SDCCD Policy 3100: Describes in detail (1) standards of conduct, (2) administration of discipline, (3) administrative due process/appeals, and (4) student grievance procedures. Policy 3100 prescribes procedures by which the student or the district may formally initiate action to resolve disputes. The complete text of policy 3100 is available in each continuing education center administration office.

SDCCD Manual 3200: Describes in detail procedures and operating guidelines for student clubs/organizations, including the Associated Student Body. Contents covers (1) faculty/staff advisors for student clubs/organizations, (2) associated student body club/organization, (3) registered student clubs/organizations (recognized), (4) uso of college/center facilities, (5) funding a club/organizatrion, (6) travel, (7) responsibilities, (8) college/center regulations, (9) speech and advocacy, and (10) off-campus activities.

Constitution and By-Laws of the Associated Student Body of West City Continuing Education Center (Available from the WCC Counseling Office or ASB Faculty Advisor)

Policy and practice may not coincide. Policies may be unwritten and NOT formally approved. Policies may be understood and implemented differently from campus to campus according to changing priorities about which the student body remains uninformed. As personnel is shuffled and people retire or move away, and their replacements arrive with perhaps very different backgrounds, abilities, and predispositions, any predictability with regard to how a student's concerns might be addressed drops even lower. Add to this the obvious and not-so-obvious internal pecking orders, jealousies, power struggles, political maneuvering, self-preoccupations, paycheck-centeredness, and assorted neuroses and eccentricities, and the student may become even more tentative about having his or her concerns addressed.

In my case, I came with high expectations, great enthusiasm, leadership ability, and an innovative spirit ready to catch up with the new wave of information technology. Now, almost two years later, I am a weary, dispirited, and doubting die-hard, freshly reminded that education is in a deepening crisis because not everybody comes to campus to learn.

If your school does not have a well-publicized and crystal clear routing process for the handling of students' complaints, ongoing concerns, and grievances — consider this a signal that students are considered an underclass, and what happens to an underclass off campus is just as likely to occur on campus.

There are certain categories of complaint that get immediate attention such as felonies, sexual harassment, racial discrimination, etc. While there is zero tolerance for drug and alcohol possession — there is infinite tolerance of ineptitude and lack of innovative leadership — provided that such inept administrators are sufficiently supportive of the people holding managerial power and don't provide a target for bad publicity or a lawsuit.

At West City Center, I was told by the Associate Dean to just write what I wanted and hand it in to anyone in the office. When I expressed dismay at the lack of formalized handling of student input, the Associate Dean suggested I could use the suggestion box. He neglected to add that the suggestion box hadn't been checked in a year. So much for a secure student hot line to the powers that be.

Presumed policy may be based on one person's view or interpretation of past practice, precedent, or implies sanctions that may or may not reflect widespread agreement or alignment with more established or overarching policy directives. The SDCCD mission statement, and code 3100 have not been revised to reflect best practice and innovative developments that affect various areas of district administration differently. A recent letter to the SDCCD Chancellor about updating such documents was met with no response. Perhaps this will give students some fair warning that their feelings may not be spared and the hours of futility may be long unless they are pursuing a red flag issue that could get someone fired if not addressed. Sometimes teachers and staff may suffer the same — but often they become caught up as active or passive accomplices in perpetuating the unresolved difficulties of the student underclass within public schools — and often private schools as well.

As a student asking the San Diego Community College District to live up to it's stated Mission and Goals, the Vice-President of Continuing Education referred to me as a DON QUIOTE and a "Tempest in a Teapot." He said I couldn’t change anything because “It’s all politics.” A site administrator told me: “I don’t give a god damn what you think!” when I voiced reasonable concerns about his bizarre behavior, which included a Clint Eastwood fixation.

The District administrators circled their wagons, and used distortions and untrue testimony by District employees to suspend me in May of 2000, rather than deal with serious gaps in professional behavior and policy conformance. In order to suspend me, the District arranged a kangaroo court, and despite my strong objections. I formally protested the biased "Disciplinary Committee" selection and the unfair actions by the Disciplinary Officer selected to pursue two ridiculously and distorted allegations:

(1) Taking photos of the Counseling Office (position of desks, etc.) where I was verbally assaulted by a custodian;
(2)Walking up to a secretary's desk to be handed a phone with the ASB advisor on the line when there was a sign to one side of the room that was supposed to demark a staff only area, but which clearly did not.

It was so obvious that certain individuals would resort to any ruse to get rid of me rather than respond adequately to the embarassing management and employee issues I raised. It has been hard to stomach this ugly first-hand encounter with the entrenched hypocrisy in our schools.

YOUR SUGGESTIONS ARE APPRECIATED!

Last updated 22 March 2001.