Policies for Students

This section provides summaries of selected policies and procedures that affect students. For complete text and more information, please visit shoreline.edu/currentstudents/student-policies.aspx.

Title IX

Shoreline Community College is in compliance with Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and protects students from sexual harassment in a school’s educational programs and activities. This amendment protects students in connection with all academic, educational, extracurricular, athletics, and other programs of the institution. Sexual harassment, which is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature and includes acts of sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination and violates Title IX as well as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Shoreline Community College is also in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. All educational programs and services will be administered without regard to race, creed, disability, religion, color, national origin (including minorities with limited English language skills), age, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era or disabled veteran.

Inquiries regarding compliance with any of these regulations or relevant grievance procedures should be directed to the Vice President for Students, Equity and Success.

In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, all educational programs will be provided without regard to physical status. No otherwise qualified individual with disabling conditions shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program, activity or service administered by the college. Students who would be deemed qualified are those individuals who can perform at an acceptable level of productivity in a vocational education and/or academic setting. Reasonable accommodations will be made unless such accommodations will cause undue hardship on the college. Campus facilities and programs are accessible to individuals with disabling conditions.

Freedom from Discrimination

Shoreline Community College policy prohibits illegal discrimination in any form including, but not limited to, sexual harassment of or by any student, faculty, administrator, or staff. See College Policy 4111 (AffirmativeAction/Equal Opportunity) and 4113 (Discrimination, Harassment and Title IX). If you believe you have been harassed or discriminated against because of your race, ethnicity, gender, age, or marital status, please contact the Vice President for Students, Equity & Success or the Title IX Coordinator at TitleIXCoordinator@shoreline.edu.

Academic Credit by Prior Learning Assessment

Students can earn academic credit by prior learning by matching their college-level experience to a variety of college course outcomes. Shoreline Community College recognizes that students may have acquired college-level knowledge and skills in a variety of situations: employment, military experiences, internships, independent research, volunteer or civic work, and prior coursework. To minimize the loss of credit and to prevent the repetition of educational achievements, an assessment process for awarding credit for prior learning has been established.

Credit for prior learning must be related to the current theories, practices, and content of the relevant academic field, as assessed by college faculty with current content expertise. Documentation of learning shall be comprehensive, independently verifiable, authentic, and up-to-date. High academic standards for awarding credit will be applied, and the evaluation of prior learning will be consistent with effective contemporary assessment methodologies in respective fields. Evaluation of prior learning may include portfolio reviews, standardized testing, demonstrations, product creation, interviews, and/or other processes as determined by discipline faculty in academic departments. Specific information is provided below regarding Prior Experiential Learning, Extra-Institutional Learning, Credit by Testing, and Course Challenge.

Students considering academic credit by prior learning will meet with faculty advisors to discuss the feasibility of such credit, the available options, petition process (if applicable) and required documentation. Some colleges and universities may not accept academic credit by prior learning as transferable credit.

Please check with the program or division for a listing of the courses available for Awarding Academic Credit by Prior Learning Assessment (College Policy 5164). Learning outcomes achieved through prior learning must match all the outcomes for college course work for students to be awarded credit. Students are encouraged to use the Course Challenge examination process for challenging courses, if available. Not all college coursework is available for academic credit by prior learning.

Prior Experiential Learning (PEL)

Prior Experiential Learning refers to knowledge and skills acquired through experience alone, evaluated subjectively by faculty via an evaluation of a compilation of work (i.e., portfolio). Credit awarded by PEL may not exceed 25% of credits required for a program, certificate or degree. PEL may not be available for all courses. Student may need to show experiential learning for relevant prerequisite course outcomes as well as the petitioned course. If challenge exam exists for a course, credit by PEL will not be awarded. Instead, pursue Course Challenge (see below). There will be a fee per course petitioned, whether awarded or not. Procedures are outlined in the Petition for Credit by Prior Experiential Learning.

Extra-Institutional Learning (EIL)

Extra-Institutional Learning refers to knowledge and skills acquired outside the institution and objectively verified through third-party certifications or industry-recognized testing/training. Shoreline has reviewed certain professional programs which are recognized regionally/nationally and established clear criteria for assigning credits for these programs. Certificates or professional training experiences for which clear criteria do not exist may be reviewed for credit through the PEL or Course Challenge. Procedures are outlined in the Petition for Credit by Extra-Institutional Learning. No Fee.

Credit by Testing:
Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB)

Students who complete college-level work in high school can receive appropriate credit or placement or both on the basis of performance in the Advanced Placement Program (AP) of the College Board or the International Baccalaureate® (IB) program.

Request AP test scores be sent to Shoreline Community College by going to the Collegeboard webpage (collegeboard.org). The International Baccalaureate® (IB) provides an official transcript of grades for the Diploma Programme (DP). Request IB transcripts be sent to Shoreline by going to ibo.org/en/programmes. For a complete list of AP and IB scores that can be used for credit, visit shoreline.edu/placement. Shoreline does not generally award credit for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), but exceptions can be made by the appropriate division dean. Relevant courses will be transcribed with a “P” grade at Shoreline Community College for no fee.

Course Challenge

Students currently enrolled at Shoreline Community College may obtain credit for certain courses by satisfactorily passing course challenge examinations. Course challenge examinations are sufficiently comprehensive to determine that students have the same knowledge and skills as those students who enroll in, and successfully complete, the course. A student should have previous training, private study, work experience, or other bona fide qualifications indicating the student has knowledge or ability equivalent to the course completers.

Course challenge exams may be taken only once per course, and once a decision has been rendered and the grade issued, students will not be allowed to repeat the exam(s); however, they may choose to enroll in the course. A student may not take a challenge exam for a course that they have audited or failed. Not all courses offer Course Challenge examinations. Procedures are outlined in the Petition for Credit by Course Challenge. Fee per course petitioned.

Community Standard

Shoreline’s community standard reads as follows:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly…” Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shoreline Community College is a place for students, employees, and the community to pursue excellence in education in an environment dedicated to equity, inclusiveness, and self-reflection. We value respectful, dynamic interactions and lively discussion. We strive to create an environment where everyone is supported and valued. Shoreline Community College does not tolerate hateful, violent, or discriminatory actions that target any person or group based on their beliefs, customs, identity, or affiliations. When one of us is diminished, all of us are diminished.

In accordance with this standard, it is Shoreline’s policy that all students, employees, vendors, and visitors are expected to treat all students, employees, vendors, and visitors with dignity and respect in their behavior and their communications when they are on campus or involved in a college activity; accept responsibility for the appropriateness of their own conduct; and comply with all laws and contract requirements applicable to workplace and academic behavior.

Students who observe or experience a violation of the community standard are encouraged to:

1. Alert Safety and Security (or law enforcement) if needed
2. Report the incident to the Community Standard email box: communitystandard@shoreline.edu
3. Share the incident with an instructor or administrator as needed

Students who engage in behavior that violates the community standard are subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Conduct code. (Policy 5030)

Expressive Activities

Any recognized student organization, with the knowledge and approval of its advisor, may invite to the campus any speaker the group would like to hear. Although it is the advisor’s responsibility through the inviting group to ensure the educational relevance of such programs, all such speakers have complete discretion in the content and manner of their presentation, subject to restraints imposed by federal and/or state constitutions and statutes. Moreover, the appearance of an invited speaker on campus does not involve an endorsement, either implicit or of explicit, his/her views by Shoreline Community College, its faculty, its administration, or its Board of Trustees. (College Policy 1005 - Use of College Facilities for Expressive Activities)

Use of Human Subjects

It is the policy of the Board of Trustees regarding the use of human subjects to protect the rights, well-being, and personal privacy of individuals, to assure a favorable climate for the acquisition of technical skills and the conduct of academic inquiry, and to protect the interest of Shoreline Community College. (College Policy 5329 -Use of Human Subjects)

Reasonable Accommodation of Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodations to ensure access to programs and facilities at Shoreline Community College. To receive such accommodations, students are responsible for directing requests in a timely manner to Student Accessibility Services along with documentation of the nature and extent of their disability. Reasonable accommodations include, but are not limited to: modification and flexibility in test-taking arrangements; adjustments in nonacademic services and other rules; and auxiliary aids and services. (College Policy 5114 - Reasonable Accommodation of Students with Disabilities)

Student Conduct

Student Grievance

Students have recourse to grieve decisions relating to academic evaluations (i.e., grades) by their instructors through an orderly procedure. (College Policy 5035 - Student Grievances - Academic Evaluation)

1. The first step in the academic grievance procedure is to seek out the involved faculty member(s), state the nature of the grievance, and make a serious attempt to mutually resolve the issue. Support for students throughout this process is available through Student Life.
2. If the meeting with the instructor(s) does not resolve the complaint, the student may request a meeting to discuss the grievance with the division dean. This meeting must take place no later than the 20th instructional day (class day) of the next regular academic quarter, excluding summer quarter.
3. If the meeting with the division dean does not resolve the grievance, the division dean will call a meeting with the student and the involved faculty member(s).
4. If the meeting with the division dean and involved faculty member(s) does not produce a mutually satisfactory solution, the student may present the complaint to the Committee for Resolution of Academic Grievances (CRAG). This committee consists of four faculty members, two students, one administrator, and the Vice President for Student Learning.

Grades will only be changed under the following circumstances:

a. a mistake was made in the calculation of the grade
b. the instructor(s) did not follow the grading policy stated in the course syllabus or applied the policy selectively
c. the grading policy for a course was unclear or incomprehensible
d. the instructor(s) acted in bad faith or in a fraudulent manner

For more details about this process, please see Policy 5035, Student Grievances - Academic Evaluation, Associated Procedures.

Title IV Student Complaint Process

The Higher Education Act (HEA) prohibits an institution of higher education from engaging in a “substantial misrepresentation of the nature of its educational program, its financial charges, or the employability of its graduates.” 20 U.S.C.§1094(c)(3)(A). Further, each State must have “a process to review and appropriately act on complaints concerning the institution including enforcing applicable State laws.” 34 C.F.R. §600.9. The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) maintains a process to investigate complaints of this nature brought by community and technical college students in the State of Washington. For more information, contact the SBCTC Student Services Office at (360) 704-4315.

Dishonesty in Academics

Each student is expected to exhibit academic integrity. Shoreline Community College does not permit any form of academic dishonesty, such as cheating or plagiarism. (Policy 5030)

a. Cheating includes any attempt to give or obtain unauthorized assistance relating to the completion of an academic assignment.

b. Plagiarism includes taking and using as one’s own, without proper attribution, the ideas, writings, or work of another person in completing an academic assignment. Prohibited conduct may also include the unauthorized submission for credit of academic work that has been submitted for credit in another course.

c. Fabrication includes falsifying data, information, or citations in completing an academic assignment and also includes providing false or deceptive information to an instructor concerning the completion of an assignment.

Consequences of any breach of academic integrity shall be clearly defined in a course syllabus and/or any applicable program handbook and may include withholding credit, lowering of grade, failure (0.0) for the assignment and/or course, and/or dismissal from an academic program, or lesser sanction. Matters involving academic dishonesty may be referred to the Vice President for Students, Equity & Success for additional disciplinary action(s).

Student Records and Rights to Privacy

All students at Shoreline Community College are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. Student privacy is protected with certain restrictions on the disclosure of educational records and information. Students have the following rights, protection, and privacy of their educational records at Shoreline Community College.

1. The right to inspect and review their own student education records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request for access. The student should submit a written request to the Enrollment Services identifying the records(s) they which to inspect.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records the student believes are inaccurate.
3. The right to authorize disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. The College will disclose the following information authorized by FERPA on all students:

• Student name
• Dates of attendance
• Enrollment status (full or part time)
• Major or field of study
• Dates of attendance
• Date of graduation
• Honors
• Degrees and certificates awarded
• Height and weight of student athletes

Directory Information can be released by the College unless the Enrollment Services has received a written notice signed by the student requesting non-disclosure of all student information.

FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including campus security); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent, or verification agency); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. Upon request, the College may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, and to military recruitment services pursuant to the Solomon Amendment. The College is also required to provide information to the Federal Government regarding students who may be eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit programs. The College does not disclose education records to family members without student written consent.

4. Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failure by the college to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers

FERPA:
Family Policy Compliance Office
US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
400 MARYLAND, 400 AVENUE, SW
WASHINGTON, DC 20202-4605

The College’s academic regulations are an ongoing concern of the Faculty Senate and the college governance structure. As such, any of the following requirements are subject to periodic review and possible change.

Academic Standards

Students are expected to maintain a quarterly GPA of 2.0 or higher and earn at least half of the credits attempted each quarter. The College will notify students via email that they have not met academic standards and they will be provided appropriate support at each level.

EXCEPTIONS: Students enrolled exclusively in classes categorized as basic skills (Classification of Instructional Program Code family 32) may be exempted from this policy and the associated procedures. The definition of Academic Standards and the need for appropriate support will be determined by faculty within those courses.

Also, selected academic programs may stipulate additional requirements for academic standards and implement additional procedures for students in those programs. (See full Policy 5032 and Procedures)

Reasonable Accommodations for Religion/Conscience

Students who will be absent from course activities due to reasons of faith or conscience may seek reasonable accommodations so that grades are not impacted. Such requests must be made within the first two weeks of the quarter using the Faith and Conscience Absense Form.