2013-2014 Catalog

Home > Schedules/Catalogs > 2013-2014 Catalog > Legal Notices

Print this page

Legal Notices

As a recipient of Federal Title IV funds, Arapahoe Community College (ACC) is required to collect, publish and disseminate certain information to students, prospective students and employees. The College will also provide a copy of this information including a full report of the institution’s graduation rate and the Annual Security Report if requested.

Accommodations for Students With Disabilities

Reasonable accommodations for student activities and events will be provided upon request for persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in a student activity should notify the Student Affairs Office (303.797.5668) at least three working days prior to the event. Requests for academic accommodations can be made by contacting the Disability Services Office at 303.797.5937.

Inquiries or specific complaints of alleged discrimination concerning the Non-Discrimination Statement and/or compliance with Federal and State regulations should be directed to ACC’s Chief Operating Officer/Human Resources (who also functions as the ADA Coordinator for Facilities), Arapahoe Community College, 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, CO 80120, phone 303.797.5704.

Inquiries or specific student complaints of alleged discrimination concerning academic accommodations provided in the classroom or through ACC’s Office of Disability Services should be directed to the College’s Director of Student Affairs and Support Services (who also functions as ADA Coordinator for Academic Accommodations), Arapahoe Community College, 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, CO 80120, phone 303.797.5674.

Drug & Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program

The Law

Arapahoe Community College is a state system community college governed by the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education. Board Policy requires the College to comply with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Amendments of 1989 (PL 101 226 in Federal law). A copy of this law is on file in the Human Resources Office for your reference. The Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program includes:

Code of Conduct

Students shall not engage in the unauthorized or unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, purchase, use/abuse of alcohol and/or illicit drugs on College property or as a part of any College activity. This includes the use, distribution or possession of "medical marijuana" which remains a violation of Federal law.

Legal Sanctions

There are legal sanctions for violations of the Code of Conduct. Any student convicted of the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, use or abuse of illicit drugs or alcohol is subject to criminal penalties under local, state or federal law. These penalties range in severity from a fine of $100 to $8,000,000 and/or life imprisonment. The exact penalty assessed depends upon the nature and severity of the individual offense.

College Penalties

The College will impose penalties against students who violate the above Code of Conduct. Violators will be subject to disciplinary action under student disciplinary policies. The sanctions include, but are not limited to, probation, suspension or expulsion from the College or probation, suspension or termination of employment; and referral to authorities for prosecution, as appropriate.

Health Risks

Many health risks are associated with drug and alcohol abuse. Risks include: malnutrition, brain damage, heart disease, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, mental illness, death, low birth-weight babies, and babies with drug addictions. Personal relationships, family dynamics, ability to work and study are also at risk.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program information is available through Human Resources. Counseling resources are available through the Student Affairs office.

Illegal Substances

A controlled substances schedule is on file in the Student Affairs Office (Room M2820).

Illegally possessing, using, distributing or manufacturing any narcotic, dangerous drug or controlled substance as classified by federal, state, and local laws or appearing on campus while under the influence of any illegally-obtained narcotic, dangerous or controlled substance is a crime and violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Under federal law, marijuana including "medical marijuana" is a Schedule I substance.  Possession and/or use of marijuana on any College property is illegal and subject to prosecution and College sanctions. All students must comply with the ACC Drug Free Schools and Communities Amendment of 1989 (PL101-226).

Amendment 64 Information

In November 2012, Colorado voters passed Amendment 64 to the Colorado Constitution. This amendment changed Colorado law to allow people 21 or over to cultivate, consume and possess limited amounts of marijuana in private, not in public. In light of the public nature of our campuses, any marijuana use or possession on campus would run contrary to this restriction. This amendment does not alter existing policies at Arapahoe Community College prohibiting the possession, use, and distribution of marijuana by students, employees, and all other visitors on College property.

Marijuana remains a controlled substance under Federal law and possession, cultivation and use are Federal offenses. Our College has an obligation to comply with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989, which require the colleges, as recipients of federal funds, to take measures to combat the use of drugs and alcohol. 

Referral Resources

Referral for counseling, treatment, rehabilitation and re-entry programs is available through the community. A list of resources is available in the Student Affairs Office.

Consult your yellow pages for a listing of all private and community-based programs. Check listings under "Alcoholism Treatment" and "Drug Abuse Information and Treatment." For more information contact Student Affairs Office at 303.797.5668. This information is provided in compliance with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Amendments of 1989 (PL 101-226).

Grievance and Appeal Procedures

If you are taking any Arapahoe Community College courses, and you have a complaint about your experience with Arapahoe Community College, you have two options:

1.     You can follow Arapahoe Community College’s process for student complaints, which is located here (http://www.arapahoe.edu/campus-life/student-handbook) or you may also contact the Higher Learning Commission (www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org) which is Arapahoe Community College’s accrediting agency.

2.     If you are residing outside of Colorado while attending Arapahoe Community College, in many cases you can file a complaint in the state where you are residing.  The following link can provide you with state agencies that manage the student complaint process www.sheeo.org

Before exercising either of the above options, you should know that most (if not all) external complaint processes require that the student exhaust all avenues of complaint internal to the institution before they will consider a grievance.

Institutional Accreditation

Arapahoe Community College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Commission can be reached at 312.263.0456.or by accessing the Website at www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org. The College operates under the jurisdiction of the Community Colleges of Colorado. ACC students regularly transfer credits to state colleges and universities within Colorado. Transfer information is available in the Academic Advising Office, Room AM2010.

Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act

The Clery Act Disclosure is accessible on the ACC Website: http://www.arapahoe.edu/cleryact . Hard copies also available through the Campus Police Department, Room AM2600.

Sexual assault protocols and victims’ rights provisions are described on the ACC website at http://www.arapahoe.edu/campus-safety/sexual-assault. Victims are encouraged to report. Help is available.

Sex offender information is available at Colorado’s Convicted Sex Offender website: http://sor.state.co.us. 

Open police logs are available at the Campus Police Department.

The Campus Police Department will immediately notify the campus community upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or staff.

Report crimes, violations, accidents, suspicious persons and incidents to the Campus Police Department at extension 5800.  If there is no immediate answer, dial 9-911.

Non-Discrimination Statement

The College prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment that violates federal, state law, or Board Policy 3-120 or Board Policy 4-120. The College does not discriminate on the basis of gender, sex, race, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, pregnancy status, religion or sexual orientation. The College complies with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974; Executive Order 11246, and sections 24-34-301, C.R.S. et seq.

For information regarding civil rights or grievance procedures, contact: Title IX Compliance/Equal Opportunity Officer David Castro Chief Operating Officer, 5900 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, CO 80160. Phone 303.797.5704 or david.castro@arapahoe.edu

Complaints may also be filed with the Vice President of Legal Affairs and Vocational Education Administration, Colorado Community College System, 9101 E. Lowry Blvd., Denver, Colorado 80230-6011, phone 303.595.1549; or the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Region VIII, Federal Office Building, 1244 Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, Colorado, 80204, phone 303.844.5695.

Public Information and the Security of Your Student Records (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 restricts the release of student information to the public without the consent of the student, except for directory information. Directory information includes name, number of credits currently taking or completed, dates of enrollment, major, degrees earned and honors earned. The Solomon Amendment requires institutions receiving federal funds to provide additional directory information that includes address and phone numbers of enrolled students to the US Military. If a student does not wish the College to release the directory information, a Confidential Hold form must be completed and returned to Information Central. A student who has requested restricted release of information cannot perform any personal business with ACC over the phone. These students must conduct all of their business in person. This includes, but is not limited to, using telephone registration and grading, calls from the student’s family, child’s school or daycare, etc. For emergency purposes, contact the Registrar directly at 303.797.5623 for special accommodations. A complete copy of the ACC Student Records Procedures (AP4-40) may be obtained from the Office of Admissions & Records.

Sex Offender Registry

Information concerning persons who are required by Colorado law to register as sex offenders may be obtained from the Littleton Police Department, Records Division, 2255 West Berry Avenue, Littleton, CO 80165, 303.795.3880, or the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department, Records Division, 13101 E. Bronco Pkwy. Blvd., Centennial, CO 80112, 303.795.4780. The Colorado Convicted Sex Offender Website is http://sor.state.co.us.

Smoking Policy

Smoking is prohibited in all College buildings as directed by the Governor’s Executive Order D0036 90. Smoking is also prohibited at all doorway entrances. Specified outdoor smoking areas have been indicated on campus maps located around the building. Smoking is prohibited within 25 feet of doorways and buildings.

Student Right-To-Know

In accordance with Title I of Public Law 101-542, information about graduation rates is available on the ACC Website or from the Office of Institutional Research; additional graduation data is also available at the Colorado Department of Higher Education Website.

U.S. Communicable Diseases

On the basis of current information from the American College Health Association, the National Centers for Disease Control and the Colorado Department of Health, there are numerous reportable communicable diseases (i.e., measles, Rubella, Varicalla, Hepatitis) which can infect individuals through various methods of contact and can represent a public health threat to the campus community. Accordingly, exclusion from campus academic, social or cultural activities of those individuals who can infect other individuals may be appropriate.

Voter Registration Information

ACC fully supports and advocates that students and staff register to vote. Voter Registration forms are available on the Colorado Secretary of State Website at http://www.elections.colorado.gov.

Contents

Catalog Links

• Catalog Home
• Alphabetical Index
• Site Map