Grievance Steps

Policy: Lone Star College System
assumes that students eligible to perform on a college level are familiar with ordinary rules governing proper conduct and that they will observe these rules as a matter of training and habit:

a. Policies of the District forbid gambling, hallucinogens, alcoholic beverages, and the appearance of any person on District property while under the influence of any of the above listed items. These policies are in effect when attending or participating in any activity sponsored by the college. Possession of firearms or other hazardous weapons while on the campus or while attending activities sponsored by the college are also prohibited.

b. No person or groups of persons acting in concert may willfully engage in disruptive activity or disrupt a lawful assembly on the campus or property of Lone Star College System; and, further, the administration is charged with the responsibility of keeping the college free of disruptive activities and may take whatever disciplinary action deemed necessary in instances of disruption.

c. Students are expected to dress and groom themselves in an
appropriate manner while on campus or while participating in activities sponsored by the college. Students who conduct themselves in such a manner as to cast unfavorable reflection on the college and thereby, on the students, are subject to disciplinary action.

d. Student conduct on the campus and in the classrooms is an important ingredient to a successful learning experience. Disruptive activity that hinders other students’ learning or deters an instructor from effective teaching will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

e. Students alleged to be in violation of the above policies are
guaranteed rights of due process prior to administrative
disciplinary action.

a. The student may be told what behavior is expected of him/her.

b. An individual conference may be scheduled with the student who persists in disrupting the class. The student may be told that dismissal from the class for an indefinite time may result if the disruptive activity does not stop immediately. The instructor may also confer with a supervisor or administrator if the disruptive behavior persists.

c. The instructor or any college employee should refer unresolved, serious, and/or sensitive problems to the vice president for student development.

d. A seriously disruptive student may be required to leave a
classroom or any other campus area and not return until he
or she has met with a designated administrator to resolve the problem.

e. An urgent disruptive situation should be reported immediately to a college vice president or, in his or her absence, dean, police officer, or other administrator on duty.

f. The disciplinary action taken by the vice president or administrator may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Dismissal for an indefinite period of time from an individual class;
• Suspension from any campus of Lone Star College System for one or more semesters;
• Limited suspension from a specific campus or college activity

g. Students have the right to appeal a decision in a disciplinary case to the Student Disciplinary Committee and may do so by submitting a written request to the CSAO within ten (10) days of notification of the disciplinary sanction.

Disciplinary Hearing Procedures
A student subject to a disciplinary sanction that significantly
affects his or her academic career or campus life has a right
to petition the Chief Student Affairs Officer (CSAO) for administrative review and to appeal for a formal hearing by the college’s Disciplinary Committee. Only the recipient of a disciplinary sanction has the right to appeal to the Disciplinary Committee, and only after the student’s case has been reviewed and ruled on by the CSAO.

It is the student’s responsibility to contact the CSAO to request an initial review of the alleged offense and subsequent sanction. The CSAO will investigate allegations, review relevant documents, provide a fair, informal hearing to the student, and notify the student in writing of his or her decision about sanctions. If the student wishes to appeal the CSAO’s decision, he or she may do so by submitting within ten (10) days of the postmark date on the CSAO’s written decision a written request to the CSAO requesting a formal appeal to the college’s Student Disciplinary Committee.

The appeal petition from the student must specify grounds that justify consideration of the appeal hearing. General dissatisfaction with the outcome of the decision shall not be accorded as a basis for consideration of an appeal. The three bases for an appeal are:

1. a procedural error which caused the CSAO’s hearing to lack
fundamental fairness; or

2. harshness of sanction sufficient to show an abuse of discretion by the CSAO; or

3. the emergence of new evidence that could not have been
previously discovered by the exercise of due diligence by the
student and that, had it been presented at the initial hearing, would have substantially affected the original decision of the CSAO.

A Student Disciplinary Committee will be appointed at each
college for one year by the CSAO and shall consist of:

1. Two faculty members
2. One non-teaching faculty or professional
3. One currently enrolled student

The CSAO will appoint one of the members to serve as chairperson of the Committee. Members will be replaced or added by the CSAO if conflict of interest is apparent or specific expertise is required in regard to the circumstances of an appeal.

The Committee will be convened by the Chairperson in a timely manner, and will conduct its activities in private. The student will be permitted to present witnesses and evidence relevant to the appeal. Upon the receipt of a letter of appeal, the CSAO shall forward the letter to the Chairperson of the Student Disciplinary Committee.

The Chairperson shall convene the committee to make an initial determination as to whether or not there are sufficient grounds for appeal. Appeals that do not allege sufficient grounds shall be denied consideration and shall be dismissed. Appeals that do allege sufficient grounds will be accepted by the Disciplinary Committee for consideration.

The Disciplinary Committee may, at its own discretion, permit written or oral statements. The alternatives available to the Disciplinary Committee are:

1. to sustain the recommended penalty;
2. to reverse the decision; or
3. to remand it to the CFAO (to reconsider the penalty, but not to reconsider the issues of guilt or innocence). When a request for formal appeal is received, the CSAO will forward all records of the investigation and initial administrative review to the Disciplinary Committee, designate a time and place for the hearing and notify all parties.

New evidence not available at the time of the original review must be brought to the attention of the CSAO for consideration before it can be presented on appeal. During the consideration of the appeal petition by the Disciplinary Committee, the committee may call witnesses, including the appellant, and may examine the record of the case. Disposition of the petition is made by a majority vote of the membership of the committee.

The Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee will notify the appellant and the CSAO of the Committee's decision in writing within ten (10) days of the formal appeals hearing. The decision of the Disciplinary Committee is final.

Lone Star College-Kingwood (including EMCID Center):
Dr. Nadine Jenkins
Dean, Student Development
281.312.1535

Lone Star College–Montgomery (including the Conroe Center):
Jade Borne
Dean of Student Development
936.273.7247

Lone Star College-North Harris (including Carver Center and Lone Star College-Greenspoint Center):
Bennie Lambert
Vice President, Student & Organizational Development
281.618.5417

Lone Star College–Tomball (including Lone Star College–Willow Chase Center):
Larry Rideaux
Dean for Enrollment Management
281.351.3334

Lone Star College–CyFair (including Lone Star College–Fairbanks Center):
Earl Campa
Vice President, Student Success
281.290.3950