Classroom Behavioral Expectations and Complaint Procedure
Faculty have an obligation to maintain an environment suitable for student learning. Students share in the responsibility of maintaining an environment which is conducive to learning. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with instructors' classroom expectations. These expectations may be listed in the course syllabus, posted on-line, or provided in-class. Any disruption by a student may have an impact on his/her continued presence in the course.
A disruption is any behavior and/or communication that interferes with the learning environment and/or a student's failure to follow a faculty member's oral and/or written direction.1 Should such disruption occur, the faculty member may do any of the following (or combination thereof):
- Warn the student that the behavior is not appropriate and that it must not continue;
- Ask the student to leave the classroom;
- Contact Public Safety if the disruption requires immediate intervention or if the student refuses to leave when ordered to do so.
If the student is asked to leave the classroom by the faculty member, the faculty member should make every effort to resolve the situation before the next class session, but in any event, no later than three (3) business days after the incident occurred.
If the situation cannot be resolved or if the situation required Public Safety intervention, then the matter will be referred to the appropriate Dean. The Dean, or her/his designee, will meet with all necessary parties in an effort to reach a resolution within three (3) business days of receiving the complaint. The resolution may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- A verbal agreement between the faculty member and student over the expectations for the student's continued presence in the course;
- A faculty member/student Learning & Teaching Agreement detailing the expectations for the student's return and continued presence in the course;
- A failing grade on an assignment or in the class;
- Removal from the class.
The Dean, or her/his designee, will send to the student's MVCC email a written decision of the resolution within two (2) business days of the meeting. The decision will inform the student of her/his right to an independent review by an Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, or her/his designee. If the student disagrees with the decision, he/she has two (2) business days to provide a written request for review to the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, or her/his designee, identified in the decision.
The request must include explanations for why the decision and resolution of the Dean, or her/his designee, is objectionable. The Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, or her/his designee, will review the written request and, if necessary, schedule a meeting with the student (and any other party). The Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, or her/his designee, will respond to the student in writing via email within three (3) business days of receiving the request or, if a meeting(s) is held, then within three (3) business days of the last meeting. The Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, or her/his designee, can either uphold, dismiss or modify the Dean's, or her/his designee, decision and it will be final and binding. If the student was removed from the class either initially or as a result of the Dean's, or her/his designee's, decision, the student will not be permitted to return to class until the request for review is resolved by the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, or her/his designee. If the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs ultimately decides to return the student to the class, it will be up to the discretion of the instructor as to whether the student can make up missed work. If the student is permanently removed from the class, a notice of removal may be placed in the student's file.
Repeated instances of disruptive behavior or first-time serious infractions may be referred to the Office of Civic Responsibilities.
1 Any disruption that falls under the Code of Conduct may result in an initiation of judicial procedures pursuant to that policy. Threats and/or threatening behavior may be reported to the Department of Public Safety immediately.