(1) The department shall administer this article pursuant to statute and appropriate policies adopted by the commission. (2) (a) The commission shall specify procedures by which a student or former student of a private college or university or seminary or religious training institution may file a complaint with the department concerning the institution in which the student is or was enrolled. If a former student files a complaint, he or she must do so within two years after discontinuing enrollment at the institution. The department may investigate complaints based on a claim of a deceptive trade practice as described in subsection (4) of this section. The department does not have jurisdiction to consider complaints that infringe on the academic freedom or religious freedom of, or question the curriculum content of, a private college or university or seminary or religious training institution; except that the department has jurisdiction to consider a complaint that pertains to the general education core course requirements of a private college or university or seminary or religious training institution, or to any of the specific core courses included in said requirements, if the private college or university or seminary or religious training institution chooses to seek transferability of its general education core courses pursuant to section 23-1-125 (5). (b) Upon receipt of a complaint, the department shall verify that the complaint warrants investigation under the guidelines established by the commission and as a deceptive trade practice. A complaint will warrant investigation only when the student has exhausted all complaint and appeals processes available at the institution. The department shall dismiss a complaint if it does not warrant investigation under the commission's guidelines and is not a deceptive trade practice. If the complaint warrants investigation, the department shall first forward the complaint to the institution for a written response. The institution shall have thirty days to respond in writing to the department and to forward a copy of the response to the student. During the thirty-day period, the institution may attempt to resolve the complaint with the student, and the department shall assist in the efforts to resolve the complaint. If the department determines at any time that a complaint no longer warrants investigation, the department shall dismiss the complaint. (c) If a complaint is not resolved during the thirty-day period, the department may dismiss the complaint based on the institution's response, investigate the complaint further, or recommend that the commission evaluate the merits of the complaint. If the commission finds the complaint is meritorious, it may recommend that the private college or university or seminary or religious training institution take appropriate action to remedy the complaint. (d) If the private college or university or seminary or religious training institution does not take the action recommended by the commission, the commission may forward the complaint and findings to the attorney general. (3) The commission, acting through the attorney general, may proceed by injunction against any violation of this article, but an injunction proceeding or an order issued therein or as a result thereof shall not bar the imposition of any other penalty for violation of this article. (4) It is a deceptive trade practice for: (a) An institution or agent to make or cause to be made any statement or representation, oral, written, or visual, in connection with the offering of educational services if the institution or agent knows or reasonably should have known the statement or representation to be materially false, substantially inaccurate, or materially misleading; (b) An institution or agent to represent falsely or to deceptively conceal, directly or by implication, through the use of a trade or business name, the fact that an institution is a school; (c) An institution or agent to adopt a name, trade name, or trademark that represents falsely, directly or by implication, the quality, scope, nature, size, or integrity of the institution or its educational services; (d) An institution or agent to intentionally and materially represent falsely, directly or by implication, that students who successfully complete a course or program of instruction may transfer the credits earned to any institution of higher education; (e) An institution or agent to intentionally and materially represent falsely, directly or by implication, in its advertising or promotional materials or in any other manner, the size, location, facilities, or equipment of the institution; the number or educational experience qualifications of its faculty; the extent or nature of any approval received from any state agency; or the extent or nature of any accreditation received from any accrediting agency or association; (f) An institution or agent to provide prospective students with testimonials, endorsements, or other information that has the tendency to materially mislead or deceive prospective students or the public regarding current practices of the institution; (g) An agent representing an out-of-state school to represent, directly or by implication, that the school is authorized by the state of Colorado or approved or accredited by an accrediting agency or body when the institution has not been authorized, approved, or accredited; (h) An institution to designate or refer to its sales representatives by titles that imply the sales representatives have training in academic counseling or advising if they do not.
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