Bossier Parish Community College is in compliance with this federal requirement. Student concerns and complaints may be registered at various levels of the College. Four levels of student complaints are considered. Student complaints may address academic concerns and appeals, academic misconduct concerns, discrimination concerns, and nonacademic disciplinary concerns. Bossier Parish Community College has adequate procedures for addressing written student complaints and demonstrates that it follows those procedures when resolving student issues.
Student academic concerns are outlined in the Bossier Parish Community College General Catalog 46-47 and the Student Handbook 7, under Academic Policies and Procedures.
Students who wish to appeal their academic standing must write a letter to the Academic Appeals Committee within 45 calendar days from the semester end. Students must state within the letter, along with documentation, the reasons why their academic standing should be reevaluated. The Academic Appeals Committee meets and evaluates the student's appeal. The student is notified of the committee's decision by the Registrar.
Students who wish to appeal their grades must fill out the Student Academic Appeal Form that is available through the Division Chair of each academic department. The signed form is then taken to the instructor by the student. If the matter cannot be resolved between instructor and student, the student may then submit the form to the Division Chair. If the student is still dissatisfied, he/she may submit the form to the Registrar for consideration by the Academic Appeals Committee. The committee will meet and evaluate the student's request along with any information provided by the instructor and Division Chair. The Registrar will inform the student of the committee's decision.
Each student is responsible for reading and obeying all the rules outlined in the Code of Student Conduct in the General Catalog 63-65 and Student Handbook 1 -3
Students charged with Academic Misconduct will be notified by the instructor. The instructor must fill out the Academic Misconduct Student Notification and Counseling Form and document all evidence of misconduct per the instructions found in the General Catalog 68 and the Student Handbook 5-6.
The first stage of the appeal involves a meeting with the Division Chair. If the student fails to appear for this meeting, it is viewed as an admission of guilt. The Division Chair may dismiss the charges or deem the charges justified and refer the matter to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. The Vice Chancellor may then settle the matter without a hearing or refer the matter to the Academic Misconduct Appeals Committee for a formal hearing. The student has the right to appeal the decision of the committee to the Chancellor of the College.
Records of academic appeals and grade changes are kept in the Bossier Parish Community College Registrar's Office. Records for academic misconduct are kept on file in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the respective offices of the Division Chairs.
- Discrimination Grievances (Title, Title IX, Section 504 and ADA)
At Bossier Parish Community College, student concerns and complaints that relate to Discrimination Grievance (Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, and ADA) are handled following the procedures outlined in the Student Handbook 10-12 and the General Catalog 69.
A student is initially encouraged to resolve the problem informally. If the problem cannot be resolved informally, a written grievance must be filed with the proper authority within thirty (30) days from the date of the alleged violation. Grievance Forms are found on the school website and are also available from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and /or the Office of Human Resources.
The student then requests a resolution and/or corrective action for Title VI, Section 504 and ADA, from that compliance coordinator. The student may choose to bypass Bossier Parish Community College's grievance procedures and file a complaint with the appropriate Office of Civil Rights. The names and locations of these compliance officers may be obtained from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Counseling Center, and the Office of Human Resources, as well as the Student Handbook 10-11
Nonacademic appeals may be registered through several means. BPCC considers non-academic appeals to be the following:
- Student Grievances
- Anti-Hazing
- Discriminatory and Derogatory Acts
- Equal Opportunity
- Dress Code
- Sexual Assault
- Sexual Harassment
- Disciplinary Violations
If an instructor has a disciplinary problem with a student, the instructor must fill out the Disciplinary Referral Form and send the form to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. The Vice Chancellor will then meet with the student and afterwards inform the instructor on the sanctions enforced. If the student is dissatisfied, he/she may appeal the decision to the Disciplinary Appeals Committee. The student is informed of his/her due process rights as well as the time, date, and place of the formal hearing. Should the student be dissatisfied with the outcome of the Disciplinary hearing, he/she may appeal to the Chancellor. After all other due process procedures have been fulfilled, should the student still be unsatisfied with the outcome, he/she may appeal to the LCTCS Board of Supervisors.
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), BPCC is responsible for maintaining student records and supervising the release of any information on its students. All students are considered independent unless the parents document dependence. If students wish to inspect certain record(s), they must file a written request identifying the record(s). Students are annually notified of FERPA on the BPCC website and in the General Catalog 71-72. Additionally, FERPA complaints can be filed with the Family Policy Compliance Office.
Bossier Parish Community College has adequate procedures for addressing written student complaints and demonstrates it follows those procedures when resolving student nonacademic complaints. Such procedural compliance can be further verified through the information in locked case files in the Office of Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Detailed guidelines which involve academic appeals, academic misconduct, discrimination, and nonacademic disciplinary concerns are located in the General Catalog and in the Student Handbook, to which all students have access.
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