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Solano Community College

Student Handbook

Complaint/Grievance Procedures

Student Conduct and Discipline (§5300)
Introduction
A student attending Solano Community College may rightfully expect that the faculty and administration will provide and maintain an environment in which there is freedom to learn.

Students shall respect and obey the civil and criminal laws and shall be subject to punishment for violation of the law in the same manner as other persons. Additionally, students shall obey the policies and the rules and regulations adopted by the Solano Community College District Governing Board, and shall be subject to discipline for violation of these policies and the rules and regulations of the District and the College.

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Grounds for Disciplinary Action
Student conduct at Solano Community College must conform to and be compatible with the College's function as an educational institution. College-related misconduct for which students may be expelled, suspended, placed on social probation or given a lesser sanction may come within, but is not limited to, one or more of the following categories:

  1. Failure to comply with the directions of District or College officers or employees acting in the performance of their duties; or violation of District or College policies or regulations
     
  2. Violating District regulations concerning the registration of student organizations, use of College facilities, and the time, place or manner of public expression, distribution of leaflets, pamphlets or other materials
     
  3. Academic dishonesty, such as cheating or plagiarism
     
  4. Forgery, alteration, misuse, misappropriation or theft of College papers, documents, records or identification or knowingly furnishing false information to the District or College or its officers or employees
     
  5. Disruption or obstruction of classes, meetings, disciplinary proceedings, or other authorized functions or activities of the District or College, whether conducted on the Solano Community College campus or elsewhere including, but not limited to, the use of headsets, walkmans, cellular telephone or pagers in the classroom
     
  6. Abusive behavior directed toward, or hazing of, a member of the campus community on or off campus property, including verbal abuse, harassment, intimidation, or the threat of abuse, to the person or property of any member of the campus community, or of members of his or her family
     
  7. Engaging in disorderly conduct, gambling, lewd, indecent, obscene or offensive behavior on District-owned or controlled property or at any District or College-sponsored or supervised function or activity
     
  8. The unlawful sale, possession, use or distribution of any drug or substance controlled by state or federal law on District- or College-controlled property or at any District- or College-sponsored or supervised function Such drugs or substances include, but are not limited to, legally controlled hallucinogens, narcotics, depressants, stimulants, marijuana and its products, toluene, and alcoholic beverages. This regulation does not apply to lawful possession of prescription drugs by the person named on the prescription or possession of prescription drugs by the person named on the prescription or possession of contraband drugs or substances by peace officers and College instructors for use as evidence or teaching aids.
     
  9. Theft of, or intentional damage to, campus property, or property in the possession of, or owned by, a member of the campus community, theft of software by copying; unauthorized entry into, unauthorized use of, or misuse of campus property to include “computer piracy,” which is unauthorized entry into information which is campus property
     
  10. Illegal operation of a motor vehicle on the Solano Community College campus
     
  11. Possession or use of explosives, dangerous chemicals or deadly weapons on campus property or at a college function
     
  12. Violation of any order of the Superintendent/President, notice of which had been given prior to such violation and during the academic term in which the violation occurs, either by publication in the campus newspapers, or by posting on an official bulletin board designated for this purpose, and which order is not inconsistent with any other provision of this Section
     
  13. Soliciting or assisting another to do any act which would subject a student to expulsion, suspension or probation pursuant to this Section
     
  14. Littering on campus property including grounds, facilities and parking lots.
     
  15. Unauthorized preparation, giving, selling, transfer, distribution, or publication for any commercial purpose, of any contemporaneous recording of an academic presentation in a classroom or equivalent site of instruction.

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Types of Disciplinary Action
There are several types/levels of discipline that may be imposed for violations of the policies or the Rules and Regulations of the District or College:

  1. Official Warning
  2. Reprimand
  3. Social Probation
  4. Restitution
  5. Suspension by Teacher
  6. Emergency/Summary Suspension
  7. Disciplinary Suspension
  8. Disciplinary Probation
  9. Expulsion.

The definition, process and implication of each of these are detailed in the District's procedures on Student Conduct and Discipline (§5300).  Copies of the procedures are available in the Vice President of Student Services' Office (Room 433).

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Student Disciplinary Procedures
The Vice President of Student Services administers the disciplinary procedures and is authorized to take appropriate action, subject to the approval of the Superintendent/President and the Governing Board as required in the current District policies and procedures. Disciplinary action taken under these procedures may be taken regardless of anticipated, pending or completed civil or criminal proceedings arising out of the same act or event.

Copies of the District's current procedures on Student Conduct and Discipline (§5300) are available free, upon request, from the Vice President of Student Services Office (Room 433).

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Sexual Harassment and Unlawful/Prohibited Discrimination Policies and Procedures (For Employees and Students) (§4270)
In the event that any student believes that an act of unlawful/prohibited discrimination has been directed against him/her by another student, staff member, group or campus organization, the student should contact the Solano Community College Staff Diversity Coordinator. Unlawful/prohibited acts of discrimination could be based on ethnic group identification, race, religion, religious creed, age, sex or sexual orientation, color, physical or mental disability, national origin, status as Vietnam-era veteran, marital status, pregnancy, political activities or affiliation, or medical condition.

Copies of the District's current procedures on Sexual Harassment and Unlawful/Prohibited Discrimination Policies and Procedures (For Employees and Stu-dents) (§4270) are available free, upon request, from the Director of Human Re-sources (Room 616) or the Vice President of Student Services’ Office (Room 433). These procedures include specific, step-by-step actions that must be followed to register a grievance, describe the hearing process, and establish the time limits under which these procedures operate.

At any time within the grievance procedure of Solano Community College, the student may submit his/her grievance to the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights. The Office of Civil Rights is located in San Francisco and the phone number is (415) 556-4275.

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Student Grievance: Non-Civil Rights (§5350)
A grievance may arise from a decision or action that has an adverse effect on a student with respect to his/her individual rights. It may arise when a student believes he/she has been denied rights and/or due process as stipulated by college policies, regulations and/or state or federal laws.

Copies of the District's current procedures on Student Grievances: Non-Civil Rights (§5350) are available free, upon request, from the Vice President of Student Services’ Office (Room 433). These procedures describe the hearing process, include specific, step-by-step actions that must be followed to register a grievance, and establish the time limits under which these procedures operate.

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Academic Petitions
Any student who has a problem regarding his/her academic performance, enrollment status or registration/withdrawal procedures may petition the college through the Office of Admissions & Records. Petition forms are provided on the College’s web-site at www.solano.edu, and are available in the Office of Admissions and Records and the Counseling Division Office. Petitions can relate to any of the following issues and circumstances:

  • Dropping a class after the deadline has passed — due to extenuating circumstances, specifically, illness, accident or conflict with hours of employment [a physician's statement on letterhead stationary is required to support medical reasons; a employer's statement on letterhead stationary is required to support the change of hours as a condition of continuing (not new) employment]. The petition must be signed by the instructor.
  • Adding a class after the deadline has passed — The instructor’s signature is required and the petition must be submitted to the Office of Admissions & Records within five (5) business days of receiving the instructor’s signature.
  • Repeating a course previously completed successfully (with a grade of "C/CR" or better) due to extenuating circumstances that affected the previous grade [three or more semesters must have passed since the course was completed and there must be a compelling reason why a grade higher than a "C/CR" is required in the course]. Students must first meet with a counselor and obtain their signature on the petition prior to submitting it to the Office of Admissions & Records.
  • Receiving a refund of fees after the deadline has passed — only under extenuating circumstances.
  • Being readmitted after academic disqualification — the petition must be reviewed and signed by a counselor before the Dean of Admissions & Re-cords will consider this request.

Requesting Academic Renewal — Students may petition for the elimination of past substandard coursework in the calculation of the their grade point average (GPA) provided that coursework eligible for consideration under this regulation shall be no more than thirty (30) units; clearly sub-standard course-work, defined as those courses in which the student earned grades of D, F or No Credit; courses taken at Solano Community College and courses taken three or more semesters (not including summer session) prior to petitioning.

Students are not eligible for relief under the academic renewal policy until they have completed at least fifteen (15) units, with a grade of “C” or better at an accredited post-secondary institution subsequent to the coursework to be alleviated; met the three semester (not including summer session) time requirements; and filed an Academic Renewal Petition with the Office of Ad-missions and Records. Courses eliminated under this policy may not be applied toward any degree or certificate requirement.

If the request is approved, the student’s academic record will be annotated to reflect the change, but all work will remain legible. Solano Community College may honor the Academic Renewal Policy of other accredited institutions in disregarding previous academic work.

Requesting Substitutions/Wavier of Requirements – Students must first meet with a counselor before submitting the Substitution/Waiver of Graduation/ or Major Requirements petition.

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Last Updated: January 29, 2009
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