General Policies and Procedures

General Policies And Procedures

In order to ensure that all students are familiar with their rights and responsibilities, Delgado Community College publishes policy and procedures information on the college’s home page. Student rights and responsibilities are also listed in each semester’s Student Handbook.

Student Rights

In order to provide conditions indispensable to the full achievement of the objectives of higher education, the college guarantees the following rights to all students:

1. Consideration for admission to the College and equal participation in all College offerings, programs and activities, without regard to race, color, religious or political affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship, national origin, age, disability/handicap or marital status or veteran’s status, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, or the sickle cell trait.
2. Participation in campus, local, national, or international organizations for intellectual, religious, social, political, economic, or cultural purposes when such organizations do not infringe upon the rights of others.
3. Ability to freely engage, individually or in association with others, in off-campus activities, provided students do not claim to represent the College.
4. Issuance of publications following appropriate procedures.
5. Democratic student governance.
6. Use of campus facilities, with appropriate approval.
7. Choice of speakers and topics, subject to approval.
8. Petition for changes through proper channels.
9. Due process in discipline matters.

Student Responsibilities

Acceptable student conduct is determined, in most cases, by good sense and judgment. The following acts as set forth by legislative action and Board of Supervisors policy are contrary to acceptable conduct. Any student who commits or attempts to commit any of these acts will be subject to disciplinary proceedings.

1. Intentional obstruction or disruption of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary procedure, or other authorized college event.
2. Unauthorized occupation of or unauthorized entry into any college facility.
3. Verbal, emotional, physical abuse, or threat thereof against any person on campus or at any college authorized event, or other conduct that threatens or endangers the health and safety of any such persons.
4. Theft or damage to property of the College or injury to a person on the campus.
5. Intentional interference with the right of access to college facilities or with any lawful right of any person on the campus.
6. Setting a fire on campus without proper authority.
7. Unauthorized use or possession on the campus of fire arms, ammunition, or other dangerous weapons, substance, or materials.
8. Dishonesty such as cheating or plagiarism or knowingly furnishing false information to the college.
9. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of college documents, records or identification.
10. Use, possession, or distribution of narcotic or dangerous drugs such as marijuana, hallucinogens, or other drugs which are not prescribed or expressly permitted by law.
11. Failure to comply with the directives of campus police officials and law enforcement officers acting in performance of their duties, or to identify oneself to these officers when requested to do so.
12. Conduct which adversely affects the student’s suitability as a member of the academic community (e.g., drunkenness, use of profanity, disorderly conduct).
13. Aiding or inciting others to commit any act set forth above.
14. Smoking in any college facility.
15. Gambling in any form on college property.
16. Use or possession of any alcoholic beverage on campus except at functions as approved by the Chancellor of the College.
17. Misuse or Abuse of Computer Equipment, Programs, or Data—Unauthorized use of computing resources or use of computing resources for unauthorized purposes is prohibited by the College’s Information Technology security policy. This may include but is not limited to such activities as accessing or copying programs, records, or data belonging to the College or another user without permission; attempting to breach the security of another user’s account or deprive another user of access to the College’s computing resources; knowingly or carelessly performing an act that will interfere with the normal operation of computers, terminals, peripherals, or networks; using the College’s computing resources for personal or financial gain; allowing non-college personnel access to college computing resources; displaying obscene, lewd, or sexually harassing images or text in use of college computing services; transporting copies of College programs, records, or data to another person or computer site without written authorization; attempting to destroy or modify programs, records or data belonging to the College or another user.

Actions requiring discipline are not limited to the above.

Student Judicial Procedure

In case of student misconduct, the following procedures apply:

1. Report is made in writing to the Director of Student Life within one week of the incident.
2. The Director of Student Life or designee, having determined that a violation has taken place, interviews the student within one week.
3. The Director of Student Life or designee either notifies the parties involved that no disciplinary action is merited or investigates the charges further.
4. The Director of Student Life or designee then either proposes a sanction through a resolution conference or schedules a hearing with the College Judicial Committee. In either case, the student is informed.
5. The student may challenge the decision of the Director of Student Life or designee by requesting a hearing before the College Judicial Committee.
6. Following the hearing and within three business days of notification of the Committee’s decision, the student may appeal to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Learning and Student Development.
7. Within three business days of notification of the decision by the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Learning and Student Development, the student may appeal to the Vice Chancellor for Learning and Student Development.
8. Within three business days of notification of the decision by the Vice Chancellor for Learning and Student Development, the student may appeal to the Chancellor.

(For a complete description of the policy and procedures, see the College’s “Student Judicial Code” policy, which is available on the College’s home page and in the Office of Student Life of each campus or site.)

Drug-Free Campus Policy

Delgado Community College prohibits the abuse of drugs, including alcohol. It is unlawful to possess, use, or distribute illicit drugs on Delgado property or at any college-sponsored event, whether or not the event occurs on campus. In addition, Delgado prohibits the use of alcohol on campus, except as designated in the college policy “Alcoholic Beverages at Student Functions (SA-1475.1C, 1997).” The college provides counseling, referral services, and other assistance to students, faculty, and staff who seek help with substance abuse problems.

Alcohol and drugs can seriously damage physical and mental health, as well as jeopardize personal and public safety. For these reasons, violators of the Delgado drug policy will face disciplinary action, as outlined in “Drug-Free College” (PR-2530.1A, 1997). Penalties for students who are substance abusers include suspension or expulsion. Penalties for faculty and staff members include termination of employment. As with all illegal activities, substance abuse can result in criminal prosecution as well, under state and federal laws, including section 22 of the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act Amendment of 1989 (Public Law of 101- 226).

The Student Health Service, Room 102, Building 11, City Park Campus, will answer any questions about alcohol and/or drugs and their effects.

College Sanctions

Violations of the college drug policy by students, faculty, or staff will result in disciplinary action. Depending on the nature of the offense, this can take the form of a written reprimand, suspension, demotion, reduction in pay, or termination of the person’s association with Delgado. Disciplinary actions against students will be imposed in accordance with the school standards.

Legal Sanctions

It is unlawful in Louisiana to produce, manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess illegal drugs. The most common illegal drugs on college campuses are marijuana, opium derivatives, hallucinogens, depressants, cocaine, cocaine derivatives, and amphetamines. The Criminal Code of Louisiana carries specific penalties for the possession and use of illegal drugs.

It is also unlawful in Louisiana for anyone under 21 years of age to purchase or possess any alcoholic beverages for any reason, in any place open to the public. Driving under the influence of alcohol is illegal in Louisiana, and anyone with a blood alcohol level of .10 or above will be charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI).

Educational Records

Delgado Community College retains and disposes of educational records in accordance with the recommendations of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, as published in “Retention of Records: A Guide for Retention and Disposal of Student Records (2000).”

In accordance with the College’s Student Records Policy, Policy and Procedures Memorandum SA-1442.2B, educational records are maintained by the Office of the Registrar. A student’s application for admission, transfer transcripts, entrance exam scores, and any record that indicates advanced standing credit are kept for five years after graduation or date of last attendance. The following are permanent educational records: academic records (including narrative evaluations, competency assessments, etc.), change of grade forms, class lists (original grade sheets), and graduation lists.

Student Account Records

In accordance with the College’s Student Records Policy, Policy and Procedures Memorandum SA-1442.2B, student account records are maintained by the Controller’s Office. Delgado Community College maintains its student account records in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), pronouncements of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), and other applicable laws and regulations.

Family Education Rights And Privacy Act

In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (Sec. 513 of P.L. 93- 380, Education Amendments of 1974, which amends the General Education Provisions Act Sec. 438), postsecondary students attending Delgado Community College have access to their official records as follows:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy or other rights.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that the Act and the regulations authorize disclosure without consent.
4. The right to file with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the requirements of the Act and the regulations.
5. The right to obtain a copy of the institution’s student record policy.

Under this Act, Delgado Community College assumes that all students are independent. Parents of dependent students must prove such dependence through the presentation of the latest 1040 form filed with the IRS before they will be granted access to any student record of their dependent. The Act provides that certain information, designated as directory information, concerning the student may be released by the college unless the student has informed the college that such information should not be released.

Directory information includes the student’s name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, date and place of birth, date of enrollment, division in which enrolled, full or part-time status, classification, major, degree(s) earned, awards, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height (of members of athletic teams), and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended. A student who desires that any or all of the above listed information not be released must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing each semester within 10 days after the final day of registration.

Requests for further information should be made to the Office of the Registrar.

Environmental Safety

Campus Police Department

The Campus Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for Delgado Community College. Campus Police Officers are commissioned by the State of Louisiana with full arrest powers. Officers are assigned to the City Park, West Bank, and Charity School of Nursing campuses, as well as the Slidell/Northshore, LTC Jefferson, and LTC West Bank sites. The Delgado Campus Police Department will request the assistance of other law enforcement agencies as needed, and have established positive relationships with local law enforcement agencies. Campus Police Officers provide uniform patrol services on each of its campuses using a variety of deployment strategies: vehicle, bicycle, and foot patrols.

The Delgado Community College Campus Police Department is dedicated to providing professional law enforcement services to our community. The Delgado Campus Police Department seeks and welcomes input from our school community regarding the quality of services provided. The Police Department’s non-emergency telephone number is 671-6112. In the event of an emergency, on City Park, West Bank and Charity School of Nursing Campuses the emergency number is 671-6111, on Northshore/Slidell call 646-6420 to report an emergency.

Crime Statistics

The Delgado Community Campus Police Department maintains daily statistics of reported crimes, which are available to the college community for review during business hours at the Communications Office located in Building 1 Annex on the City Park Campus, and are also available on the College web site at www.dcc.edu. The table is a summary of criminal offenses reported to Campus Police for the past four years.

Smoke-Free Building Policy

In response to recent scientific studies of the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and the Louisiana Office Indoor Clear Air Law, Act 1106, effective January, 1993, Delgado Community College became a smoke-free environment. Smoking by employees, students, and visitors is permitted only outside college buildings.

Student Grievance

The purpose of the student grievance procedure is to afford students an orderly process for the redress of non-academic and non-financial grievances. Students are encouraged to resolve grievances informally and use the formal student grievance procedure as a last resort. Student grievance forms may be obtained from the Office of Student Life on each campus or on the College’s web site.

A student wishing to file a grievance should fill out the form and follow the instructions contained therein. If the student’s grievance is not satisfied through direct contact with the employee or department involved, the student may appeal through the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, as indicated on the student grievance form.

Sexual Harassment Policy

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for employees and under Title IX of the Elementary/Secondary Education Act of 1972 for students.

Sexual harassment may be unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other physical and expressive behavior of a sexual nature whereby: (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s education; (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for academic decisions affecting the individual; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or demeaning educational environment. No student—either male or female—should be subjected to unsolicited and unwelcome sexual overtures or conduct, either verbal or physical.

The educational mission of Delgado Community College is to foster an open learning environment. The ethical obligation to provide an environment that is free from sexual harassment and from the fear that it may occur is implicit in the College policy on “Sexual Harassment” (PR-1732.1, 1998).

Each campus has Confidential Advisors who are trained in handling complaints of sexual harassment. Generally, each campus has two Confidential Advisors; the names of these advisors are available in the Provost/Dean’s Offices, the Student Government Association (SGA) Offices, and the Division Offices. Persons who have complaints should consult one of these advisors.

Traffic Appeal Procedure

Faculty, staff, and students who have received Campus Police traffic citations have the right to appeal. The traffic appeal process requires that an appeal must be made within five working days of the issue date of the contested citation. The Traffic Appeals Committee meets to review contested citations.

A person who wishes to contest a traffic citation should pick up a Traffic Appeals Application which is available in the Campus Police Office or on the College’s web site. Supporting documentation should be attached to the appeal. A letter stating the reasons the person believes he/she is entitled to a cancellation of the assessed fine may also be attached to the form.