as grade grievances, are not reviewed by the Council and should not be submitted for review. Prior to registering a non-instructional complaint with the Arizona SARA Council, the student/complainant must complete Cummings  Graduate Institute’s and the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education’s grievance process, as listed above. Upon completion of the institutional and AZPPSE complaint process, a non-instructional complaint may be submitted to the ​AZ SARA Council. The Arizona SARA Council Complaint Submission can be found at the link below: Arizona SARA Council Complaint Submission.

Distance Education Accrediting Commission Complaint Procedure

Cummings Graduate Institute is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). Students may also file a grievance or complaint with the Distance Education Accrediting Commission through their Online Complaint System, which enables individuals to (Rev. 07.08.19 42) file a complaint directly from the DEAC website. The complaint form may be found at www.deac.org/Student-Center/Complaint-Process.aspx. 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) to DEAC. 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 procedures; 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 DEAC 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 or her name to be kept confidential, DEAC considers how to proceed and whether the anonymous complaint sets forth reasonable and credible information that an institution may be in violation of DEAC’s standards and whether the complainant’s identity is not necessary to investigate. 

Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)
(Formerly the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC))
1101 17th Street NW,
Suite 808
Washington, D.C. 20036
Telephone: 202.234.5100
Fax: 202.332.1386
Website: www.deac.org

Approvals/Revision History

Policy was revised on: December 18, 2023

Policy was approved by: Amanda Harrison, Chief Operating Officer


Testimonials

My interest in a DBH degree grew out of frustration and hope. On one hand, I grew frustrated with the quality of care my clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities were receiving. As members of a marginalized population who lack the skills to advocate for themselves, the clients I serve receive subpar medical care, mental health care, and behavioral health care. Many healthcare providers are not trained to address the unique language and cognitive challenges present when serving a person with Autism and I/DD.

On the other hand, as I learned more about the DBH program, a potential solution came into view. I believe this program will allow me to acquire the knowledge and skills to become a better advocate for my clients, and new job opportunities will open up in positions in which I will be able to make a bigger impact on a system level, thus improving quality of life for many clients. A DBH degree will command interest and respect from other healthcare professionals who are evaluating their practices and noticing areas in which they are not being effective, namely the behavioral health side of the equation. As we are learning in our first classes about the Biodyne Model, the Integrated Care Model is not widely accepted or known in the healthcare field, despite its proven track record. I believe a DBH degree provides the necessary tool to change the landscape of healthcare provision by arming my passion for this topic with knowledge and concrete strategies.

Valeria Parejo
DBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
January 15, 2021

As a Doctorate of Behavioral Health (DBH) student my vision for healthcare is to disrupt the current model, close gaps to care and create healthcare improvements. In the evolving world of healthcare I believe behavioral healthcare providers (BCP) are essential to the development of integrative healthcare. Once I obtain a DBH degree, I know I will gain a leadership role and be able to add quality to the creation of integration efforts worldwide. I know I will graduate with the essential tools I need to stand at the forefront of integrated healthcare. I want to create healthcare improvements for marginalized populations that are typically underserved or forgotten. As an individual of two minority groups; woman and African American, I am very passionate about helping reduce cultural, ethnic, social economic and geographic disparities within healthcare systems.  

Ebony Watson
DBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
March 30, 2021

Since beginning my studies at CGI, I have been awakened to how much I truly did not know and understand despite my specialty training in Social Work and behavioral health needs. The classes at CGI allow me to explore topics that I may not have thought to investigate and encourage me to question and think outside the “normal” delivery of behavioral health services. Services that I previously thought were quality and designed to meet the needs of special populations, I now believe to be woefully inadequate to serve the needs of the patients. Patients cannot receive the best quality, efficient, and timely care they need and deserve within institutions that are not integrated. Institutions that continue to silo and do not encourage collaboration and integration are not focused on the needs of the patient.

Amanda Barnard
DBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
March 30, 2021

I believe, as a DBH, I will disrupt the current healthcare systemby promotingguaranteed health care for allasa right, not a privilege.I willadvocate fora national, rather than state, licensing of providers. This will allow clinicians (medical,behavioral health, etc…) to provide care across state lines using telemedicine.Finally, the skills I have learned at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies allow me to identify healthcare delivery concerns, propose alternative interventions and cost–effective solutions and evaluate theirreturn on investment.

Diane Scott
DBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
March 29, 2021

Since entering CGI, I have more confidence in discussing the need for healthcare systems to have a population health approach to care, and to put in place “upstream” programming. I have always been proud of working in a hospital and delivering care, working as a multidisciplinary team member, and making a difference. I now realize I have been part of healthcare’s focus of “treating the sick” rather than being an influencer for preventative care.

Preventative care can be part of service delivery from a hospital system; we should not rely only on public health programs to tackle social determinants of health. COVID-19 is not only impacting mental health but also how we are delivering medical care. Could COVID-19 be an unintended force for healthcare policy change? Apostolopoulos et al. (2020) reports the complexity presented to the health care system by COVID-19 has created change that will continue in healthcare for years to come. The needed changes to delivery and access will require a policy shift in all levels of healthcare (Apostolopoulos et al., 2020).

Billie Ratliff
DBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
December 13, 2021

As a member of the AAPI community, I’m very familiar with the barriers to mental health services and the need to break through the glass wall of cultural stigma that prevents many from receiving potentially life–saving treatment. I was the only Asian American person in my master’s cohort, the only Asian American person in many of my clinical work settings, the only Asian American person to walk into many of the professional settings that I pushed myself to show up to. In my current practice, I’m constantly reminded by my patients of how difficult it is to find an Asian American mental health provider, though this reminder constantly informs me that more needs to be done for my community. Day after day, I read stories of Asian American people who die by suicide as a consequence of our culture’s avoidance of mental health topics. As a DBH, my biggest goal is to use my expertise in whole–person care to amplify the conversation around mental health and help my community understand that mental healthcare is not a privilege that we are not entitled to, it is a crucial part of our healthcare that will manifest differently in us than what many Western psychology or psychiatry textbooks will describe, and that our unique experience of mental health issues are valid, important, and is time to be part of the larger conversation.

Willam Chum
DBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
September 16, 2022

Pursuing a doctorate in behavioral health is essential in helping to transform my thinking as a healthcare provider; moving from a more traditional mindset, embracing change and a “different world view” of tools for successful client outcomes. This type of advanced study will equip me with the clinical and leadership skills to be a leader on the cutting edge of behavioral health. This type of training would make me an asset to the healthcare workplace; specifically to function effectively as a change agent for the successful outcomes of the workplace and its clients.

Judith Allen
DBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
September 23, 2022

I remember before my interview when applying to the DBH program, I researched information about Dr. U. Grant Baldwin along with other staff members of CGI. I said to myself, this is the kind of institution I want to be apart of. Being apart of CGI feels like a huge family, even though long distance, everything and everyone is always so close.

Jerrika Henderson
DBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
August 20, 2022

The DBH is exactly the type of doctorate degree that I’ve been searching for. A doctorate that is clinical focused is where my interest lies. I am motivated to pursue this degree, and courses like Pathophysiology, Psychopharmacology, Neuropathophysiology, only add to that excitement. One must be motivated to complete any degree program. The Doctor of Behavioral Health fits
that bill for me. In fact, I would say that I am beyond motivated.

Authur Williams III
DBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
July 8, 2022

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