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The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities ("OSRR") provide oversight, investigation, and consultation on student-related conduct issues. The different processes that OSRR governs include Code of Student Conduct Violations, General Complaints, Discrimination and Harassment Complaints, and Sexual Misconduct. All processes are reportable through the incident report link above. OSRR seeks to provide equity and fairness through the conduct process, while balancing the interests of the student, the College, and the community.
Complaint Processes Explained
Complaints related to behavioral concerns could include but are not limited to harassment, stalking, disruption, misuse of property, failure to comply, and retaliation. Because the Code of Student Conduct applies to student behavior, the complaint process always involves a student’s alleged behavior, whether the incident is against one or between multiple students.
General complaints include a College-related process, decision, or condition that a student believes to be unfair, inequitable, or to adversely affect their education. Examples include poor customer service in College office or a complaint against faculty or staff.
Discrimination is prohibited against students and any agent or employee of the College. Discrimination-related complaints may be based upon race, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, marital or veteran status.
Complaints alleging sexual misconduct include, but are not limited to sexual harassment, sexual violence, dating violence, intimate partner violence, domestic violence or stalking. These behaviors are prohibited against anyone, including students, College employees, College contractors, or third parties who are visiting the College or participating in a College activity.
For more information on the Complaint Processes, please see the Student Handbook.
Investigation Processes Explained
After receiving a complaint, OSRR will make an initial determination as to whether the allegations, even if true, describe a violation of the Code of Student Conduct and its related policies and procedures. If OSRR determines there is a potential violation of the Code of Student Conduct, the Dean of Student Rights and Responsibilities, or one of its Student Conduct Administrators, will conduct an impartial fact-finding investigation of all allegations. As part of the investigation, the investigator may interview any witnesses as necessary or appropriate.
If OSRR decides to investigate, the respondent, or the party with the alleged behavior in question, will receive notice and be given an opportunity to be heard. This opportunity is typically a conference meeting between the respondent and the OSRR investigator on the case. In the conference meeting, the respondent may share new evidence or other witnesses involved in the case.
Upon conclusion of the investigation, the investigator will make a determination as to whether the respondent is responsible or not responsible for violating the Code of Student Conduct. If the investigator determines by a preponderance of the evidence that the respondent has violated at least one provision of the Code of Student Conduct, the investigator will consider and subsequently impose appropriate sanction(s). When imposing sanctions, the investigator will use all available information and may consider prior discipline history.
The finding of responsibility, and the imposed sanctions will be communicated, in most cases, to the student’s official email account. Appeal request forms will be attached to this communication.
For more information on the investigative process or a list of possible sanctions, please see the Student Handbook.
Appeal Processes Explained
Upon the conclusion of the investigation process, and after issuance of a sanction, a student may appeal either the charge or sanction issued. The charge includes what type of code violation is identified and the finding of responsibility of the student. The sanction includes what remedial actions are put into effect after finding the student responsible of the code violation.
Students requesting an appeal must do so within five business days of the decision. Timely filing of an appeal suspends the effects of the proposed sanctions; however, interim actions may be enforced, such as interim safety suspension.
For more information on the Appeals Processes, please see the Student Handbook.
Additional Information
If you have an emergency or an immediate safety concern, please do not hesitate to contact the San Jacinto College Police Department at 281-476-9128. If you have a non-emergency safety concern, such as requesting a police escort to your car after hours, please call 281-476-1820.
If you are concerned for yourself or others regarding mental health or related matters, please contact the office of Advising, Career & Transfer. There are offices located at each of the main college campuses:
- Central and Maritime Campuses: 281-478-2768
- North and Generation Park Campuses: 281-459-7192
- South Campus: 281-922-3444
If you want to appeal your grade for a class or an assignment, you must follow the grade appeal process. This process can be found by clicking here.
If you are accused of cheating, plagiarism, collusion, or fabrication and want to understand the procedure, you can access it here.