Student Rights and Responsibilities

It is very important for students to know their rights and responsibilities. In addition, it is also important for students to know the rights and responsibilities of Delta College. Students who believe their rights are being violated or the College is not meeting its responsibility in serving them, should contact the Vice President of Student Services. Students may appeal the matriculation requirements for pre- and co-requisites, limitations on enrollment, admissions, orientation, assessment, and counseling and advisement by petition.

Admissions

Student Rights:

  • The College will provide equal educational opportunity for all students, regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, age (over 40), gender, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam era veteran, who have met admission qualifications and course/program prerequisites. (Policy 5060, Sec. A)
  • All courses of the District shall be open to enrollment in accordance with a priority system consistent with Administrative Procedure 5055. Enrollment may be limited to students meeting properly validated prerequisites and corequisites, or due to other non-evaluative, practical considerations as determined by the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Instructional Services. Students are not required to confer, consult, or receive permission to enroll in any class offered by the District, except as provided for in Administrative Procedure 5055 and District programs that permit restricted enrollment: the A.D.N. program; the L.V.N. program; the Psychiatric Technician program; the Radiologic Technician program; P.O.S.T. Academy; and the Firefighter I Academy. (MR 55532 Exemptions and AP 5052)

Student Responsibilities:

  • Each student has the responsibility to select an educational goal in the Application for Admissions, i.e., A.A./A.S. degree, transfer, vocational certificate, personal development, improvement of basic skills, or undecided. (MR 55530 Student Rights)
  • The student has the responsibility to meet all course prerequisites. (AP 5052)
  • Each student must assume responsibility for compliance with the instructions and regulations set forth in the College Catalog for selecting courses which will permit achievement of individual educational objective, and for satisfying course prerequisites.
  • The student should attend class and study regularly. (MR 55530 (d) (3) Student Rights)
  • Withdrawing from a class is the responsibility of the student. The student should drop the class by using the Internet registration system. As a matter of courtesy and to assist the instructor in maintaining accurate class records, the student should also inform the instructor of the decision to drop the course. (MR 58106 AP 5075)

College Rights:

  • The College assumes no responsibility for the misinterpretation of policies and procedures as presented in the College Catalog, Schedule of Classes, and Student Handbook.
  • The College reserves the right to change the regulations, fees, and other information contained in the College Catalog as required without prior notice.
  • The College reserves the right to refund enrollment, non-resident tuition, and differential fees upon request for courses dropped before the end of the first two weeks of instruction for full-term classes or before the end of 10% of the length of the class for short-term classes. Refunds will be made upon request for courses dropped later if the program change is a result of action by the District to cancel or reschedule a class or to drop a student from a class where the student fails to meet a prerequisite. Refund request forms must be received by the Admissions and Records Office no later than after the final date to qualify for refund. Refunds are subject to a $10.00 processing fee. (AP 5030, Sec. A and B)
  • It is the right of an instructor to drop any student "who fails to attend any class session during the first three sessions of the class at the beginning of a term unless the student has advised and obtained an absence approval" from the faculty member. (BP 5075)
  • It is the right of the instructor to drop a student from class when absences become excessive. (Policy 5075)

College Responsibilities:

  • San Joaquin Delta College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and operates in compliance with Title IX, VII, and VI regulations. San Joaquin Delta College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, or disability in its criteria for admission, employment, or participation in educational programs and activities. (Policy 5060)

Orientation

Student Rights:

  • All students have the right to enroll in a guidance class which provides an orientation to San Joaquin Delta College. (MR 55520 Required Services)

Student Responsibilities:

  • It is the student's responsibility to enroll in a guidance orientation course or attend an appropriate orientation workshop. (GUID 010 ,012, 014, 085)

College Rights:

  • San Joaquin Delta College has the right to establish appropriate orientation services i.e., video, guidance courses, etc. (MR 55520 Required Services)

College Responsibilities:

  • Delta College has the responsibility to provide students with the appropriate guidance based upon the student's need. (MR 55520 Required Services)

Academic Assessment

Student Rights:

  • Students have the right to know their academic skill level. This right is ensured through several mechanisms including the Academic Assessment Program, articulated programs with high schools, holistically scored essays, and transcripts from other colleges.
  • Students who believe their reading, writing, or mathematics assessment is not reflective of their skills may challenge the results by taking the Challenge Test in the specific skill area. Students are limited to no more than two Challenge Test attempts per academic term for each of the three subject areas. Students who have exhausted the challenge process may appeal to the Vice President of Student Services.
  • Students have the right to career/vocational interest assessment, which is available in the Career Center at a minimal cost to the student. (MR 55520 Required Services)

College Rights:

  • In all programs and classes requiring special screening and entrance examination, San Joaquin Delta Community College will make the final selection of students. (Policy 5070, Procedures 5070.1, 5070.2, 5070.4, 5070.6, 5080, 5080.1)
  • Academic Assessment is required for all first time Delta College students prior to class registration. Assessment will include reading, writing, and mathematical skills. An alternate to academic assessment may be met by one of the following:
    • Associate or Bachelor Degree (official transcript required);
    • Alternative assessment from other colleges;
    • Transfer students who have completed Delta College's English 1A or above or equivalent and Delta College's Math 82 or above or equivalent, each with a grade of "C" or better as verified by a transcript;
    • One course per semester waiver where appropriate. (AP 5051);
    • Granted scholastic recognition at admission — provide copy of letter from the President to Assessment Office;
    • Decided to enroll in Level I basic skills course(s) in reading, English, and mathematics only.

Guidance and Counseling

Student Rights:

  • All students have the right to receive personal, academic and career guidance. (MR 55520 Required Services and AP 5110)
  • A student has the right to repeat once for credit any course in which a grade of D or F has been earned. Upon satisfactory completion of the repeated course, the better grade, grade points and units attempted are included in the computation of all cumulative grade point average. Both original and repeated grades will remain on the student's permanent record; however, duplicate units will not count toward the cumulative grade point calculation. Furthermore, a student may repeat for credit those courses designated repeatable in the College Catalog, regardless of the initial grade earned. (AP 4220.1)
  • Students may file a complaint with the Vice President of Student Services if a student service which was advertised in the Schedule of Classes under the section "Services Available to Students" was recommended to the students in the SEP and was not available. (MR 55534 Violations, Waivers & Appeals)
  • A student who is exempt from guidance and counseling may elect to file an SEP and/or to meet with a counselor. (AP 5110)

Student Responsibilities:

  • The student should declare a specific educational goal or should be working toward determining a goal during the term after which the student has completed 15 semester units of degree-applicable courses. (MR 55530)
  • The student should meet with a counselor to develop a Student Education Plan (SEP) - a program of study and services needed by the student to enable the individual to:
  • Obtain his/her educational objective. (MR 55525, AP 5110)
  • It is the student's responsibility to seek assistance in achieving the declared educational goal i.e., make an appointment for appropriate guidance and counseling. (MR 55530 (d) Student Rights)
  • It is the student's responsibility to make progress toward the declared educational goal. (MR 55530)
  • It is the student's responsibility to maintain satisfactory academic progress. (MR 55530)

College Rights

  • Delta College has the right to establish appropriate student services i.e., guidance services, orientation, academic advisement, etc. (MR 55523 Counseling & Advisement)
  • If a non-exempt student fails to cooperate with the District in the development of a Student Educational Plan (SEP) within 90 days after declaring the specific educational goal, or fails to abide by the terms of their specific educational plan, San Joaquin Delta College may suspend or terminate services. (MR 55530)

College Responsibilities

  • Delta College has the responsibility to provide staff to facilitate the guidance process. (MR 55523)
  • Delta College has the right to recommend the necessary services for students to achieve the stated academic goal. (MR 55523)
  • Delta College will make available to all students organized educational, vocational and personal-social counseling. In those instances where there is counseling specialization, individual counselors may be designated for each specific area. A student will be encouraged to request counseling for personal-social problems which might interfere with satisfactory academic progress. (MR 55520 and AP 5110)

Counseling Services will primarily be responsible for:

  • Providing guidance in program planning - immediate and long range.
  • Administering and interpreting various non-academic tests.
  • Counseling students with low scholastic achievement, including the special counseling required by Title V, Section 131, or the California Administrative Code.
  • Counseling regarding any academic, career or personal problems that are related to the student's education.
  • Providing, directly and by referral, occupational information to students.
  • Providing, by referral assistance in the securing of employment.
  • Providing referrals for students who are in need of psychological services including emergency mental health counseling and/or long-term therapeutic support.
  • Providing special assistance to students who are on academic dismissal status to improve scholastic performance or pursue reinstatement to the College.
  • Providing assistance to students who are applying for financial aid requiring an academic progress report or financial aid disqualification appeal. (AP 5110)
  • Providing academic instruction in orientation to the College, personal development, self-esteem, career awareness, and job seeking skills.

Student Rights:

  • Students have the right to be informed of the procedures to claim equivalency to courses or other requirements. (AP 5052)
  • Students have the right to be informed through the Student Handbook, College Catalog, and Schedule of Classes of the definitions of prerequisites, corequisites and limitations on enrollment including the differences among them and the specific prerequisites, corequisites and limitations on enrollment which have been established. (AP 5075, AP 5052)
  • Students have the right to be informed through the Student Handbook, College Catalog, and in the Schedule of Classes of the procedures to challenge prerequisites, corequisites, and limitation on enrollment and the grounds for which a student may make such a challenge. The information about challenges will include, at a minimum, the specific process including any deadlines, the various types of challenge that are established in law, and any additional types of challenge permitted by the College. (AP 5052)

Student Responsibilities:

  • Students have the responsibility to become informed and to follow established policies and procedures regarding declaration of equivalency process.
  • Students have the responsibility to become informed about the definitions of prerequisites, corequisites and limitations on enrollment including the difference among them.
  • Students have a responsibility to become informed of the specific prerequisite, corequisites and limitations on enrollment which have been established.
  • Students have a responsibility to become informed of the procedures to challenge prerequisites, corequisites, and limitations on enrollment as well as the circumstances to make such challenges.
  • Students have the responsibility to follow the prerequisite or corequisite challenge process. (AP 5052)
  • Students have the responsibility to provide satisfactory evidence that the challenge should be upheld if such facts are not in the College's own records. (AP 5052)

College Rights:

  • The College assumes no responsibility for misinterpretation of policies and procedures as presented in the Student Handbook, College Catalog, or the Schedule of Classes.
  • It is the College's right to establish prerequisites, corequisites, and limitations on enrollment per its policies and procedures. (Policy 5043)
  • The decision of the Matriculation Appeals Committee shall be final. (AP 5052)

College Responsibilities:

  • The College has the responsibility to establish a process to establish prerequisites and corequisites only upon the recommendation of the Academic Senate. Certain limitations on enrollment must be established in the same manner. (AP 4260)
  • It is the College's responsibility to enforce prerequisites, corequisites, and limitations on enrollment which have been established per current policies and procedures.
  • The College has the responsibility to establish, implement, and publish a prerequisite, corequisite challenge process. (AP 5052)
  • The College has the responsibility to provide information, for a specific challenge if said information is in the College's own records. (AP 5052)

(AP 4260 & 4260.1 10/11/12; AP 5052 12/13/12; BPAP 5075 6/19/12, 12/13/12, 4/20/17; Policy 5043 03/06/96)

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