Section 1033.60  Institutional Appeals

In the event that an institution is notified by the Board staff of its intent to remove the institution from participating in SARA, or if the institution is denied initial participation in SARA, the institution may appeal the denial of participation or the removal from the participation list to the Executive Director of the Board. 

a)         Institutions who choose to appeal must do so on the following grounds:

1)         The Board staff did not follow procedures as outlined in the SARA Policy Manual and this Part. The institution must submit supporting documentation;

2)         The Board staff made a mistake in determining that the institution does not meet the eligibility criteria to participate in SARA, as outlined in the SARA Policy Manual and this Part.  The institution must submit supporting documentation to prove that the institution meets the eligibility criteria; or

3)         The Board staff made a mistake in determining that the institution was in violation of, or is non-compliant with the SARA Policy Manual and this Part.  The institution must submit supporting documentation to prove that the institution's actions or failure to act was not in violation and complies with the SARA Policy Manual and this Part.

b)         Appeals Process

1)         Institutions wishing to appeal their removal or denial of participation from SARA must notify the Board in writing of the intent to appeal within seven days after receiving an official letter of revocation or denial from the Board staff.

A)        For institutions who are currently participating in SARA, if no notice to appeal is received within the seven-day timeframe, the Board staff will take the necessary steps to officially remove the institution from SARA by notifying the NC-SARA office. 

B)        For institutions that have submitted a notice to appeal, and the notice has been received by the Board staff, the status of the institution shall remain unchanged during the appeal process.

2)         The notice of intent to appeal must include the name of the institution, what action was denied, when the denial was received, and contact information for the appeal. 

A)        The notice must be delivered to the Board via e-mail to: SARA@ibhe.org.

B)        Hard copies of the notice of intent to appeal may be sent to:

Illinois Board of Higher Education

SARA Appeal

1 N. Old Capitol Plaza, Suite 333

Springfield IL  62701-1377

C)        Upon receipt of the notice of intent to appeal, the Board will contact the institution to verify receipt and may request additional information to clarify its intent to appeal.

3)         Institutions who notify the Board of their intent to appeal must submit their official appeal, consisting of a letter stating their reason for appealing, along with the required supporting documentation, within seven days after submitting a notice of their intent to appeal.

A)        The official appeal must be delivered to the Board via e-mail to:  SARA@ibhe.org. 

B)        Hard copies of the official appeal may be sent to:

Illinois Board of Higher Education

Attn:  SARA Appeal

1 N. Old Capitol Plaza, Suite 333

Springfield IL  62701-1377

4)         Upon receiving the official appeal and supporting documentation, the Executive Director will make a determination on the appeal within fourteen days after the receipt of the official appeal.

A)        Institutions whose appeals are approved will remain as a SARA participating institution or will be granted initial participation in SARA if not already a participating institution.  Institutions will be notified of the Executive Director's decision.

B)        The institution must pay all fees associated with SARA participation before participation will be granted or before institutional participation can be renewed.

C)        Institutions whose appeals are denied will be notified of the decision of the Executive Director.  For institutions currently participating in SARA, the Board will take immediate action to have them removed as a SARA participating institution following the notification of the decision of the Executive Director.

5)         If an institution's SARA participation expires during the appeals process, it will remain a participating institution until such time as the appeals process can be resolved.

(Source:  Added at 48 Ill. Reg. 6686, effective April 22, 2024)