The Office of Student Conduct will be responsible for maintaining all official College records related to student conduct. A student’s record will include copies of all Cases in which a student is alleged to have violated the South Texas College Student Code of Conduct, as well as copies of all correspondence and other documentation related to the conduct.
The policies regarding the retention of student conduct records are as follows:
Student Conduct files will be maintained for a period of no less than seven years following the most recent finding of violation per Clery Reporting stipulations.
Student Conduct files of students who have been dismissed from South Texas College will be kept indefinitely.
South Texas College will retain, as necessary, appropriate statistical information related to policy violations in order to comply with legislative reporting requirements.
Release of Records
From time to time request for information about student conduct records may be received by South Texas College. These request typically serve the following purposes: Undergraduate transfer to another institution; Graduate/professional/law school admission; Admission to the Bar (by state); Security clearances for employment (typically federal), etc. Access and release of records of student conduct proceedings are governed by applicable Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other privacy laws.
Parental Notification Policy
South Texas College considers student conduct records to be part of a student’s educational record, and as such South Texas College complies with all applicable legislation, including but not limited to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Further, South Texas College’s primary relationship is with its students, and not with their parents or guardians.
However, South Texas College recognizes that parents or guardians maintain an interest in their students’ behavior while at college, and can play a positive role in preventing further misconduct. Therefore, South Texas College may notify the parents or guardians of any dependent student under the age of twenty-one who is placed on probation, or is suspended or dismissed from South Texas College. South Texas College also reserves the right to notify the parents or guardians of any dependent student under the age of twenty-one who has been found responsible for violating any drug or alcohol polices. Notification may be deferred at the discretion of the Dean of Student Affairs and Director of Student Conduct.
This notification is intended as a means to encourage communication between students and their parents or guardians to provide the greatest level of support for the student. Regardless of whether notification has occurred, South Texas College’s priority and obligation is to correspond and otherwise conduct business directly with students, and not through parents, guardians, or any other third party.
Review of Student Conduct Records
In accordance with FERPA, South Texas College shall afford each student the following rights with respect to their education records. You have a right to inspect and review your education records within forty-five (45) days of this written notice. You have a right to request an amendment of your education records to ensure that the records are not inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of your privacy or other rights. You have a right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in your education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. You have a right to file a complaint alleging a violation of FERPA with the Family Policy Compliance Office of the United States Department of Education; and you have a right to obtain a copy of South Texas College’s student records policy.
The Office of Student Conduct maintains all student conduct record (paper and electronic formats) for matters involving code of conduct violations. Files are maintained separate from academic transcripts, but are considered educational records subject to FERPA and College policy. As such, the Office of Student Conduct may disclose information related to student conduct records to South Texas College employees with a legitimate educational interests. All student conduct files are maintained as required by law and/or College policy (generally seven years). A student wishing to view their conduct file should contact the Office of Student Conduct to schedule an appointment. Federal law requires that the requested file be reviewed and information on any other student be redacted. The requesting student will be permitted to view their prepared file, but will not be allowed to copy, take pictures, or otherwise record the documents.
NOTE: FERPA permits a school to disclose personally identifiable information from education records of an “eligible student” (a student age 18 or older or enrolled in a postsecondary institution at any age) to his or her parents if the student is a “dependent student” as that term is defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code. Generally, if either parent has claimed the student as a dependent on the parent’s most recent income tax statement, the school may non-consensually disclose the student’s education records to both parents.