Student Conduct
In order to create a climate that supports student success on the Brazosport College campus, students are expected to act in accordance with all college rules, policies and administrative regulations and with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Behavior or actions that impede, obstruct or threaten the legal rights of others on campus will be subject to student discipline action and penalties. College policies relating to students’ conduct, rights, and responsibilities may be found in the Student Guide and Calendar.
The “Student Code of Conduct,” outlined in the Student Guide and Calendar, assumes that college-level students will make themselves familiar with the rules governing proper and appropriate conduct and that the rules will be observed. Violations of the “Student Code of Conduct” include but are not limited to gambling, dishonesty, scholastic dishonesty, use of firearms or other hazardous weapons, disorderly conduct, or disrupting behavior that interferes with the educational process. Other violations include hazing, endangering the health or safety of others, destruction of or damaging college property, disruption of the learning environment, stealing, unauthorized use of college computers, or the violation of any federal, state, or local law or regulation while on this campus or as part of college sponsored activities, on or off campus. Any such violation of the conduct code may result in disciplinary action and inclusion in the student’s permanent record.
In accordance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989 and in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws or regulations, the College prohibits the manufacturing, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession, use of controlled substances (see Texas Controlled Substances Act for a list of controlled substances), or possession or use of drug paraphernalia on campus or as part of college sponsored activities.
For more information about policies relating to student conduct, refer to the “Standards of Student Conduct” found in the Student Guide and Calendar, https://www.brazosport.edu/Guide or contact the Office of the Dean of Student Success at doss@brazosport.edu or 979.230.3343.
Student Rights
All students at Brazosport College have the following 9 rights. College policy related to each right is included.
1. Right to be free from discrimination on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability.
Brazosport College shall not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, veteran status or any other protected class in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:
Dr. Brad McGonagle, Sr. Vice President of Administration
500 College Drive
Lake Jackson, TX 77566
979-230-3126
brad.mcgonagle@brazosport.edu
Please refer to Brazosport College Policy FA (LEGAL).
2. Right to be able to apply for admission.
Brazosport College Policy FB (LOCAL) - Admissions and FB (LEGAL) - Admissions addresses the rights of students as it pertains to admissions. All students shall be able to apply for admission to Brazosport College including home-schooled or privately educated students and international students. Additional information regarding admission is on the Admissions webpage.
3. Right to review all educational records and to file complaints regarding them (including all rights under FERPA guidelines).
Brazosport College policy FJ (LEGAL) - Student Records and FJ (LOCAL) - Student Records addresses the rights of students as it pertains to records. These rights include the right to privacy, access to educational records, the right to review and to request corrections to their records and the right to require the school to obtain written consent prior to the disclosure of any information. Information regarding these rights is available in the Brazosport College Catalog, Brazosport College Student Guide & Calendar, and on the Registrar’s webpage.
4. Right to be free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
It is the policy of Brazosport College that all employees and students or users of college resources be able to enjoy a campus environment free of all forms of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Brazosport College policy FFDB (LEGAL) and FFDB (LOCAL)- Freedom from Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation - Other Protected Characteristics addresses the rights of students as it pertains to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Students who feel their rights have been violated are provided the process for addressing the alleged violation. The statement instructs anyone who has a grievance to submit their written grievance to the College administrators identified as the Title IX coordinator and the Section 504 Coordinator. Board policy FFDA (LEGAL) and FFDA (LOCAL) - Student Welfare - Freedom from Sexual Violence, Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation outlines the steps to address Title IX complaints and is also on the Notice of Non-Discrimination webpage.
5. Right to appeal decisions in academic matters, including grades.
Brazosport College students are encouraged to resolve grade issues informally with their instructor, where possible and appropriate. In the event that a grade concern cannot be resolved informally, students may follow through the academic appeals process which is introduced in this catalog and detailed in EGA-R (LOCAL) - Academic Achievement-Grading and Credit on pages 13-16.
- Written request to the division chair within sixty calendar days of the due date of grades posted at semester’s end.
- If the division chair is unable to satisfactorily address the issue, the student may provide a written appeal to the supervising Dean.
- If the supervising Dean is unable to satisfactorily address the issue, the student may request in writing an appeal hearing with the Academic Appeals committee through the Vice President, Academic Affairs or their designee.
- If the student is dissatisfied with the outcome of the Academic Appeals committee, the student may apply for a review by the Chief Academic Officer or their designee.
6. Right to appeal financial aid suspension.
Students not meeting established financial aid criteria may seek to appeal if mitigating circumstances affect academic performance. Mitigating circumstances are defined as a change in program study, illness, death of a family member, or other traumatic life-altering events of the student. The appeal may not be based upon the need for assistance or the lack of knowledge that the assistance was in jeopardy. Information regarding appeals is found at https://www.brazosport.edu/sap/.
7. Right to due process
Board Policy FM (LEGAL) - Discipline and Penalties provides that students at Brazosport College who are “subject to discipline by the college district must be afforded the level of due process, including notice and an opportunity to respond, under the U.S. Constitution Fourteenth Amendment that corresponds with the level of the discipline.” From the Student Guide and Calendar, these include the right to:
- have their case processed without unreasonable delay,
- receive prompt written notice of alleged violations per Brazosport College communication policies,
- have reasonable access to any written testimony to be used against them with a written request filed in a timely manner with the conduct officer,
- be able to, in a formal hearing, question witnesses against them,
- produce witnesses and/or evidence per prescribed procedure on their own behalf,
- decide not to be a witness against him/herself or to have their silence be construed as an admission of responsibility,
- and, have a decision based on a preponderance of the evidence.
8. Right to appeal the outcome of a student conduct violation or sanctions by the Dean of Students Success, their delegate or the Community Appeals and Adjudication Board.
As outlined in the Brazosport College Student Guide & Calendar, a decision reached by the Dean of Student Success, their delegate or the Community Appeals and Adjudication Board may be appealed by accused students or complainants to an Appeals Board within five (5) working days of being notified of the decision. If the student is notified of the decision by letter, the student has five (5) working days from the date on the letter to make an appeal. Such appeals shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the Vice President of Student Success and Advancement. The Sr. Vice President will determine if the student has grounds for appeal based on a substantial procedural irregularity, bias by the hearing officer or board or evidence not available at the hearing which might have rendered a difference outcome, if it had been available. The Sr. Vice President may choose to modify findings of responsibility, sanctions, both, remand the case for a new hearing or uphold the original decision.
The Dean of Student Success is responsible for investigating all allegations in compliance with Board policy FMA (LOCAL) - Discipline and Penalties - Discipline Procedures which describes in detail the procedures provided for students who believe that their rights have been violated. Additionally, students may file complaints in person (Room J.108), in writing or online at https://www.brazosport.edu/report/.
9. Right to Free Expression.
It is the policy of Brazosport College to protect the expressive rights of persons guaranteed by the constitutions of the United States and the State of Texas by (1) recognizing freedom of speech and assembly as central to Brazosport College’s mission and (2) ensuring that all persons may assemble peaceably on Brazosport College’s campus for expressive activities, including to listen to the speech of others.
These policies ensure that the common outdoor areas of Brazosport College’s campus are deemed traditional public forums and permit any person to engage in expressive activities in those areas of the institution’s campus freely, as long as the person’s conduct is not unlawful and does not materially and substantially disrupt the functioning of the institution. Moreover, Brazosport College’s policies (1) impose reasonable, narrowly tailored restrictions on the time, place, and manner of the expressive activities in the common outdoor areas of the campus; (2) employ clear, published, content-neutral, and viewpoint-neutral criteria; (3) provide for ample alternative means of expression; and (4) allow members of the College community to spontaneously and contemporaneously assemble or distribute written material without a permit or other permission from the institution.
FLA (LEGAL) and FLA (LOCAL) - Student Expression and the Use of College Facilities provide additional information regarding the Right to Free Expression.
Photo ID Cards
Students should have their Brazosport College Photo ID Card (myBC Card) with them at all times when on campus. The Brazosport College Photo ID Card (myBC Card) is required for services in the Library, Swamp (the student game room), Gator Mart and the Fitness Loft, and may be requested for services in the Registrar’s Office, Business Office, Financial Aid Office, Bookstore, or for admission to campus activities.
Students will be required to present a paid tuition receipt at the main desk in the Library to acquire a new card or update an existing card. Cards will be updated with a sticker each semester the student is enrolled at Brazosport College.
myBC ID Card - This card is valid for 1 year and has a $10 replacement fee if a new card is issued for any reason before the expiration date.
Acceptable Use of Technology Policy
Purpose
Brazosport College provides technology resources to support the academic mission of the College. All students are expected to use these resources responsibly, ethically, and in compliance with College policies, state and federal law.
Appropriate Use
College technology-including computers, networks, email, and internet access-is intended to support learning, research, and academic communication. Use of these systems for personal gain, commercial activity, or any illegal purpose is strictly prohibited.
Examples of misuse include (but are not limited to):
• Sharing login credentials or using another person’s account.
• Attempting to bypass or disable security measures.
• Viewing, sending, or storing harassing, obscene, or fraudulent material.
• Using resources to embarrass or discredit the College.
• Unauthorized mass emails or chain letters.
Violations may result in disciplinary action up to and including loss of access, dismissal, and referral to law enforcement.
Account Responsibilities
Each student receives a Brazosport College account and email address to access learning systems and store classwork.
• You are responsible for all actions taken under your username.
• Never share your password or allow others to use your account.
• Use your network storage only for class-related materials-personal files may be deleted.
• Accounts inactive for two semesters will be deleted.
• Files are not recoverable once accounts are removed.
Password Requirements
Students must maintain secure passwords that meet the following criteria:
• Minimum of 16 characters
• Includes uppercase, lowercase, number, and special character (!, @, &, *)
• Must not contain your username Passwords expire every 120 days. Forgotten passwords can be reset at the IT Helpdesk (BC Central K.100) with photo ID or through the password reset portal if previously enrolled.
Security and Monitoring
All college systems are monitored by Information Technology to ensure compliance and protect the network. IT will lock accounts in violation of this agreement until the student reports to the IT Helpdesk.
Email and Communication Standards
Your BC email is the official channel for college communication. Do not send or display material that is fraudulent, obscene, harassing, or otherwise inappropriate.
• Mass mailings and chain letters are prohibited without approval from the Chief Information Officer.
• Email storage limits apply; older messages may be deleted automatically.
• Offensive or unlawful use may lead to disciplinary or criminal action.
Termination of Access
Upon graduation or separation from the College, accounts will be immediately disabled.
Compliance
Misuse of information resources may violate Texas statutes and federal law. Brazosport College will investigate all suspected violations and report criminal activity to appropriate authorities.
Acknowledgment
By using College technology, you agree to follow this Acceptable Use Policy and any future revisions. The current version can be viewed at www.brazosport.edu/IT
Parking
Cars may be parked only in designated student parking areas located in the Blue, Orange, and Green parking lots.
Class Attendance
Students at Brazosport College are expected to attend class regularly. No unexcused absences or “cuts” are allowed.
College regulations limit class attendance to students who have registered for the class and are listed on the official class rolls.
Students are responsible for all coursework missed during any absence.
Missed Class Days
Any class day missed due to bad weather or emergency conditions will be rescheduled as appropriate.
Student Absences on Religious Holy Days
A religious holy day is a holy day observed by a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property taxation under the Texas Tax Code, Sec. 11.20.
Students who plan to miss class to observe a religious holy day must notify their instructor in writing prior to the day of the absence. Reasonable time will be provided to take an examination that is scheduled or to complete an assignment that is due during the absence.
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