Student Rights & Responsibilities

Student Information

Children on Campus

SVC allows high school students on campus for instruction and other learning activities, but children are generally not permitted on campus unless they are directly supervised by a parent or responsible adult who is officially enrolled in classes or directly involved in an instructional process. In no case, even if accompanied by a parent or other adult, are children permitted in classrooms, labs, shops, or any area where potential hazards exist, with the exception of children directly involved in the instructional process (for example, Even Start, Kids College).

Individuals who bring children to campus are responsible for their supervision at all times; leaving children unattended in public areas such as the Student Lounge or Cafeteria does not meet this supervision standard. SVC officials will contact parents or other parties responsible for children left unattended on campus, and inform them that children must be properly supervised while on campus. Individuals who bring children to campus and refuse to abide by these guidelines will be referred to security or college officials and are subject to student discipline.

Comprehensive Veterans Education Information Policy

SVC does not and will not provide any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollment or financial aid to any persons or entities engaged in any student recruiting or admissions activities or in making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance.

Drug Free Workplace Policy

In accordance with the Federal Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988, SVC strives to create a safe and secure learning environment. Employees are expected and required to report to work in an appropriate mental and physical condition to perform their assigned duties. SVC’s Drug-Free Workplace Policy can be found here.

Equal Opportunity & Title IX

Community College District #4 provides equal opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, ethnicity, or disability in the educational programs and activities which it provides. All employees, vendors, and organizations with which the college does business are required to comply with all applicable federal and state statutes and regulations designed to promote equal opportunity.

Skagit Valley College offers bachelor’s degrees, academic transfer degrees, workforce education degrees and certificates, basic education for adults, and lifelong learning opportunities. SVC is committed to equity as its framework in providing access, supporting achievement, and strengthening the community.

It is the policy of SVC to provide a working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. SVC provides a drug-free environment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity, pregnancy, genetic information, age, marital status, disability, honorably discharged veteran or military status in its programs and employment.

This policy also prohibits retaliation as a result of an individual filing a report of discrimination or harassment or participating in an investigation of a claim of discrimination or harassment.

This policy applies to all programs and facilities, including, but not limited to, admissions, educational programs, and employment. SVC complies with all Washington State anti-discrimination laws (Chapter 49.60 RCW) and the following federal laws relating to equal opportunity: Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

SVC has an open admission policy. Students must apply for admission and register for credit-bearing classes. SVC is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. SVC will take steps to ensure that the lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in all educational programs.

Coordination of the compliance efforts of SVC with respect to equal opportunity and disability accommodation regulations is under the direction of Carolyn Tucker, Vice President of Human Resources/EEO, at 360.416.7794 orcarolyn.tucker@skagit.edu, 2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon, WA 98273, for non-discrimination, equal opportunity, affirmative action, or the American with Disabilities Act policies.

SVC and the Disability Access Services (DAS) office are committed to ensuring equal access to all programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. SVC and DAS are dedicated to working with students, staff, faculty, and community members in developing and implementing the most appropriate strategies and reasonable accommodations for an equitable experience while maintaining the academic standards and integrity of the mission of the college. If you need disability accommodation at an SVC event, please contact Disability Access Services at das@skagit.edu, or visit Lewis Hall, room 114, on the Mount Vernon campus.

The following person is the designated Title IX Coordinator: Sandy Jordan, Title IX Coordinator, at 360.416.7923, or sandy.jordan@skagit.edu; or titleix@skagit.edu, 2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon, WA 98273, for Title IX/504 compliance.

Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)

Under FERPA, students have the right to:

• Inspect all of their educational records.

• Request that their records be amended.

• Privacy of their records (with very few exceptions)

• Have information released upon request

Under FERPA and SVC Policy 5200 - Student Records, the following information is listed as Directory Information and is not confidential:

Students may request that their directory information be withheld from disclosure by updating their privacy settings in ctcLink or by contacting the Registrar.

Students who would like to release FERPA-protected information to a third party must submit an Information Release Form with the third party named and the information to be released specified. A non-SVC information release form may be used if it includes the required information. Third parties include parents and guardians of underage students.

Please visit our FERPA web page or the U.S. Department of Education website for more detailed information.

Inter-College Transfer & Articulation Among Washington Public Colleges & Universities

Student Rights & Responsibilities

• Non-Discrimination Policy
  All the colleges and universities in Washington maintain a policy of not discriminating against students because of their age, sex, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, veteran’s status, familial relationship, expunged juvenile record, association with anyone of a particular race, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, or religion, as published in official institutional bulletins.

• Information Dissemination & Acquisition
  Students have the right to expect fair and equitable treatment from the public colleges and universities of Washington, both sending and receiving institutions. They have the right to expect reasonable efforts on the part of colleges to make accurate and current information available. They have, in turn, the responsibility of seeking out current information pertaining to their educational objectives, and for acquiring appropriate information when they change their academic plans. When a student changes major or degree program, the student must assume full responsibility for meeting the new requirements. Colleges will make every effort to help students make transitions as smoothly as is feasible.

Review and Appeal

• Student Appeals
  Students who encounter transfer difficulties should first seek resolution through the receiving institution’s transfer officer. If not resolved at this level, the student may appeal in writing to the transfer officer of the sending institution. The transfer officers will confer and attempt to resolve the problem. In the event the transfer officers cannot resolve the issue within two weeks, the matter will be referred to the two chief academic/instructional officers for resolution. Within two weeks after the academic officers have conferred, a decision will be rendered by the chief academic office of the receiving institution.

• Inter-Institutional Disputes
  In the event of inter-institutional transfer disagreements, it is the responsibility of the two transfer officers to resolve the dispute wherever possible. If not resolved at this level within two weeks, the two transfer officers will refer the matter to the two chief academic/instructional officers for resolution. Unresolved inter-institutional transfer disputes will be referred for review and recommendation to a committee composed of three representatives appointed by the Washington Association of Community College Presidents and three representatives of the Inter-institutional Committee for Academic Officers of the state’s public four-year institutions. A report to the two institutions will be rendered when this committee has completed its deliberations. The chief academic officers of the affected institutions will respond in a formal report to the committee within four weeks indicating actions to be taken in response to committee recommendations.

Implementation & Revision of Policy

This policy will be implemented and maintained through the cooperative efforts of State institutions of higher education, the State Board for Community College Education, and the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

List of One-Year Transfer Courses - “Washington 45”

This agreement is not intended to replace the Direct Transfer Agreement, Associate of Science Tracks I and II, or any Major Related Program agreement, nor will it guarantee admission to a four-year institution.

A student who completes courses within designated areas listed below at a public community or technical college or four-year college in Washington State will be able to transfer and apply a maximum of 45 quarter credits toward general education requirement(s) at any other public and most private higher education institutions in the state*.

For transfer purposes, a student must have a minimum grade of C or better (2.0 or above) in each course completed from this list.

Students who transfer “Washington 45” courses must still meet a receiving institution’s admission requirements and eventually satisfy all their general education requirements and their degree requirements in major, minor and professional programs.

First-Year Transfer List of General Education Courses

• Communications (5 credits) - ENGL& 101 , ENGL& 102  

• Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning (5 credits) - MATH& 107 , MATH& 148 , or MATH& 151 

• Humanities (10 credits in two different subject areas**) - PHIL& 101 , MUSC& 105  , DRMA& 101 , or HUM& 101

• For colleges that use History as a Humanities - HIST& 116  , HIST& 117  , HIST& 118 , HIST& 146  , HIST& 147  , HIST& 148 

• Social Science (10 credits in two different subject areas) - PSYC& 100  , SOC& 101:E , POLS& 101  , POLS& 202   

• For colleges that use History as a Social Science - HIST& 116  , HIST& 117  , HIST& 118  , HIST& 146  , HIST& 147  , HIST & 148  

• Natural Sciences (10 credits in two different subject areas) - ASTR& 100  , ASTR& 101   w/lab,BIOL& 100  , BIOL& 160   w/lab, CHEM& 105  , CHEM& 110  w/lab, CHEM& 121   w/lab, CHEM& 161   w/lab, CHEM& 162   w/lab, ENVS& 101  , GEOL& 101   w/lab

• An additional 5 credits in a different subject area can be taken from any category listed above to bring total to 45 credits.

NOTE: Although these courses are listed under categories, the actual course may satisfy a different general education category at a receiving institution.

* Many private non-profit colleges and universities have distinct general education requirements, therefore, students should check with institution(s) they plan to attend regarding application of transfer credits that will meet general education requirements.

**Disciplines are sometimes called subject or subject matter areas and designated by a prefix (for example, PHIL for Philosophy and POLS for Political Science).

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.

To submit a student complaint, please create an account through the SBCTC Consumer Protection Title IV Student Complaint Portal.

Security Services at SVC

Student Parking

Parking on the Mount Vernon Campus is available on a “first come, first served” basis, in parking lots designated as student spaces with a student parking permit sticker. Student parking permits are available at the Security Office at no additional cost.

SVC Security is tasked with enforcing parking and traffic rules on campus. Ticketing is a tool used to modify unwanted parking behavior and not for generating revenue. Two parking violations that will consistently receive enforcement focus are violations of Visitor and violations of Staff parking space restrictions. Fine-based ticketing for parking violations begins the second week of each quarter. Parking permits are not required for parking on the Whidbey Island campus.

For more parking information, visit our Security Services page at https://www.skagit.edu/security-services/parking.html.

Emergency Notification System

SVC uses RAVE as our Emergency Notification System (ENS). RAVE is used to communicate with students and employees in the event of a college emergency, weather-related delay, or closure of a campus. The RAVE Alert system can send email and text message notifications directly to your mobile phone. You can learn more about the RAVE alert system and how to sign up for additional notifications by visiting www.getrave.com.

In addition to RAVE, our three main campuses are equipped with Alertus beacons, sirens, and outdoor speakers. These carry the messages sent out via RAVE. SVC’s main web page, Facebook, and X also provide the ENS messaging.

Emergency Notification System messaging is a foundation of SVC’s emergency preparedness. SVC also maintains its All Hands Emergency Response Plan that provides information and actions meant to minimize the negative impact of an emergency on students, employees, visitors, and facilities. We recognize that the key in any emergency situation is quick and accurate communication to all concerned.

Annual Security Report

SVC’s Annual Security Reports and additional safety and emergency preparedness manuals are found here.

Incident Reporting

SVC uses Incident Report Forms to receive, track, and record violations of college and campus rules, policies, and procedures. Reporting options can be found at http://www.skagit.edu/incident-reporting/.

Security Offices

SVC has Campus Security Officers (CSOs) on duty at both Mount Vernon and Whidbey Island campuses as follows:

• Mount Vernon campus (24 hours) - Cardinal Center Room 110, (360) 416-7777

• Whidbey Island campus (7A-10P) - Hayes Hall Room 113, (360) 679-5383

Placement Reciprocity Agreement Policy

For all entering students at any Washington community and technical college, system policy provides that:

• A student who qualifies for a specific level of pre-college math, English, or reading, either through course completion or local skills assessment, will have that course placement level honored at another Washington CTC if the student so requests, even if the courses may not be exact equivalents.

• A student who qualifies for entry into college-level math, English, or reading, either through course completion or local skills assessment, will be considered to have met the entry college-level standard at every community and technical college.

• Students requesting reciprocity must initiate the process within one year of their initial placement assessment.

Record of Student Complaints Policy

In accordance with USDOE regulation 602.16(a)(1)(ix), an institution will make available an account of the student complaints it has received, its processing of those complaints, and how that processing comports with the institution’s policies and procedures on the handling of grievances or complaints. The Commission reviews the institution’s record of complaints as part of the institution’s Year Three or Year Seven Evaluation.

Sexual Harassment Policy

It is the intent of Skagit Valley College to prohibit discrimination of any kind, including sexual harassment, as defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in its guidelines on sexual harassment in 1980 under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If a student believes they have been subject to sexual harassment or other forms of prohibited discrimination, they may file a complaint at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SkagitValleyCollege&layout_id=3 or contact the Title IX/EEO Office at titleix@skagit.edu.

Procedures for handling complaints are found in SVC’s Operational and Policies and Procedures Manual (OPPM):

• 3070 Discrimination and Harassment

• 3075 Sexual Harassment Investigation and Disciplinary Procedures

Student Absence for Reasons of Faith or Conscience

Skagit Valley College will grant reasonable accommodation so that grades are not impacted for students who are absent for reasons of faith or conscience, or for an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Such absences must be requested in writing within the first two weeks of the quarter and may not incur additional fees for students. Students’ grades may not be adversely impacted by absences authorized under this policy. Each holiday taken under this policy must be taken as a whole day, that is, the day may not be divided into hours and taken piecemeal. Students who have concerns about approval or a grade impact may utilize the student grievance procedure for concerns not directly related to grades, or to the grade appeal process in cases impacting a final grade.

Procedure

1. Students must coordinate an absence with the Office of the Vice President of Instruction within the first two weeks of the quarter. All requests for authorized absences under this policy must be in writing and contain a concise explanation of how the requested holiday is related to a reason of faith or conscience or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. The electronic request form is located at https://www.skagit.edu/policies/4150.html.

2. All absences under this policy must be authorized by the Office of the Vice President of Instruction in advance of the absence. The college will not authorize an absence for a student after the absence occurs without compelling circumstances.

3. The Office of the Vice President of Instruction will provide the student with a document verifying the date of the authorized absence and further instructions. In order to ensure that their absence does not negatively affect their grades, the student must comply with directions for notifying their instructors of their upcoming authorized absence. The student is solely responsible for ensuring the documentation authorizing the absence is provided to each of the instructors whose classes or assignments will be affected by the absence.

4. After an instructor is notified by the student of an upcoming absence, the instructor will determine what adjustments, if any, will need to be made to the student’s scheduled classwork or assignments. The instructor will inform the student of these adjustments within two business days of receiving the student’s notification. “Business Day” means a weekday, excluding weekends and college holidays.

5. If the student’s desired absence date is on a day when a test is scheduled or an assignment is due, the instructor may require that the student take the test or submit the assignment before or after the regularly assigned date.

6. Regardless of an instructor’s class expectations or grading policies, absences authorized under this policy will not adversely impact a student’s grade

7. If a student fails to notify any of their instructors of an authorized absence (as directed by the Office of the Vice President of Instruction), the instructor is not obligated to make any accommodations for the student’s absence or treat the absence as authorized under this policy or the law.

Transfer Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

• Students have the right to clear, accurate, and current information about their transfer admission requirements, transfer admission deadlines, degree requirements, and transfer policies that include course equivalencies.

• Transfer and freshman entry students have the right to expect comparable standards for regular admission to programs and comparable program requirements.

• Students have the right to seek clarification regarding their transfer evaluation and may request the reconsideration of any aspect of that evaluation. In response, the college will follow established practices and processes for reviewing its transfer credit decisions.

• Students who encounter other transfer difficulties have the right to seek resolution. Each institution will have a defined process for resolution that is published and readily available to students.

• Students have the responsibility to complete all materials required for admission and to submit the application on or before the published deadlines.

• Students have the responsibility to plan their courses of study by referring to the specific published degree requirements of the college or academic program in which they intend to earn a bachelor’s degree.

• When a student changes a major or degree program, the student assumes full responsibility for meeting the new requirements.

College and University Rights and Responsibilities

• Colleges and universities have the right and authority to determine program requirements and course offerings in accordance with their institutional missions.

• Colleges and universities have the responsibility to communicate and publish their requirements and course offerings to students and the public, including information about student transfer rights and responsibilities.

• Colleges and universities have the responsibility to communicate their admission- and transfer-related decisions to students in writing (electronic or paper).