Student Handbook

Student Code of Conduct

Lamar Community College strives to provide a safe, environment for students, staff, and faculty. It has set reasonable expectations for student conduct as well as students’ rights and responsibilities (see below). Additionally, the College employs a certified police officer who provides on-campus security.

The Student Code of Conduct is the code by which you agree to behave as an LCC student. Because admission to Lamar Community College is a voluntary entrance into the academic community, every student assumes responsibilities and obligations to follow all laws, regulations, and rules established by the College, State of Colorado, and/or United States Federal Government. These rules, regulations, and laws are known as the Student Code of Conduct. Thus, contingent on the degree of misconduct, any campus policy or residence hall policy violation may result in disciplinary action ranging from a reprimand or probation to suspension or dismissal from Lamar Community College.

What are Students’ Rights?

Students have the right to:

• reasonable access to educational and developmental opportunities;
• freedom from intimidation, discrimination, or harassment;
• freedom to express themselves within guidelines;
• direct access to helpful staff;
• fair and equitable treatment;

What are Students’ Responsibilities?

Students have the responsibility to:

• adhere to rules and regulations;
• respect the rights of others;
• comply with reasonable requests made by the College;
• pay their bills and meet administrative expectations;
• assume responsibility for their behavior.

What are the Code of Conduct Violations?

1. Dishonesty such as cheating, plagiarism, lying (see Academic Affairs  section for more on academic dishonesty);
2. Oral or written abuse, hazing action or discriminatory behavior toward an individual or group which reflects hatred, contempt, ridicule, and/or harm, thereby injures the person, property or reputation of another person(s);
3. Inappropriate or disruptive behavior that interferes with the College learning and/or working environment or any College activity;
4. Physical harm or threat to College employees, students, or visitors;
5. Theft, misuse, or damage to College equipment, facilities, or property;
6. Unauthorized entry or use of College equipment, facilities, or property;
7. Indecent or obscene conduct during any College sponsored activity on or off campus;
8. Failure to comply with directions of college employees;
9. Condoning another student’s act which violates Policy;
10. Unauthorized representation/contracting of the College;
11. Tobacco use violations;
12. Possession, use, or sale of weapons or firearms. Weapons/firearms in personal vehicles are considered possession. Weapons and firearms are described as, but not limited to, air or gas powered BB or pellet guns; shot guns, rifles, handguns; slingshots, bows, arrows; knives with blades over three inches in length, switchblades, spring loaded blades; fireworks, pyrotechnics, ammunition, gunpowder, explosives, brass knuckles, chains, paint ball guns, and similar items;
13. Possession, use, sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages,
14. Possession, use, sale, or distribution of drugs as defined by State and Federal laws;
15. Unauthorized distribution or sale of goods on campus;
16. College parking violations;
17. Inappropriate dress;
18. Pets with the exception of seeing-eye dogs for the blind or legal fish in the Residence Halls.
19. At the discretion of campus officials, operation of any motorized or non-motorized vehicle—including skateboards, roller skates and bicycles—is prohibited if it constitutes a pedestrian or motor traffic hazard, or which endangers the health and safety of a person or property on the campus.

Student Disciplinary Procedures

Students are expected to adhere to the Student Code of Conduct and policies and procedures of the College.  If a student is charged with violating the College’s Code, he/she is entitled to have these procedures followed in the consideration of the charge.

See Residence Hall Handbook for discipline related to residence hall infractions.

Definitions

• Day: Refers to the calendar day unless otherwise noted.
• Code of Conduct: A document developed and published by each college, which defines prescribed conduct of students.
• Impartial Decision Maker: The individual/committee designated by the College President to hear student disciplinary appeals.
• Chief Student Services Officer: The individual designated by the College President to administer student affairs and be responsible for administering the College’s Student Conduct Code and the procedure.
• Notice: Notices, which are required to be given by this procedure, shall be considered served upon the student when given by personal delivery or mailing by certified mail to the address the student has filed with the College’s admissions and records office. If notice is mailed, students shall be given three (3) additional days to respond.
• Sanctions: One or more of the following may be given when there is a finding that a student has violated the College’s Code of Conduct.

1. Warning: A Notice served upon the student advising him/her that he/she is violating or has violated College regulations.

2. Probation: After a finding of violation of the Code of Conduct, restriction of student’s privileges for a designated period of time and includes the probability of more severe disciplinary sanctions if the student is found to be violating any College regulations during the probationary period.

3. Other disciplinary sanction: fines, restitution, denial of privileges, assignment to perform services for the benefit of the college or community; or other sanction that doesn’t result in the student being denied the right of attending classes.

4. College suspension or expulsion: An involuntary separation of the student from the College for misconduct apart from academic performance for a specified period of time.

Suspension is a separation that shall not exceed two academic terms per suspension for any singular offense or situation. While a student is suspended, he or she is not eligible for admission or re-admission at any of the community colleges within the Colorado Community College System. Once the suspension is lifted the student is eligible for admission or re-admission. Students may be suspended from a class, residence hall, use of a college facility or an activity in the sole determination by an authorized college employee that the conduct is in violation of the Code subject to an appeal to the Chief Student Services Officer to ensure that the action was taken pursuant to college policies. Students may be suspended from one class period by the responsible faculty member, longer suspensions can be done only in accordance with college procedures.

Expulsion is a separation for more than two academic terms. While a student is expelled, he or she is not eligible for admission or re-admission at any of the community colleges within the Colorado Community College System. After the expulsion, a student’s eligibility for re-admission contingent upon their ability to prove the behavior that resulted in the expulsion has been resolved.

Summary Suspension: An immediate action taken by the Chief Student Services Officer to ensure the safety and well-being of members of the college community or preservation of college property; to ensure the student’s own physical or emotional safety and well-being; or if the student poses a definite threat of disruption or interference with the normal operations of the college. In the event of a summary suspension, the hearing before the Impartial Decision Maker (if requested by the student), shall occur as soon as possible following the suspension.
 

Procedures and Decisions:

• Chief Student Services Officer or his/her designee shall receive all allegations of student misconduct, investigate the complaints and make a Decision. He/she may decide that the charges can be disposed of administratively by mutual consent of the parties involved on a basis acceptable to him/her.
• If an administrative resolution is not achieved, the Chief Student Services Officer or designee shall issue a Decision which determines if the alleged conduct occurred; if the conduct violated the Code of Conduct or College policies or procedures; and impose a sanction(s) if appropriate.
• The student shall receive written Notice of the Decision and be advised of his/her right to appeal the Decision by filing a written appeal with the Chief Student Services Officer within seven (7) days of service of the Decision.
• In the case of suspension or expulsion, the sanction shall be imposed no earlier than six days after service of the Notice unless it is a summary suspension or the sanction is agreed to by the student.
• If an appeal is requested, suspension and/or expulsion shall not be imposed until the appeal procedures below have been completed.
   

Appeals

1. In the event of an appeal, the Chief Student Services Officer shall give written Notice to the student and the Impartial Decision Maker which describes the conduct to be investigated; the Code of Conduct and/or College policies or procedures which were allegedly violated; the date, time and place of the alleged violation; the proposed sanction and the date, time and place of the hearing before the Impartial Decision Maker. The Notice shall be given at least seven (7) days prior to the hearing, unless a shorter time is agreed to by the parties.

2. Conduct of Hearings: The Impartial Decision Maker shall determine its own hearing procedures, using the following guidelines:

• Student shall have the right to be heard by the Impartial Decision Maker. In the event that the student is under the age of eighteen or incapacitated, he/she may have an advisor present to assist him/her in presenting his/her case. Students do not have the right to be represented by an attorney during these proceedings except in the case where civil or criminal actions concerning the student are pending and in that case the attorney’s role shall be advisory only.
• The Student is responsible for presenting his/her own case and, therefore, advisors are not permitted to speak or to participate directly in any hearing except as provided in the prior item.
• Student shall have the right to identify documents, witnesses and other material he/she would like the Impartial Decision Maker to review before making a final decision.
• Hearings shall be conducted in private unless all parties agree otherwise.
• A record of the hearing should be maintained by the Impartial Decision Maker.

3. Determination by Impartial Decision Maker: The Decision Maker shall make findings and determinations in closed meeting out of the presence of the Chief Student Services Officer and the student charged. Separate findings are to be made as to the conduct of the student, and on the sanction(s), if any, to be imposed. No discipline shall be imposed on the student unless the Impartial Decision Maker is persuaded by a preponderance of the evidence that the student committed the alleged conduct and that it constituted a violation of the Code of Conduct and or College regulations; that the student should be sanctioned (including modifying the sanction imposed below) and that the discipline is reasonable given the violation. The student and the Chief Student Services Officer shall be given written Notice of the decision. The decision shall be issued within five calendar days of the close of the hearing and it shall become final unless a petition for review is filed.

4. Petition for Review: The Chief Student Services Officer or the student may request that the President  review the Impartial Decision Maker’s decision by filing a written petition within five (5) days after notification of the decision. If a review is requested, the other party will be given three (3) days to respond to the petition and his/her response materials will be given to the President to review before a decision on the petition is made.

5. President’s Decision: The President shall review the record of the case and the petition and may affirm or reverse the decision of the Impartial Decision Maker. The record shall consist of the Impartial Decision Maker’s written documents and the recording of the hearing and any written materials submitted in support of the Petition for Review. The President shall notify the Chief Student Services Officer and the student in writing of his/her decision within fourteen (14) days of service of the Petition for Review. The President’s decision is final.

Other Considerations

1. College disciplinary proceeding may be instituted against a student charged with violation of a law if the violation occurred at the College or College-sanctioned activities or was of such a nature as to impact the College and was a violation of the College’s Student Code of Conduct. Proceedings under this procedure may be carried out prior to, simultaneously with, or following civil or criminal proceedings off campus.

2. Time limits for scheduling of hearings may be extended at the discretion of the Impartial Decision Maker.

3. The procedural rights afforded to students above may be waived by the student. 

Student Grievance Procedures

The student administrative grievance procedure is intended to allow an opportunity to present an issue which they feel warrants action, including the right to secure educational benefits and services without regard to sex, race, national origin or ancestry, creed, color, disability, or age, and have the issue considered in a prompt and equitable fashion.

Definitions

• Grievant: An enrolled student, a client, or volunteer who is providing a service to benefit the College under the supervision and control of a college employee. A client or volunteer may only grieve a decision which bans him or her from the campus.
• Grievance: A grievable offense is any alleged action, which violates or inequitably applies written college policies or procedures. The Grievant must be personally affected by such violation or inequitable action. A grievance must be brought to the formal stage within 20 calendar days of the date the student knew or reasonably should have known about the action.
• Chief Student Services Officer: A college employee designated by the College President to administer student grievances. Grievances alleging discrimination issues may be referred to the employee responsible for ensuring equal opportunity and access.
• Remedy: Remedy is the relief that the Grievant is requesting.
• Respondent(s): Another student, volunteer, client, faculty member, and/or administrator identified by the Grievant as causing or contributing to the grievance.
• Non-grievable matters: The following matters are not grievable under this procedure except as noted: matters over which the college is without authority to act; grades and other academic decisions unless there is an allegation that the decision was motivated by illegal discrimination; and disciplinary actions taken pursuant to BP 4-30.

Procedures:

Informal
Grievant is encouraged to resolve the issue with the Respondent or his/her supervisor. In the case of grievances based upon one’s race, color, creed, national origin or ancestry, disability, age or gender, the Grievant may first contact the college employee responsible for affirmative action to seek informal resolution of the issues. If the complaint alleges facts which might constitute a violation of SP 4-31a concerning the sexual harassment, the Title IX Compliance Officer shall investigate and process the complaint under that procedure. While the Grievant is encouraged to resolve the issues through the informal process, he/she may at any time elect to go to the formal stage by following the process outlined below.

Formal
1. Grievant timely files a written statement of the actions complained of and describes the remedy he/she is seeking with the Chief Student Services Officer. A matter could also be referred to this process by the College President or his/her designee. Once a written grievance is filed or referred, the Chief Student Services Officer or designee will determine whether or not the situation states a grievable offense. The matter will be closed if the situation is determined not grievable and the Grievant will be notified of the reasons.

2. If the matter is determined to be grievable, Chief Student Services Officer or designee (which may be an individual or a committee) shall hear the Grievance. A hearing will be held which will give the Grievant, Respondent, and others invited to appear, and given the opportunity to explain what they know about the issue(s) surrounding the grievance. Considering the oral and written statements and documents, the Chief Student Services Officer or designee shall issue a decision within ten (10) calendar days of close of the hearing. The decision shall be served upon the Grievant and the Respondent personally or by certified mail to the addresses on file in the Admissions office. The decision shall reject or grant the grievance and make recommendation(s) to resolve the issue(s). The Chief Student Services Officer or Designee’s decision is final unless a Petition for Review is filed with the President by either party within five (5) calendar days of service of the decision.

3. Upon receipt of a Petition for Review, the College President will review the record and issue a written decision within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the Petition for Review. The President’s decision is final.

4. The Chief Student Services Officer or designee may extend the scheduling timelines described above for good cause.

5. If the grievance is against the Chief Student Services Officer, the Chief Academic Officer or other person designated by the President shall perform the duties of the Chief Student Services Officer.

The preceding procedures apply to administrative matters.  See Residence Hall Handbook  for related residence halls issues. For Academic, Affirmative Action, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) grievances, see the following.

Academic Grievances

This type of grievance includes, course instructor conflicts, transcript decisions, and related academic issues. Each of these steps is to be followed in order; although the student may elect to withdraw or resolve the grievance at any step of this procedure.

1. Student meets with instructor and discusses the grievance.
2. Student meets with their academic advisor and discusses the grievance.
3. Student meets with the Academic Dean.
4. If issue is not resolved then the student submits a written complaint stating the grievance, relevant circumstances, witnesses, and evidence to the Dean of Student Services.
5. The instructor, academic advisor, Academic Dean and Dean of Student Services meet to recommend a decision.
6. The student may appeal the committee’s decision to the Vice President of Academic Services who will render the final decision.

To appeal academic issues other than grades, students should first attempt to solve the situation with the faculty or staff member most directly involved. If resolution is not possible, the student may submit a written appeal to the Vice President of Academic Services who makes a determination within 30 days of the filing of the appeal. The Vice President of Academic Services is the final deciding authority in academic matters. Academic appeals should be made in as timely a manner as possible and must be filed no later than the semester subsequent to when the course in question was taken.

This type of grievance includes course grade decisions, course instructor conflicts, transcript decisions, and related academic issues. Each of these steps is to be taken in order although student may resolve or withdraw the grievance at any step of this procedure.
1. Student meets with instructor and discusses the grievance.
2. Student meets with advisor and discusses the grievance.
3. The student submits to the Vice President of Academic Services a written complaint stating the grievance, relevant circumstances, witnesses, and evidence.
4. The student, instructor, and advisor meet with the Vice President of Academic Services who renders a final decision.

Affirmative Action Grievances

Affirmative Action grievances include sexual harassment and/or discrimination complaints. Each of the following steps is to be taken in order although the student may resolve or withdraw their grievance at any step of this procedure.

1. Student is encouraged to meet with the party the complaint is against and discuss the grievance, unless inappropriate to do so.
2. Student meets with advisor and discusses the grievance.
3. Student submits to the Equity Officer a written complaint stating grievance, relevant circumstances, witnesses, and evidence. (Copies must be given to advisor.)
4. The Equity Officer makes a final decision. If not satisfied, the student proceeds through the Federal Affirmative Action process as deemed appropriate for the type of complaint submitted.

ADA Grievances

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) grievances arise from those incidents which a student believes violate the ADA. Each of the following steps is to be taken in order although the student may resolve or withdraw the grievance at any step of this procedure.

1. Student meets with the party the complaint is against and discusses the grievance.
2. Student meets with the advisor and discusses the grievance.
3. Student submits to the Special Populations Coordinator and the Vice President of Academic Services a written complaint stating the grievance, relevant circumstances, witnesses, and evidence.
4. The Vice President of Academic Services renders a final decision. If not satisfied, the student proceeds through the federal affirmative action process as deemed appropriate for the type of issue.

Student Computer Usage

Lamar Community College welcomes students, staff and guests to use computers appropriately while on campus.  With this privilege comes certain responsibilities.  The Federal government, CCCS, and LCC have established laws, policies, and protocols for acceptable computer and Internet usage.  They include:

• CCCS Computer Usage Policy
• CCCS General Higher Education Opportunity Act Procedures (copyright infringement)
• LCC Student Computer & Network Access Guide

These guides are also available on Lope Access (staff and student portal).  The college expects all students to follow these rules while on campus.  Failure to comply with these guidelines may be considered a violation of the LCC Code of Conduct and, depending on the severity, may be a prosecutable offense. 

Student Responsibilities in the Advisement Process

Students should have an investment in their academic plan and progress at LCC.  In that investment should be active engagement in the advising process.  The student is expected to

• assume final responsibility for course scheduling, program planning, and successful completion of graduation requirements;
• attend general and program orientations;
• be knowledgeable about and adhere to relevant policies, procedures, and rules of the College and academic program;
• access and understand the college catalog;
• obtain the class schedule and review possible course options prior to meeting with the advisor;
• be prepared with accurate information and relevant materials when contacting the advisor;
• contact an advisor in a timely fashion for registration, advisement, or other necessary appointments;
• know and follow General Education requirements and major department requirements;
• obtain, process, and complete forms and signatures required for registration, course changes, or related affairs;
• contact an advisor immediately with concerns about academic progress in a particular class or during the course of the semester;
• monitor his/her progress with advisor’s assistance;
• request/complete a “change of advisor” form if desired;
• explain to the advisor his or her personal values, abilities, interests, and goals;
• maintain frequent contact with his or her advisor in order to keep abreast of academic information;
• be honest and ethical in interactions with the advisor;
• seek relevant information about career options and how they relate to a chosen educational program;
• file a written and complete degree plan with advisor;
• follow through on degree action plans identified during each advising session;
• consult advisor at least once a semester to decide on courses, review progress toward degree requirements, and discuss the suitability of other educational opportunities provided by the College;
• when informally advised by someone other than official advisor, inform advisor of record of information received.