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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Classroom Support from the Vice President for Student Services


The Office of the Vice President for Student Services handles a variety of services that directly support the mission of our teaching faculty.  The purpose of this memo is to review these services and to describe how Student Services can work collaboratively with you to create a successful learning classroom environment.

Conduct Regulations
In your role as a faculty member, should you encounter the following:
· You feel threatened, uncomfortable or if a student is disrupting the learning environment;
·  A student has ignored or refused to comply with behavioral expectations;
·  A student exhibits erratic/irrational behavior; and/or
·  Repeated efforts to work with the student have failed.

Advice or assistance is available at the Brighton and Damon City Campuses. Contact:
Mr. Richard Ryther, Associate Vice President, Student Services, ext. 2122
Dr. Susan Baker, Assistant Vice President, Student Services, ext. 2124
Dr. Ann Topping, Dean of Students, Damon City Campus, ext. 1749

Once you have made this initial contact, these are ways that Student Services can assist you.
· Assist in developing strategies for addressing disruptive and/or inappropriate behavior.
· Determine if the Public Safety Office should be involved to investigate and document the behavior and/or incident(s).
· Determine if MCC’s Conduct Regulations have been violated and to investigate if the student has a previous record of disruptive behavior.
·  Formally charge the student with a violation of the Conduct Regulations and determine an appropriate sanction (reprimand, censure, probation, suspension, expulsion).
· If deemed necessary, remove the student from a particular class, move the student to another section (only with the approval of all faculty involved and the Department Chair) or separate disruptive students by assigning specific seats.
· Collaborate with faculty to jointly decide on the action to be taken and to insure that faculty are in control of the decisions that affect their classrooms.
· Promote and maintain an atmosphere of civility on campus.

Attendance
Faculty may assign a grade of “W” for individual courses due to unsatisfactory attendance.  Faculty members are asked to report students for excessive absence when such absence is adversely affecting the students’ academic achievement in a particular course (not necessarily failing work).  The student will be informed in writing of the recommendation, and if there are extenuating circumstances, the student is advised to continue to attend the class and to consult with the faculty member immediately.  If further discussion is needed after consulting with the faculty member, the student is advised to contact the Student Services Office.  The student will be referred to the grievance procedures under the Rights and Freedom of Students section of the Catalog and Student Handbook.  This faculty-initiated withdrawal must be requested no later than 15 class days before the final class of the semester (or a proportional amount of time for courses less than 15 weeks in length).

Academic Honesty
A faculty member who has evidence that a student is guilty of cheating or plagiarism shall initiate the appropriate disciplinary action.  However, no penalty shall be imposed until after the student has been informed of the charge of academic dishonesty and of the evidence upon which it is based, and been given the opportunity to present whatever statement or evidence the student desires in his/her defense.

If the student is found guilty, the faculty member shall assess a penalty within the course consistent with the magnitude of the transgression.  Such penalty, if it affects the student’s grade, shall be reported in writing to the appropriate department chair and to the Vice President, Student Services. 

The Vice President maintains a database of all reported cases of academic dishonesty, and the Vice President may initiate further disciplinary action in any case of repeated infractions or in cases of complicity on a large scale.  Such further disciplinary action may result in probation, suspension or expulsion from the College.

Should the student dispute the facts upon which the faculty member determined the penalty, or object to the severity of the penalty, a written appeal may be submitted to the Vice President, Student Services requesting a hearing before an Appeal Board.  The Appeal Board shall review the facts of the case, hear testimony, consider the disciplinary action taken and render a decision to uphold, reject or modify such action.  The burden of proof of the charges rests with the faculty member.

Throughout this appeal process the Student Services Office serves as an impartial mediator with the task of organizing the appeal Board and insuring that the rights of the faculty member and the student are protected and that “due process” occurs.  During the appeal process, the student is allowed to continue to attend class pending the outcome of the appeal hearing.

Academic Grievance
To protect the rights and freedoms of students and faculty members, Monroe Community College subscribes to the Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students (located in the MCC Catalog and Student Handbook).  Procedures are in place to provide for the orderly, fair and prompt resolution of perceived student academic grievances.  These procedures are established to insure the due process and the equitable treatment and protection of all parties involved.

The term academic grievance refers to a complaint by the student against a faculty member of the College.  The grievance may be filed on the grounds that:

The rights and freedoms of the student in the classroom as described in the Joint Statement have been violated, or
Any of the academic regulations of the College have been violated, misinterpreted or inequitably applied.

If the student and faculty member and/or department chairperson have met and are not able to resolve the grievance, the formal procedure is initiated.  A College Academic Grievance Advisor is assigned by either Academic Services or Student Services Office to meet with the student to discuss the issue.

The Grievance Advisor counsels the student and assists the student through the various steps of the formal procedures (described in detail the College Catalog and Student Handbook). 

The adjudication of the grievance begins with the Division Dean, can proceed to a College Academic Grievance Hearing Committee and ultimately will be reviewed and finalized by the Vice President, Academic Services.

Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is any threatening, demeaning or offensive conduct or situation that unreasonably interferes with a person’s pursuits and is based on the sex of that person.  Sexual harassment is any conduct or situation that, on the basis of sex, makes it more difficult for a reasonable person to do a job or receive his or her education.  Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination based on sex because the harassment treats a member, or members, of one sex differently from members of the other sex or engages in conduct that is based on the difference in sex.

Sexual harassment is illegal and it applies to all employees and students at all times and places in any connection with the institution.  If, as a faculty member, you are a victim of sexual harassment, or you have knowledge of a student or employee who has been a victim of sexual harassment, you should contact the Office for Student Services at the Brighton Campus or the Student Services Center at the Damon City Campus.

Incidents of sexual harassment that involve students will be investigated confidentially by the sexual harassment officer and the Vice President, Student Services.  The Vice President, Student Services has the final and ultimate determination of discipline. 

Incidents that involve only employees will be investigated by the Human Resources Office.  Incidents involving students and staff will be investigated jointly by the Student Services Office and the Human Resources Office.

Dr. Susan M. Salvador
Vice President, Student Services
01/29/2008