Student Grievances
Student Grievances
Students may seek redress through the formal grievance procedure when they believe that their individual rights, or rights to due process (as provided for by College policies, state laws and/or federal laws) have been denied them. The Specific Policy and Procedures for Student Conduct can be found in the District Policies, Student Services, 5000 Series document in section 5300.
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 online or from the Student Development Office (Room 1425), the Dean of Student Services Office (Room 433), and the Counseling Office (Building 404). 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.
Important Note: Except in the cases of mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetency, a grade assigned by an instructor is not a grievable issue as described by the California Education Code (Section 76224): “. . .when grades are given for any course of instruction taught in a community college district, the grade given to each student shall be the grade determined by the instructor of the course and the determination of the student’s grade by the instructor, and in the absence of mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetency, shall be final.”
Discrimination Complaints
If you believe you have experienced discrimination as a member of a protected class under Title 5—including race, color, ethnic group identification, national origin, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, or military/veteran status—you have the right to file a complaint. Click the button below to download the Discrimination Complaint Form, then submit your completed form to the District Human Resources Office in Building 600 on the Fairfield campus.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is prohibited by law and by College policy (Board Policies §4270 and §4285). Sexual harassment is defined as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
- submission to such conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual’s employment, appointment, admission, or academic evaluation;
- submission to such conduct is used as a basis for evaluation in personnel decisions or academic evaluations affecting an individual;
- such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, offensive or otherwise adverse working or educational environment; or
- the conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with a student’s academic performance, creating an intimidating, hostile, offensive or otherwise adverse learning environment or adversely affecting any student.
Sexual harassment happens to both men and women. In determining whether conduct constitutes sexual harassment, the circumstances surrounding the conduct should be considered. Sexual harassment may include one or more of the following:
- questions about one’s sexual behavior
- sexually-oriented jokes
- inappropriate comments about one’s body and clothing
- conversation filled with innuendos and double meanings
- sexually suggestive pictures or objects displayed to embarrass or humiliate
- pinching, fondling, patting or kissing
- requests for sexual favors
- repeated, unwelcomed propositions for dates
- demands for sexual intercourse
- unfavorable consequences for refusing to submit
Questions or complaints should be directed to the Director of Human Resources.