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Student Conduct Policy

Educationally Supportive Environment

Any institution operating with thousands of people must have in place rules, policies and procedures protecting and supporting a cooperative educational environment. To maintain this environment, the college outlines a code of conduct that defines both misconduct and proper/ appropriate conduct WAC 132F-121-100.

Student Conduct Code

It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of the Student Conduct Code WAC 132F-121-100 and participate positively in the North Seattle College environment. 

A student’s responsibility in maintaining a good environment is to:

  • Maintain high standards of academic integrity
  • Respect the rights of others
  • Refrain from actions that endanger themselves or others
  • Comply with district and college rules and regulations
  • Comply with civil authority

When these areas are violated and a simple and direct means of resolution is attempted and is unsuccessful, conduct proceedings may begin. Infractions of the code are subject to intervention, sanctions or disciplinary action. For additional information, please review the Student Conduct Policy & Procedures. 

An instructor may take appropriate action to maintain order and proper conduct in the classroom and to maintain the effective cooperation of students in fulfilling the objectives of the course. If a student is so disorderly or disruptive that it is difficult or impossible to maintain classroom decorum faculty may remove the student from that day’s class session.

As faculty, if you experience classroom disruption resulting from misconduct, witness misconduct on school premises, or are aware of student academic dishonesty, please see your Dean and submit an incident report through Maxient to report the specific violation to Student Conduct Officer. 

Staff have the right to a peaceful and professional work environment. If a student is so disorderly or disruptive that it is difficult or impossible to interact with them, staff should immediately contact Safety and Security Office at (206) 934-3636 and/or their supervisor to report the incident.

In summary: Steps in Reporting a Misconduct Issue: 

  • Contact and report to Dean (faculty) or your supervisor (staff).
  • If applicable contact the Safety and Security Office at (206) 934-3636.
  • Document the situation immediately after the incident including:
    • Date
    • Time
    • Location
    • People involved
    • Witnesses
    • Statement of what occurred

Report a conduct issue through Maxient.    

What happens next?

Student Conduct incidents are reported to the Student Conduct Officer/Dean for Student Support via Maxient.

  • When a report of a violation occurs, the Dean will begin an investigation and determine the validity of the report.
  • The student(s) and witness(es) may be called for an initial interview.
  • The student will be notified of the violation, their rights and responsibilities and date of the Student Conduct hearing.
  • After the hearing, the student will be notified of the decision and what if any disciplinary sanctions apply.  Sanctions may include warnings, reprimands, probation, suspensions or expulsion.
  • Certain sanctions warrant the right to an appeal. 

Please note: Because student conduct proceedings are kept confidential, if you submit a conduct incident you will most likely not be notified or made aware of the hearing date, sanction or outcome unless it is educationally necessary.

Student Complaint Policy 

If a student has an informal complaint, please contact Michael Chen, Student Conduct Officer at michael.chen@seattlecolleges.edu.

The Student Complaints Policy (WAC 132F-121-060) describes the process students follow to complain about District or College policies and/or procedures that allegedly have not been followed by college personnel

Informal processing of student grievances (complaints) WAC 132F-121-070.

  • The goal is to informally resolve the grievance with the employee most closely responsible for the policy, procedure, or action. The college employee and student shall make a good faith effort to resolve the issue on a one-to-one basis.
  • Both parties should openly discuss the concern, attempt to understand the other's perspective, explore alternatives and attempt to arrive at a satisfactory resolution.
  • For assistance in identifying the appropriate person a student should contact a student process advocate, Molly Brown. The student may choose to engage with the student process advocate to guide them through the informal and formal complaint process.
  • If the student complainant believes that discussion with an employee respondent will not achieve or has not achieved a satisfactory result, the student may communicate about the matter with the respondent's supervisor. For assistance in identifying the appropriate person a student should contact a student process advocate, Molly Brown. The student may choose to engage with the student process advocate to guide them through the informal and formal complaint process.
  • A student complaint/issue against an instructor or staff member should be referred to the appropriate division Dean or Administrator. District policy and procedures outline student complaints to be processed on an informal basis first. This usually entails involvement of the instructor and the Dean/Administrator to resolve the complaint at the informal level.
  • This informal process must be completed in a timely manner. In general, a student wishing to express a grievance should do so as soon as the grievance arises, but no later than the end of the quarter in which the issue occurred.
  • If the student feels the complaint was not resolved, the student has the option of filing a formal complaint online.
  • Student Complaint Policy Details | Seattle Colleges
  • Student Complaint Procedure Details | Seattle Colleges

Notification of Title IV Student Complaint Process

The Higher Education Act (HEA) prohibits an institution of higher education from engaging in a “substantial misrepresentation of the nature of its educational program, its financial charges, or the employability of its graduates.” 20 U.S.C. §1094(c)(3)(A). Further, each state must have “a process to review and appropriately act on complaints concerning the institution including enforcing applicable state laws.” 34 C.F.R. § 600.9. The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) maintains a process to investigate complaints of this nature brought by community and technical college students in the state of Washington. For information, contact SBCTC Student Services, PO Box 42495, Olympia, WA 98504-2495, studentservices@sbctc.edu, 360-704-4315 or visit sbctc.edu.

  • Webpage: Consumer Protection (Title IV) Student Complaint Process

Student Formal Grade Complaints

The Formal Grade Student Complaints (WAC 132F-121-090) regarding grades received for course work can be filed using the informal or formal complaint procedure. A student may formally grieve only the final grade received in a course, but that complaint may include any or all of the components of that final grade. For a grade complaint, the respondent(s) shall be, or include, the instructor who issued the grade.      
A formal complaint regarding a grade must be filed not later than the last day of the quarter which follows the quarter for which the disputed grade was received, except that a complaint regarding a spring quarter grade may be filed through the last day of the following fall quarter.