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STUDENT RIGHTS

General Student Grievance

Students having a grievance with the general operation of the College may petition the Grievance Committee for redress. The petition shall set forth in detail the nature of the grievance and shall state for whom the grievance is directed. It shall contain factual data, which the petitioners deem pertinent to their case. The Committee shall have the right to decide whether or not the petition merits investigation. Petitions must be submitted to the Dean of Student Services, who will appoint a Grievance Committee, and supervise the grievance process.

Academic Grievance

Before an academic grievance is filed, the student must first discuss and seek to resolve the issue with the instructor of the course and the appropriate Department Chairperson. If the matter cannot be resolved, the procedures outlined below should be followed:

  1. A letter describing the nature of the complaint and all supporting documents should be submitted to the Dean of Student Services, Dean of Academic Affairs and/or Academic Deans when appropriate. These documents may be the course syllabus outline, evaluation procedures, exams with grades, term paper assignments with grades, quizzes or other pertinent supporting documents.

    The Dean of Student Services will call a meeting of all available parties involved (instructor, Department Chairperson, Dean of Student Services, Dean of Academic Dean and/or Academic Deans when appropriate) to review the submitted documents and find a possible solution.

  2. If the matter remains unsolved, the Dean of Student Services will refer the submitted written grievance to the Grievance Committee (Dean of Student Services, Dean of Academic Affairs and/or Academic Deans when appropriate, one administrator, one counselor, one faculty member and a student representative) for appropriate action and to schedule a hearing.
  3. The Grievance Committee will notify the student in writing within three (3) working days of the hearing outcome. All recommendations made by the Grievance Committee are final.

Board of Retention and Dismissal

Members of the Board will include the Dean of Student Services, Dean of Academic Affairs and/or Academic Deans when appropriate, one counselor, one faculty representative, and the SGA President or designee. The student has a right to present his/her case in person before the Board, and will be notified in writing of the Board’s decision. Documentation of the Board’s action becomes part of the student’s permanent file. Students are not permitted to attend class while the case is pending.

Responsibilities of the Board of Retention and Dismissal are:

  • To study the case being considered for disciplinary action that may result in a student’s dismissal from the College.
  • To decide the nature and gravity of the student’s offense relative to the rest of the student body, the overall function and purpose of the College, the student’s academic life, and College regulations as stated in the Student Handbook and the College Catalog.
  • To decide whether the student will be retained or dismissed and whether such dismissal shall be temporary or permanent.

Actions to be taken by the Board of Retention and Dismissal after hearing a case:

  • Warning—Notification to a student that the continuation or repetition of a specific violation may result in serious disciplinary action.
  • Probation—Formal action placing conditions on the student’s continued attendance in the College. Such notice will be given in writing and specify the period of probation and conditions.
  • Suspension – Suspended students will be placed on temporary dismissal from the College. Such notice will be given in writing, specifying the duration of the suspension and any specific conditions to be met before readmission into College.
  • Expulsion or Exclusion—Expulsion or exclusion is the indefinite or permanent dismissal from ASCC and termination of student status. The Board of Retention and Dismissal will take the final action on such cases, with overall supervision from the Dean of Student Services, No refund of tuition and/or fees is granted for expulsion or exclusion cases.

The student may appeal decisions made by the Board of Retention and Dismissal to the ASCC President.

Student Appeals

Students may appeal a disciplinary action taken against them by submitting a written appeal to the Dean of Student Services, who will forward the request to an appointed ad-hoc Student – Faculty –Administration Appeal Board. The written appeal must be submitted within one week from the issuance of t he disciplinary action/decision in question. The disciplinary action shall stand during the Appeal Board’s deliberations on the submitted appeal. The Ad-Hoc Board’s decision and/or recommendation are final.