Student Rights and Responsibilities

To whom does the Student Code of Conduct apply and when does it apply?
The  Student Code of Conduct applies to all students who are admitted, enrolled, or registered for any College program, regardless of the medium of the program, or degree-seeking status, or when not enrolled or registered for a particular term, who is eligible to enroll in future terms without seeking readmission. 

It also applied to registered student organizations ("RSO") whereby the RSO refers to an inactive or active student led organization that is officially recognized by the College. They are generally campus-based or college-wide and might share affiliations with state, regional, national, and/or international agencies. 

Any RSO can be held responsible for its actions or the actions of all or some of its members acting together. Misconduct on the part of an individual member(s) may not automatically be sufficient to initiate the registered student organization conduct review process. Students can be held accountable as individuals under the Rules of Conduct for their conduct, whether the students are acting in an individual capacity or the students are acting as a member of a RSO. 

The Student Code of Conduct applies to acts conducted on or off Valencia-owned or controlled property, based on any student conduct that may adversely affect the college community. 

The Student Code of Conduct shall apply to a student's conduct even if the student withdraws from any or all courses while a conduct matter is pending. More information regarding the College's scope can be found under the Student Code of Conduct Policy Section II(A). 

I just received an email notification from Student Rights and Responsibilities. What is it? 
Under the Dean of Holistic Student Support, the office of Student Rights and Responsibilities receives incident reports. After careful assessment of the submitted incident report, the office Student Rights and Responsibilities may administer potential charge(s) for allegedly violating the Rules of Conduct listed in the Student Code of Conduct. Staff will communicate with students via their official College email account. The initial email will likely state the date and time of the preliminary meeting with the staff member. All meetings occur online, unless otherwise requested by the student.

What happens if I don’t make an appointment or skip my appointment?
If a student/RSO misses or skips an appointment the Student Rights and Responsibilities staff member will email the student/RSO to inform them of their missed appointment. An administrative hold will be placed on the student's account should the student miss their meeting. The hold will prevent a student from registering/withdrawing from classes until their conduct matter has been resolved. An RSO's status will be pending with Student Development should the RSO miss their appointment. 

What will happen at this appointment?
The preliminary meeting is typically a 60-minute meeting where students/RSO's are provided an opportunity to share their side of the story, an opportunity to inspect and review the information submitted to the College, and an opportunity to review the allegations against them with a Student Rights and Responsibilities staff member. 

What types of resolutions can be used to resolve student conduct cases? What is the difference between an Informal Resolution and Formal Disciplinary Hearings?

• Types of Resolutions: Under the Student Code of Conduct Procedures Section III(C), student conduct cases can be resolved through informal resolutions (including in absentia), formal hearings, (including in absentia), conduct case dismissal, or conflict resolutions. You can find a more detailed description of each resolution type in the Student Code of Conduct under the Procedures Section III(C).
• Informal Resolution: If the responding student or RSO accepts responsibility of the charge(s), they waive their right to a Formal Hearing and proceed directly to an informal resolution. The informal resolution may take place unless suspension, dismissal, or expulsion is a potential administrative sanction. 
• Formal Disciplinary Conference: A formal hearing may consist of either an Administrative Hearing or a Student Conduct Board Hearing. The hearing body will provide recommended findings and sanction(s), if applicable, to the Dean of Holistic Student Support, or designee. The Dean or designee is responsible for final decisions on all procedural issues and may modify established hearing procedures, as necessary.

Can I have an advisor present through the student conduct review process?
Yes. All students and RSOs going through the student conduct review process have the right to be accompanied by an advisor. The advisor may be any person, including an advocate, attorney, friend, or parent, who is not otherwise a party or witness involved in the alleged incident.

What if I am found in violation for violating the Rules of Conduct?
If a student/RSO is found in violation for violating the Rules of Conduct, administrative and/or educational sanction(s) will be assigned. Sanctions eligible for appeal are those resulting in suspension, dismissal, and/or expulsion.

Is there an appeals process?
Yes, if the student/RSO is suspended, dismissed, and/or expelled they can submit an appeal to the Vice President for Student Affairs. More information regarding the College's appeal process can be found in the Student Code of Conduct under the Procedures Section V. 

What happens if I get caught for an act of academic misconduct?
Any student determined by the professor to have been responsible for engaging in an act of academic dishonesty shall be subject to a range of academic penalties (apart from any sanctions that may be imposed pursuant to the Code). This includes but is not limited to: a ‘0’ for the assignment or an ‘F’ for the course. As defined in the Student Code of Conduct, all forms of academic misconduct, as listed in the College's  Academic Integrity Policy 6Hx28:8-11 are violations of the Code. A professor may report a student or RSO to the Dean of Holistic Student Support or designee. Following the conclusion of the student conduct review process, the professor may administer any further academy penalty in addition to any sanction(s) a student receives as a result of the student conduct review process if found in violation for academic misconduct.

Does the outcome go on my student record?
If a student is found in violation of any Rules of Conduct outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, the student will have a disciplinary record. The College maintains the disciplinary record in accordance to the institution's retention policy. 

How will a conduct record impact my future academic goals?
Should an institution to which a student is seeking to transfer or attend inquire as to their disciplinary record, Valencia College will communicate with that institution whether or not the student has a disciplinary record in accordance with the student's privacy rights. It is up to the other institution whether or not they will accept a student based on disclosed prior conduct history at Valencia College.

How do I file a grade dispute?
Please refer to the Reporting page to file a grade dispute.

How should disruptive behavior in the classroom be defined?
Disruptive Conduct is defined in the Student Code of Conduct Policy Section III(A)(7)(a) as:

"An act, whether intended or not, that has the effect of substantially impairing, interfering with, obstructing, or disrupting the normal processes, activities, and/or functions of the College community, learning environment, and/or impinges on the right of a person to be secure or left alone."

Disruptive activities as defined and prohibited in accordance with the criminal provisions of Section 877.13, Florida Statutes.

We recognize that circumstances in the classroom vary from class to class and that there is a different level of experience in managing disruptive behavior in the classroom. If there is misbehavior occurring in your classroom we encourage you as the professor or staff member to document the behavior as well as address the student. It the behavior exhibited is a violation of the Disruptive Conduct under the Rules of Conduct or any of the other Rules of Conduct found in our Student Code of Conduct, then you should notify your Academic Dean or supervisor and report the incident(s) to the office of Student Rights and Responsibilities by utilizing the Submit an Incident Report link or contacting them directly. Please refer to the Classroom Behavioral Intervention and Support Guide ("CBIS") for additional support.

How can disruptive behavior be discouraged?
We encourage you to keep open communication with your Academic Dean with regards to expectations of classroom management to ensure that you as the Faculty are upholding the expectations of classroom management from your department. 

What should I do in the face of persistent disruption?
Direct communication with a student about disruptive behavior is always best, especially when supported by explicit expectations of classroom behavior. However, if the disruptive behavior persists, faculty have the right to dismiss a student from one class period in order to address the behavior. In doing so, faculty should notify Student Rights and Responsibilities should the faculty wish to extend the dismissal past one class period.

When should I call Security?
You should call Security or direct other students to contact Security when there is an immediate threat of violence to the student or greater community. You may also contact security if you ask a student to leave the classroom and they refuse.

Should I act immediately or wait for a pattern of misbehavior to occur?
If there is an incident that is a violation of the Rules of Conduct, it is encouraged that you report the first time an incident occurs and every separate time after that instead of waiting to report a large number of incidents at the end of the semester. If misbehavior does not rise to the point of a conduct violation, but may disrupt normal classroom procedures, it is encouraged that the behavior is addressed in a timely manner to allow for a behavioral intervention to occur.

Are there any resources for classroom behavioral intervention?
Please refer to the CBIS form in Atlas listed under Faculty Resources.

Will I be notified if my student is charged with violating the Rules of Conduct?
Parents are not notified if their student is charged with violating the Rules of Conduct of the Valencia College Student Code of Conduct. The student will receive a notification via their College e-mail account with specific information regarding the student conduct review process. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain privacy rights with respect to their education records under Chapter 20, United States Code, section 1232g and other implementing regulations. FERPA provides students the right to provide written consent before the college discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s educational records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. If a student wishes to provide written consent to the College to allow a parent/guardian to view their disciplinary record, they need to sign into their Atlas account and complete a Student Consent to Release Education Records form. Please be aware, the student must be present with the parent/guardian to view the disciplinary record.

Now that my student has completed the FERPA release form, does this entitle me to speak or receive information on behalf of my student?
If the student completes the Student Consent to Release Education Records form it does not entitle a parent or guardian to receive information on behalf of a student. The student needs to be present in the student conduct review process. As the student’s advisor, you are not permitted to represent the student, the student must represent themselves.

What is my role in the student conduct review process? How can I help my student?
All students going through the student conduct review process has the right to be accompanied by an advisor. At their own discretion, person(s) who filed the report of alleged student conduct violation(s) and students referred for disciplinary action may be advised by a College student, faculty, or staff member or a personal friend. 

Can I attend the student conduct meeting and/or hearing with my student?
You may attend the student’s conduct meeting and/or hearing with your student as their Advisor.

How are sanctions decided?
A student is assigned sanctions if they are found in violation for or, take responsibility for an alleged violation of the Rules of Conduct listed in the Student Code of Conduct. Things that are taken into consideration with regards to sanctioning are: 1) if the student has a prior disciplinary history, 2) the educational/developmental needs of the student, and 3) the severity of the violations in which the student was found in violation.