Student Rights & Responsibilities – Faculty and Staff FAQs

We highly encourage faculty to help educate students, on the first day of class, about their rights and responsibilities:

• Review the Student Standards of Conduct & include it in the syllabus
• Show Student Rights & Responsibilities informational video in class. The video is located on the Rights & Responsibilities website homepage
• Direct students to the Rights and Responsibilities website: austincc.edu/srr for more information

The Deans of Student Affairs are here to assist faculty and staff navigate through conduct concerns and questions that may occur while engaging with students. Each ACC campus has a Dean or Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

Additionally, the office of Student Affairs has developed ongoing training opportunities and workshops, throughout the academic year, discussing how to approach situations in the classroom and how the conduct process works.

If it appears that a student has violated a campus policy, as outlined in the Student Standards of Conduct, you can submit an online incident report (IR). The Dean or Associate Dean of Student Affairs will review the IR and initiate a preliminary review and investigation.

You can file a report using one of the online forms HERE. The account of the incident should be limited to the facts using objective language.

If a situation occurs that you believe may be associated with an underlying issue or potential sign of distress, you can submit a referral to the ACC CARES Team. CARES team members are dedicated to the prevention, early intervention and response to distressing, threatening and disruptive behaviors.

CARES referrals can be submitted online HERE.

Refer to the Conduct Process Flowchart to see the process step-by-step.

Yes, an appeal process is available to students who wish to challenge a conduct case outcome.

No. Only the Dean or Associate Dean of Student Affairs can issue a sanction for a conduct violation.

Yes, you can dismiss a student from your class or work area for the day and report an incident as a conduct violation. You may also request that the student be prevented from returning to class or work area until they attend a meeting with the dean/associate dean of student affairs.  A student may not be withdrawn from class without receiving proper due process.

It’s important to remain objective and listen to their complaint. Even the lowest level complaint should be heard. When appropriate, advise the student to attempt to resolve the matter informally. Some complaints may be based on a misunderstanding or miscommunication and can typically be resolved verbally.

Basic tips to follow include:

• Listen for the student’s reason for the complaint and show empathy.
• Restate the complaint to make sure you understand the issue.
• Investigate the problem fairly and thoroughly. Avoid being bias.
• Close the loop by resolving the complaint in a timely manner.

When a student submits a formal complaint, the complaint will be forwarded to the first level supervisor. The supervisor will investigate and address the complaint with the student and issue a resolution. As the respondent, be prepared to provide all relevant information to the supervisor conducting the investigation. It’s important to remain objective and cooperative during the process. It’s encouraged to continue seeking  informal resolution even after a formal complaint has been submitted. Students may drop formal complaints at any point in the process.

Yes. If a student is unsatisfied with the first level supervisor’s decision, the student has the right to appeal to the second level supervisor (ie: dean, director, or department chair). The student can appeal one more time to the third level supervisor (ie: AVC or Vice Chancellor), however the decision of the third level supervisor is final.

The Non-Academic Complaints process is designed to help students and ACC employees address disagreements and achieve resolution that is fair to all parties. Resolutions are not meant to be punitive.