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Student Rights

See also Student Right-to-Know and Student Grievances.

Privacy of Student Records - Students at Solano College are guaranteed certain rights regarding their school records and information which they provide to the College. These rights are defined in Public Law 93-380 (§438), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 and include:
  1. The right to inspect and review official student records
  2. The right to challenge the correctness of these records
  3. The right of controlled access and release of information
Solano College is committed to protecting the right of privacy of all persons about whom it holds information, records, and files. Access to and release of such records are restricted to the student concerned, to other individuals who have been authorized by the student (only with the student's written consent), to officials within the College, to a court of competent jurisdiction and, otherwise, pursuant to law.

As provided for in the Act, a student's personal information can not be released to any other person without the written consent of the student. A photo identification will be required to access information. Official student records are kept in the Office of Admissions and Records. The Dean of Admissions and Records has been designated "Record Officer," as required by the Act.

Under Section 76230 of the Education Code, current and formerly-enrolled students have an absolute right of access to their own records. One exception is that under Section 76231 of the Education Code, students may waive their right of access to confidential reference letters.

Under Section 49061 of the Education code, parents of community college students do not have a right of access to their children's student records, regardless of whether the student is under the age of 18. Also, under federal law (Section 1232g of Title 20 of the United States Code, there is a general right of parental access to student records, but not for college students, regardless of age.

Under Section 76244 of the Education Code, a District must make a "reasonable effort" to notify a student in advance of the production of his or her records under subpoena.

Civil Rights - It is the policy of the Solano Community College District, based on California Title V regulations, that no person, on the basis of ethnic group identification, religion, age, sex, color or physical or mental disability, shall be unlawfully subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that is funded directly by, or that receives any financial assistance from, the Chancellor or Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

Other forms of unlawful/prohibited discrimination under federal and state law include discrimination on the basis of race or national origin. Further, the College District, in compliance with State law, will not tolerate behavior by students or staff, which insults, degrades, threatens, stereotypes or otherwise discriminates on the basis of marital status, pregnancy, political activities or affiliation and/or medical condition. In addition, Solano Community College has identified other forms of discrimination not recognized by the Chancellor's Office and the State of California to include veteran status and sexual orientation. Complaints should be filed with the Director of Human Resources.

"Title IX" of the Education Amendment of 1972 guarantees the right of students to be free of sex discrimination. This applies to the following: access to courses, counseling and guidance services, treatment of students, access to personal records, athletics, financial assistance and work experience. Student inquiries concerning "Title IX" complaints should be directed to the Director of Human Resources.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 guarantees individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in, and enjoy the benefits of, a services, programs or activities conducted by the College or under College sponsorship. To support these rights, it is the responsibility of the College to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services to ensure effective communication with individuals with hearing or visual impairments.

Complaints should be directed to the Director of Human Resources, Building 600. Alternatively, an individual who believes that he or she or a specific class of individuals has been subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability may file a complaint directly with the Federal Department of Education.