Student Bill of Rights

Students’ Rights

  1. Freedom of inquiry and expression
  2. Provision of course information in the beginning of each quarter, including topics for each week, time and duration of class, assessment procedures and grading system
  3. Timely feedback from instructors
  4. Access to final grades on a timely basis
  5. Right to appeal academic evaluation or discipline
  6. Privacy of academic and personal information
  7. Latest updates for each field of study

rights

Grievance Procedures

DreamIT ESL, Inc. is licensed by New York State Bureau of Professional and Proprietary Schools (BPSS). If you have a grievance, please follow the procedures suggested by BPSS which includes first trying to work with the school at the teacher, administrator, or other level and then making a formal complaint which should include information about what you have tried to do before filing the complaint. Complete instructions can be found on the BPSS web site: http://www.acces.nysed.gov/bpss/student-rights

Pamphlets with this information are available at the school and are also included in your welcome packet. You should try to resolve your complaint directly with the school unless you believe that the school would penalize you for your complaint. Use the school's internal grievance procedure or discuss your problems with teachers, Agents, or the school’s Academic Director. We suggest that you do so in writing and that you keep copies of all correspondence to the school. However, the school cannot require you to do this before you file a complaint with the New York State Education Department. If you do file a complaint with the Department, please advise the Bureau of any action that you have taken to attempt to resolve your complaint. .



Students are encouraged to take the following steps if they feel that they have an issue that needs to be resolved such as grievances regarding grades, courses requirements and classroom atmosphere:

  1. Meet with the faculty member to discuss the issue. The faculty and the student should both sit down and discuss the issue at hand and explore possible solutions.
  2. Notify the Academic Coordinator and the ESL Director in writing. If the student is unable to resolve the issue with the academic coordinator, he or she should notify the academic coordinator in writing. After receiving the complaint, the director will schedule a meeting with the student to address the concern within 72 hours. The meeting will take place within 5 business days of the complaint being received. The student will meet with both the academic coordinator and the ESL director (either individually or jointly) and make a reasonable attempt to resolve the complaint to achieve satisfaction of both parties.

    Although the steps for each grievance are similar, the timeline for the complaints are slightly different.

    - Grievances regarding grading should be filed within one week of the students’ receipt of a final transcript. The decision from the academic coordinator is a final one and the academic coordinator issues a written response of the disposition to the student and a faculty member.
    - Grievances regarding course requirements involve other parties in a process such as other students in the same classroom. The academic coordinator must meet with other students in order to validate the claim. If the academic coordinator determines that a change is needed, the official process of curricular revision under the guidelines of the Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision is initiated.
    - Grievances regarding classroom atmosphere should be filed before the end of the session in which the alleged inappropriate behavior occurs. The academic coordinator must give due consideration and speak to other students in the class to validate the claim. The academic Coordinator will issue a written response of disposition to the student, and the faculty member.
    - Grievances regarding administration/ or other matters, the student should file a complaint to the ESL director. The ESL Director will make a final decision, and notify the students in writing within two weeks.
  3. If the complaint still has not been resolved, then the student should notify the COO of the company in writing. Upon receiving the complaint, the COO shall respond to the student within 5 business days. The COO will meet with the student, faculty, academic coordinator and the ESL director either separately, or jointly, to satisfactorily resolve the issue at hand. If the situation still has not been resolved, the student should continue to the final step of the grievance process.
  4. Contact the NYS Licensing Body
    If the students are still not satisfied with the COO’s decision, students should write to:

    New York State Department of Education
    The Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision (BPSS)
    116 W. 32 Street 5th FLoor, New York, NY 10001

    The steps you must take to file a complaint with the New York State Education Department are:

    1. Write to the New York State Education Department at 116 West 32nd Street, 5th Floor, New York, New York 10001, or telephone the Department at (212) 643-4760, requesting an interview for the purpose of filing a written complaint. Bring all relevant documents with you to the interview, including an enrollment agreement, financial aid application, transcripts, etc. An investigator from the Department will meet with you and go through your complaint in detail.
    2. If you cannot come for an interview, send a letter or call the office to request a complaint form. You must complete and sign this form and mail it to the office. Please include the copies of all relevant documents. You should keep the originals. You must file a complaint within two years after the alleged illegal conduct took place. The Bureau cannot investigate any complaint made more than two years after the date of the occurrence.
    3. The investigator will attempt to resolve the complaint as quickly as possible and may contact you in the future with follow-up questions. You should provide all information requested as quickly as possible; delay may affect the investigation of your complaint. When appropriate, the investigator will try to negotiate with the school informally. If the Department determines that violations of law have been committed and the school fails to take satisfactory and appropriate action, then the Department may proceed with formal disciplinary charges.

      Where can students file a complaint or get additional information?
      Contact the New York State Education Department at:
      New York State Education Department
      116 West 32nd Street, 5th Floor
      New York, New York 10001
      Attention: Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision
      http://www.acces.nysed.gov/bpss/

    Any complaints will be handled as discreetly as possible for the benefit of the students involved. A record of the complaint and the steps taken to remedy it including notes from any meetings will be kept securely in the student(s)’ record for view to administration only.

Privacy of Student Records

DreamIT ESL, Inc. is a private English Language School which is not required but chooses to follow the policies and procedures related to the privacy of student records as set forth in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. Complete FERPA guidelines can be found here: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/students.html. Students can expect to be able to review their records, make appeals regarding information believed to be incorrect such as grades, and know that their information is kept private and never shared or sold to third parties except for reasons of accreditation, government revquest, or de-identified information for research purposes. Please speak with your adviser if you have any questions about FERPA.

Student files are kept in a secure room and are available only to school officials.



  • Students have the right to inspect and review their education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for students to review records.
  • Students have the right to request that a school correct records that they believe to be inaccurate. If the school decides not to amend the record, the student then has the right to a formal hearing. Depending on the outcome, change will be reflected copy of the hearing.
  • The institute must have a written permission from the student in order to release any information from a student’s education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions:
    1. School officials with legitimate educational interest
    2. Other schools to which a student is transferring
    3. Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes
    4. Appropriate parties in connection with regard to financial aid to a student
    5. Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school
    6. Accrediting organizations
    7. To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
    8. Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies
    9. State and local authorities within a juvenile system pursuant to specific State law
Student files are kept in a locked secure room and are accessible to the direct administrators in charge only.