College Complaint Process

Most complaints, grievances, or disciplinary matters should be resolved at the college level. This is the quickest and most successful way of resolving issues involving a California Community College (CCC). You are encouraged to work through the college complaint process first, before escalating issues to any of the following resources.

Filing a Complaint

Please note the following contacts for Student Grievance and Student Discipline matters:

Student Grievances

Kristina Martinez, Acting Dean of Enrollment Services, Warrior Welcome Center Student Services Building; 1st Floor. ext. 3627

Matters related to Student Rights and Grievances

El Camino College and its employees make every effort to serve students and visitors courteously and efficiently, in accordance with college policies and state and federal laws. A student who believes that they have been treated unfairly by an employee of the district is recommended to make a reasonable good faith attempt to resolve the problem on an informal basis with the party/parties involved before requesting a grievance hearing.

Please follow these steps prior to filing a grievance.

Discuss the incident with the instructor or college employee involved in your grievance.

If the situation is not resolved after meeting with the college employee, then proceed to meet with the employee's supervisor or dean of the division (for the instructor).

If the situation is not resolved after meeting with the supervisor or dean of the division then complete the El Camino College Incident Report & Referral Form. Under "Choose the type of report" select "Student Grievance" from the Drop-Down Menu. Provide a detailed explanation of your grievance. Explain as clearly as possible why you are filing a grievance. Be sure to include all the necessary information (including names, dates, attachments, etc.) to support your argument so that an impartial review and decision can be reached. If after 10 days following the student's first meeting with the Grievance Officer there is no informal resolution of the complaint which is satisfactory to the student, the student shall have the right to request a grievance hearing.

Any request for a grievance hearing shall be filed with the Grievance Officer within 10 business days after filing a Student Grievance. The Grievance Officer will meet with the Grievance Committee to determine if the Student Grievance report presents sufficient grounds for a hearing.

If the Grievance does not meet the requirements, the Grievance Officer shall notify the student in writing of the rejection of the Request for Hearing.

If the Request for a Grievance Hearing is accepted, the Grievance Officer shall schedule a grievance hearing.

The office of the Grievance Officer will notify district employee named on the grievance at least (7) days in advance and will be provided all relevant grievance documentation at least (2) business day prior to grievance hearings.

The student grievance procedures provide every student with a prompt and equitable means of seeking an appropriate resolution for any alleged violation of his or her rights. The rights protected under these procedures include, but are not limited to, those guaranteed by the established rules and regulations of El Camino Community College District and the Education Code of the State of California. Students are advised that grievances must be filed within 20 school days of the occurrence. The procedures do not apply to the employment rights of students. Sexual harassment or discrimination complaints are made to the office of Title IX.

All formal grievances must be submitted on a student grievance form and must include specific details regarding the event involved and the rule, regulation, or law alleged to have been violated by the district. All formal grievances must be filed with the office of the vice president of student services or designee.

Student Discipline

Ricky Gonzalez, Interim Director of Student Development, Student Development Office/Student Activities Center, ext. 3500
Matters related to Academic Honesty and Standards of Conduct

Report Violation

To report an alleged violation of the Standards of Student Conduct, to file a student grievance, or refer a student to Warrior Safety Network or Title IX and EEO Compliance Office, please use the Incident Report and Referral Form.

Submit Form

The Standards of Student Conduct and procedures for enforcing the Standards for Student Conduct are governed by Board Policy 5500, Administrative Procedure 5500, and Administrative Procedure 5520. The procedures regarding Student Rights & Grievances are governed by Administrative Policy 5530. To read these policies and procedures, visit the Board of Trustees Board Policies.

Issues that are not resolved at the college level may be presented to the:

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) at http://www.accjc.org/complaint-process if your complaint is associated with the institution’s compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards. ACCJC is the agency that accredits the academic programs of the California Community Colleges.
CCC Chancellor’s Office if your complaint does not concern CCC’s compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards.
State Attorney General Online Forms
Public Inquiry Unit of the California State Department of Justice:
- Public Inquiry Unit
  (Toll‐free in California) 800-952‐5225
  Fax: 916-323‐5341

Nothing in this disclosure should be construed to limit any right that you may have to take civil or criminal legal action to resolve your complaints.

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) has provided this disclosure to you in compliance with the requirements of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, as regulated in CFR 34, Sections 600.9 (b) (3) and 668.43(b). If anything in this disclosure is out of date, please notify the CCCCO at 1102 Q St., Sacramento, CA 95814. This disclosure was last revised on 5‐09‐11.