Home Student Resources Student Advocacy and Accountability Office Student Standards Of Conduct Guide

Student Standards Of Conduct Guide

Introduction:

This guide is designed to assist the students, faculty & staff of American River College in understanding the college's expectations of student behavior and conduct.

American River College promotes a learning community of academic integrity and personal dignity. As an Institution of Higher Education ARC is committed to the free exchange of ideas, respect for the contributions and dignity of every person. ARC strives to create a learning environment that celebrates diversity, fosters academic achievement and personal responsibility.

Students' Rights & Responsibilities

Students, Faculty, and Staff of American River College (ARC) benefit from the California Education Code and the Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD) Board Policies and Administrative Regulations. The Policies provide the overarching Policy of the district on these subjects while the Administrative Regulations provide the specific processes to carry out these policies.

Student Standards of Conduct

ARC students exercise the same rights as other members of the community and are accountable to the same federal and state laws and statutes. In addition, ARC students are accountable to Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD) Board Policies and Administrative Regulations, and ARC Rules. The following Expectations of Behavior and Conduct are based upon those policies and regulations. They have been adopted by ARC to protect the rights and privileges of all students and to allow the college to function effectively.
These guidelines are available in the Los Rios Community College District Policies and Regulations.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Class Related Concerns

Steps to Resolution

Step 1 - Students should speak with their professor about the concern. Faculty, Staff and Administrators Directory

Step 2 - Students, who feel as though they are unable to speak with their professor or resolve the situation, should then contact the Instructional Division area Dean.

In addition to complaints being filed by students or employees, complaints may be initiated by other individuals or entities, such as a family member, representative, organization, or other third party wishing to file on behalf of an individual or group alleged to have suffered unlawful discrimination or harassment. For more information, please refer to Los Rios Regulation 2423.

Student Disciplinary Procedures and Due Process

I was referred to the Student Advocacy and Accountability Office: What happens next?

You are required to meet with the Associate Vice President of Student Services, Disciplinary Officer in the Student Advocacy and Accountability Office. This referral means that the student alleged behavior is believed to have been a violation of our District Standards of Student Conduct.
The student will receive a certified letter notifying the student of their referral via US standard mail. In the notification, you are instructed to make an appointment for an investigative meeting with the Disciplinary Officer.
At this informal meeting, the Disciplinary Officer shall interview the student for the purpose of discussing the alleged misconduct and the disciplinary action, if any, which should be taken.
At this meeting the parties shall have the right to present statements, testimony, evidence, and witnesses, except that neither party shall have the right to be represented by an attorney.
This is a mandatory meeting. If the student fails to make an appointment and/or does not attend the meeting, the Disciplinary Officer may review the case and initiate disciplinary action without input from the student.
After the investigative meeting, the Disciplinary Officer may initiate disciplinary action by filing a notice with the Vice President of Student Services and serving such notice on the student charged. This decision depends entirely on the information obtained during the investigation.
The student has the right to request an appeal to the disciplinary action with the Vice President of Student Services. Not later than seven (7) days after the service of the notice of disciplinary action. A copy of the appeal form will be mailed to you along with your notice of disciplinary action.
After an Appeal Hearing, a written decision will be mailed to the student from the Office of the President within ten (10) days of the conclusion of the hearing.
At this point, the final decision for disciplinary action rests with the ARC College President. The President may approve, reject, or modify the written decision. The decision of the College President for disciplinary action is final.

Types of Student Discipline Outcomes

The following forms of discipline may be imposed on a student who is found guilty of misconduct by the Student Advocacy and Accountability Office:

Formal Warning

Notice that student's conduct in a specific instance does not meet the District Standards of Student Conduct and that continued misconduct may result in a more serious disciplinary action.

Disciplinary Probation

Notice that the student found in violation of the District Standards of Student Conduct may continue to be enrolled under stated conditions, violations of which may be cause for more serious disciplinary action.

Restitution

Reimbursement for damage to or misappropriation of property which may take the form of appropriate service to repair or otherwise compensate for damages. Restitution may be imposed in combination with any other penalty.

Removal by Instructor

Denial of the right to attend a particular class for a specific length of time may not exceed two (2) class meetings of class. (Education Code Sec. 76031)

Suspension

Denial for good cause of all campus privileges, including one or more of the following:

The right to enter the campus.
Exclusion from one or more classes for a period of up to ten (10) days of instruction.
Exclusion from one or more classes and activities for the remainder of the school term.
Exclusion from all classes and activities of the Community College for one or more terms

(Periods of suspension do not allow for makeup class work). (Education.Code.Sec.76031 and Penal.Code.246)

Note: Suspension applies to all of the colleges in the Los Rios Community College District.
Expulsion by the Board of Trustees of the Los Rios Community College District for an indefinite period of time includes loss of all College privileges at all colleges in the Los Rios system including College employment and the privilege of entering any portion of the campus except by written authorization from the Vice President of Student Services. Expulsion must be imposed by the Board of Trustees of the Los Rios Community College District. Readmission is contingent upon a showing of rehabilitation by the student. (Education.Code.Sec.76031 and Penal.Code.246) Penalties of a lesser degree may be applied by the Vice President of Student Services as part of the process from those listed. Additionally, non-students who are found to violate the Los Rios Policies and Regulations addressing Standards of Conduct may be removed from the campus or specific facilities for a period of up to one year by the Vice President, Student Services.

Types of Holds

A hold is a notation on a student record that could restrict them from performing certain actions until the hold is resolved and removed. Depending on the type of hold, it may prevent the student from enrolling in courses, receiving financial aid, ordering transcripts and verifications, etc.

DIS Hold

Disciplinary Action in Process

SUS Hold

Suspension Due to behavior, student is suspended.

EXP Hold

Expulsion All enrollment activity is blocked for students who have been expelled.

Release of holds: The Associate Vice President of Student Services will authorize the release of holds as appropriate

Non-discrimination Policy

It is the policy of the District to implement policies to guarantee that no qualified student or prospective student or any person having an educational relationship with the District shall be unlawfully discriminated against, harassed, or excluded from any benefits, activities, or programs on the grounds of ethnic group identification, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, religion, age (over forty), national origin, ancestry, disability, political affiliation or belief, military and veteran status, or marital status, nor shall any students be discriminated against for conversing in a language other than English. However, students shall be required to speak English when the use of English is necessary for educational or communication purposes.
Sexual harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination based on sex and is prohibited in the District/College programs and activities under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C., sections 1681 and following (Title IX). Further information may be found on the Los Rios website.

Other Types of Concerns

Please visit our webpage to view listing of designated administrators who serve as Compliance Officers for certain types of complaints, grievances, or disciplinary matters.

Note: Most complaints, grievances or disciplinary matters should be resolved at the campus level. This is the quickest and most successful way of resolving issues involving the college. You are encouraged to work through the campus complaint process first. Issues that are not resolved at the college or Los Rios District level may be presented via resources provided by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Complainants are encouraged to use the official form provided by the Chancellor's office, however, that form is not required and complaints will not be considered defective or rejected if you do not use the form.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Guidelines for the Release of Student Educational Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records, including the right to inspect their records, request an amendment of the records that the student believes are inaccurate, and the right to control disclosures of their records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosures without consent.One of the exceptions permitted by FERPA, is the release of Directory Information to parties outside the institution. Directory Information is defined as information which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. American River College, in the majority of situations, does not release any student information, even Directory Information, without the prior written consent of the student. Directory information is only released to the National Student Clearinghouse. Student conduct information is not released to third-party institutions unless a legal subpoena is provided or if signed consent by the student is provided to the Student Advocacy and Accountability Office.