As members of the Harper College community, students have a responsibility to maintain a quality campus and learning environment for themselves and others. All students are expected to read and abide by the Student Code of Conduct, which describes the behavioral expectations for students, as well as informs students of how file a complaint against another student and how to dispute decisions made by faculty or staff. Additional campus policies can be found in the Catalog.
Parents should strive to support their student as they pursue these processes - not try to resolve their problems for them or keep them out of the process. This also applies to attorneys. While students may have someone advise or support them while they participate in the conduct process, they are expected to speak on their own behalf. The Student Conduct Officer facilitates the student conduct process and is available to meet with and assist students who have questions about their rights, the conduct process, or how to file a complaint. Parents should be aware that students' conduct records are protected by FERPA, so questions about their individual student's behavior or conduct case may not be answered without the student's written permission.
The campus conduct process is NOT the same as a criminal process. It is designed to encourage learning and to allow your student to be heard, while also protecting the campus and its members when necessary. A student may go through both an on-campus conduct process AND an off-campus criminal or legal proceeding for the same behavior. Be advised that campus conduct files may be subpoenaed, so if your student is also facing criminal charges, he/she may want to consult with an attorney during the conduct process.
