Online Education Disclosures and Complaints

Online Education Disclosures and Complaints

Please review the below disclosures for important general and state-specific information relating to the Won Institute of Graduate Studies’ online programs before choosing to enroll from a state outside of Pennsylvania.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)

Won Institute of Graduate Studies seeks to deliver all of our online programs to persons in every state. Pennsylvania is a member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) and the Won Institute is an approved SARA institution. SARA is a voluntary agreement that allows states and institutions to offer distance education in other participating states so long as the institution adheres to certain quality and consumer protection standards. More information on SARA can be found here.

Student Complaints

Out-of-state students who are enrolled in a Won Institute online course, who have a complaint about a course, should follow Won Institute’s student grievance policy, as outlined in the student manual.

At Won Institute, our mission is to provide the best educational experience possible. In most cases, state complaint procedures require the student to exhaust all complaint avenues internal to the institution before a complaint can be filed at the state or accrediting agency level. Institutions must provide both current and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accrediting body and the appropriate state agency for handling complaints in a student’s resident state, which is available in the student manual.

As a first step, a student should contact the Chair or Director of their program to seek resolution of a complaint. Should the issue not be able to be resolved by the Chair or Director, the next step is to contact the Academic Dean. If the Academic Dean is unable to resolve the matter, a formal grievance should be filed.

Won Institute Contact Information

Won Institute of Graduate Studies
800 Jacksonville Rd
Warminster, PA 18974
215-884-8942

Academic Dean
[email protected]

Won Buddhist Studies Department Chair
grace.song@woninstitute.edu

Acupuncture Department Chair
[email protected]

Chinese Herbal Medicine Program Director
[email protected]

Doctor of Acupuncture Program Completion Track Administrator
[email protected]

Students may also file a complaint with Won Institute’s regional accrediting agency, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

MSCHE

University City Science Center
3624 Market St #2w, Philadelphia, PA 19104
267-284-5000 

Students who wish to file a complaint with Won Institute’s accreditor for the Acupuncture or Chinese Herbal Medicine programs may contact the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM).

ACAHM

8941 Aztec Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55347
Phone: (952) 212-2434
Fax: (952) 657-7068

Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act includes regulations regarding the delivery of distance education to out-of-state residents. The United States Department of Education requires that institutions comply with any applicable state approval or licensure requirements in each state to which distance education instruction is delivered. Students have the right to file a complaint against an institution when these requirements are not followed, or regarding the loss of tuition and fees as a result of unfair business practices.

If a student located in a SARA state has a future complaint about Won Institute, complaints must first go through the grievance process stated above. If a student is not satisfied with the outcome of that process, a complaint involving allegations of fraudulent activity, including the provision of false or misleading information, may be brought to the Pennsylvania SARA board. The SARA portal entity in the state where the student is located will be notified that the complaint was received and may assist as needed. Resolution of the complaint by the SARA portal entity in the institution’s home state is final.

Individual State Student Complaint Information

Students who have followed the steps outlined above but without resolution are invited to contact the higher education authority for the state in which they reside. A directory of contact information can be found on the US Department of Education’s website.

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Our mission is to offer quality graduate-level professional education and training in the practical applications of spirituality and the healing arts for the well-being of individuals and society grounded in shared core values.
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