Online Degrees

Online degrees provide innovative ways to meet the needs of a variety of students. Online Students can access their courses seamlessly using the latest technologies in online course delivery. These courses require no in-person classroom attendance, can be accessed anytime and anywhere and offer maximum flexibility that meets the needs and demands of students in a very demanding personal and work environment.

In an Online course, the instructor and students are connected to each other in a DLE (Digital Learning Environment). Using the internet, students receive instruction, compose and submit assignments, ask questions from the instructor and other students, discuss issues and actively participate in a class all from your home, your office, the nearest campus computer lab or any place you have access to the internet.

RCC Online is a Middle States Accreditation and SUNY Online+ approved distance/online learning program, both of which required RCC to demonstrate its capability in offering online degrees. The State University of New York is a 64-member educational institution with a renowned and proven educational system that delivers high-quality education with an unprecedented breadth of tools, services, and support designed to help students to be successful.

When you register for an Online course, you will receive a Welcome email from the Online Education & Academic Technology department and an Orientation packet for the Admissions office. Once you are able to log into D2L Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS), you are automatically enrolled into a D2L Brightspace Student Orientation which teaches you everything you need to know to participate in your course(s).

For more information about RCC Online degrees please go to RCC Online Education or contact Online Education and Academic Technology at 845-574-4713.

NC-SARA

The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) is a non-profit organization established to ensure national standards for interstate postsecondary distance education programs and courses. The State of New York is a member state, and SUNY Rockland Community College’s participation in SARA is subject to institutional approval. Upon approval, participation in SARA will allow SUNY Rockland Community College to provide distance education courses and programs to students outside of the state under the agreement. SARA policies do not cover complaints related to grades or student conduct violations. To learn more about SARA, please visit NC-SARA.

Student Complaint Procedures for Online and Out-of-State Students

RCC’s institutional student complaint and grievance procedures, applicable to all students.

Please note, this process is only for consumer protection issues (for examples, see section 4 of the SARA Policy Manual and this does not include complaints related to grades or student conduct violations, both of which are to be addressed via non-SARA processes (see Student Code of Conduct). Additionally, this process is only for distance education students located in another SARA-participating state (as of January 1, 2026, this includes all states except California), whereas other distance education students, including those located in New York State, should follow non-SARA processes (see Consumer Information: To File a Complaint).

Complaints Not Covered by NC-SARA

Complaints involving academic grades or student conduct violations are not subject to review under the NC-SARA complaint process. These matters are addressed through Rockland Community College’s established institutional policies and procedures.

Students seeking to appeal an academic grade should refer to the RCC Grade Appeals Policy.
Complaints involving student conduct violations should be addressed in accordance with the RCC Student Code of Conduct.

Complaint procedures for online students residing outside New York State.

Students taking online classes offered by Rockland Community College while residing in states other than New York should attempt to resolve issues or complaints with the College first. The College’s complaint procedures are available in the Student Grievance Procedure.

Students enrolled in online education and distance education courses at Rockland Community College who reside outside New York State must first attempt to resolve complaints through the College’s established student complaint and grievance procedures. If a complaint remains unresolved, the appropriate external complaint process depends on the nature of the complaint, the student’s location, and the applicable state authorization requirements. View the NC-SARA State Authorization Guide NC-SARA Student Complaints.

Additional Student Complaint Resources and Regulatory Information

In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education’s Program Integrity Regulations related to State Authorization, the following resources provide information about student complaint procedures, institutional accreditation, and applicable state authorization requirements.

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) — Accreditation-Related Complaints: RCC’s institutional accrediting agency, which reviews complaints concerning an institution’s compliance with accreditation standards.

NC-SARA — Student Complaint Process Information by State: Provides information about state-level complaint procedures for eligible distance education students enrolled at SARA-participating institutions.

New York State Education Department (NYSED) — College and University Complaint Procedures: Oversees higher education institutions in New York State and provides procedures for submitting complaints concerning colleges and universities.

NC-SARA complaint procedures for eligible interstate distance education students, applicable once RCC’s membership becomes effective.

SUNY Rockland Community College’s participation in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) is pending institutional approval. Upon approval, the College will follow the complaint resolution policies and procedures outlined within the SARA Policy Manual and NC-SARA Student Complaint Procedures. Consumer protection complaints resulting from distance education courses, activities, and operations may be submitted to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Melanie Rie, at [email protected] for investigation and resolution. If a student is dissatisfied with the campus-based resolution, a concern may be submitted to the System Administration of the State University of New York as SUNY Student Concerns procedures. And, if still not satisfied, a complaint may be submitted, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the New York State Education Department as outlined in their SARA-Student Complaint Process, once RCC’s NC-SARA membership becomes effective.