Understanding Rights and Campus Policies

Reports of alleged misconduct can be shared in a number of ways, including Incident Reports or official referrals from members of the campus community.

If you are written up, you can expect to receive a letter within a few days outlining the next steps, which may include scheduling a meeting with the Dean of Students or designee.

The Dean of Students may contact a student for a variety of reasons. If you receive a letter from the Dean of Students, it is important to read it carefully and complete any required next steps by the stated deadlines. If you have questions or need clarification, please use the contact information provided in the letter to reach out. 

View FLB — Student Rights and Responsibilities: Student Conduct
The complete Student Code of Conduct is always accessible in the current College Catalog.

Each case is treated individually, so outcomes will vary. Our primary goal is educational—we want to help students understand college policies and make better decisions moving forward. Educational sanctions are carefully determined based on:

• The severity of the charge(s)
• The student's prior conduct history (if any)
• The student's developmental needs
• Standard COM policy
• FM Policy

Every student conduct violation is reviewed on an individual basis using specific information from all parties involved. Appropriate outcomes are customized to provide a relevant, personal learning opportunity for the individuals involved in that specific violation, meaning outcomes can differ even for similar situations.

If you need support planning how to approach your professor, your academic advisor or the Dean of Students office can help you think through the conversation.

If you have a serious complaint or concern, please follow these steps:

• Contact your professor first to try to resolve the issue informally.
• If you are not satisfied with the outcome, contact the chair of that academic department.
• FLD Regulation - review the academic student complaint process
• Student Complaint Form

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), your disciplinary file is strictly confidential. We are not allowed to disclose its contents to anyone but you. To share your disciplinary history with anyone else—including parents—we must have a signed waiver from you, though limited legal exceptions may apply.

To permit a parent, spouse, or other designated guardian to discuss your coursework or financial aid details with our staff, first learn how to establish formal consent within the Student Self-serve Portal.  

Set up and Manage Proxy Authorization

The Office of the Dean of Students may place a hold on your records and registration if you have an outstanding case. This typically means you either:

• Have been charged with an alleged violation but have not yet contacted our office to resolve it.
• Have incomplete educational sanctions from a previous case.

Your hold will remain in place and will not be lifted until you contact our office to resolve the situation.

You can use the official Student Complaint Form to address matters relating to problems or conditions that you believe to be unfair, inequitable, or a hindrance to your educational process or campus business.

An academic appeal is a formal request brought by a student to change a final course grade. A request to challenge a penalty or change a final grade within the student grade appeal process must be made within six months of the assignment of that grade using the official Grade Appeal Form.

College of the Mainland is committed to fostering a safe campus environment, which requires the active involvement of all community members. e encourage everyone to report observed behavior that warrants concern for the safety of an individual or the community to the CARE referral form.

The CARE Team reviews these reports to make informed decisions about how best to intervene. Visit COM Cares page for more info.

• To report an immediate threat, contact Campus Police:
  
  • Emergency: 409-933-8599 (or ext. 599 from campus phones)
  • Non-Emergency: 409-933-8403 (or ext. 403 from campus phones)

Filing an Incident Report Form constitutes official notice to College of the Mainland. This authorizes the institution to investigate the information and allegations contained within the report and work toward a formal resolution.