The Rancho Santiago Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, age, or handicap in its employment or in its educational programs and activities. Students may file a grievance when they believe they have been discriminated against in any of these areas. Students may file a grievance when they believe they have been deprived of a right granted to students by the Board of Trustees in any of the policies or regulations of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. These grievance procedures aim to resolve differences as fairly and expeditiously as possible while preserving the right of students and staff members.

STUDENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

1. Students shall first confer with the person who took action or made the ruling to which they object no later than ten (10) days following the event which prompted the grievance.
   ​​a. The Dean of Student Development can assist the student in arranging an appointment between the student and the staff member.
2. If the difference is not satisfactorily resolved, the student shall confer with the person’s supervisor.
   a. The Dean of Student Development can assist the student in arranging an appointment between the student and the staff member’s supervisor.
3. If the grievance is still unresolved, the student may file a written statement setting forth the nature of the grievance on the prescribed form with the Vice President of Student Services no later than ten (10) days after conferring with the person’s supervisor.
4. The grievance form shall be completed in full and shall include a full description of the grievance, times, dates, pertinent facts, and the remedy sought by the student.
   a. A Student Grievance Staff Response form will be sent to both the staff member and a supervisor for completion.
5. The Vice President of Student Services shall select a Student Grievance Panel*. The administrator involved then shall forward the completed forms to the panel chair for review and recommendation. The panel shall have the power to investigate the grievance appropriately, state the findings, and make a recommendation.
6. If the panel sustains the grievance, it will recommend appropriate action for relief of the grievance and communicate this in writing to the person(s) to whom the grievance was directed. If the findings of the panel do not sustain the grievance, the panel shall communicate this finding in writing to the student who filed the grievance. The ruling of the Student Grievance Panel is final.

* STUDENT GRIEVANCE PANEL STRUCTURE

• one non-voting chair (except in situations of a tie vote)
•  one student representative
• one classified representative
• one faculty representative
• one administrative representative