Student Conduct and Concerns

COM is committed to an educational climate that supports your professional and personal development. If you experience an unresolved disagreement with a faculty or staff member, a student group, another peer, or are dissatisfied with a service, you can formally voice your concerns:

• Retaliation Protections: You may safely initiate an official complaint without worrying about it prejudicing or negatively impacting your status at the College.
• Informal Resolution First: Students are strongly encouraged to first discuss their concerns informally with the specific instructor, administrator, or supervisor involved.
• Where to Get Help: For direct guidance on choosing the right procedure or finding the correct supervisor to speak with, contact the Dean of Students' office.
• Student Concerns Form
• Academic Student Complaint – FLD Regulation
• Student Complaint – FLD Policy 

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College of the Mainland strictly prohibits discrimination and harassment against any individual. No member of our community shall be targeted on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, genetic information, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression. Retaliation against anyone participating in a complaint process is a severe violation of College District policy.

For more information: See FFDA (Local) - Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Sex and Sexual Violence, and FFDB (Local) - Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Other Characteristics.

Blanchard, Teclesha
Director, Equal Opportunity & Title IX
409-933-8529
tblanchard5@com.edu

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• The Student Handbook — Your comprehensive guide to campus life and college rules.
• Student Guide to Rights & Responsibilities — Learn about your protections and institutional expectations.
• COM’s Student Conduct Policy — Detailed policies regarding behavioral accountability.
• Student Conduct Referral – Report a complaint against a student at COM who has possibly violated one or more rules of conduct or conduct regulations. Student disciplinary action procedures are found in FMA (Regulation).
• Student Concerns – Report an educational or a personal issue or condition that a student believes to be unfair, inequitable, or a hindrance to his/her education at COM.
• Student Appeal Form – A formal request to appeal any academic dismissal or conduct-related decision at any level of the appeals process.
• COM CARE Referral Form – Share concerns that you have for any student, staff, faculty, and/or community member who may be experiencing a crisis, displaying odd or unusual behavior, or are engaging in behavior that may be perceived as being harmful to themselves or others.
• Student Basic Needs Form – Submit if you, or someone you know, may benefit from receiving basic needs assistance from community resources (clothing, transportation, food, financial relief, mental health/counseling, etc.).
• Sexual Misconduct Complaint Form – To report incidents of harassment, and retaliation for COM students, employees, and/or third-parties. This form is not limited to reports of sexual misconduct and is used to report all Title IX and other types of discrimination to the Title IX office.

Different student concerns follow distinct, specialized administrative tracks outlined within college guidelines:

• Final Grade Appeal Form – A formal request brought forth by a student to change a final grade in a course and/or to challenge a penalty within the student grade appeal process. Student grade appeals are addressed under the Grade Appeal section of the Student Handbook.
• Financial Aid Probation Appeals – Financial eligibility challenges are governed strictly under the Financial Aid framework of the Student Handbook.
• Non-Academic Complaints – General issues or challenges to existing policies not related to grades or financial aid follow institutional policies  FLD (Local) and FLD (Exhibit).
• Disciplinary Appeal Procedures – Official procedures for reviewing student disciplinary actions are detailed under policy FMA (Regulation).

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Student Appeal Form – A formal request to appeal any academic dismissal or conduct-related decision at any level of the appeals process.

Current, former, and prospective students who feel their complaint has not been resolved adequately may initiate a complaint with THECB after exhausting the College’s complaint/appeal process.

They have the right to complain in writing or by telephone to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) regarding the College’s management of Title IX, HEA programs or its advertising, or promoting of its educational programs.

Correspondence should be addressed to:
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, TX 78711
512-427-6101

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) publishes a Complaint Procedures Against SACSCOC or Its Accredited Institutions. Students, employees or others may initiate a complaint of alleged violations of SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation, the Core Requirements, and policies or procedures, as well as address possible violations of an institution’s own policies and procedures. Refer to the SACSCOC policy statement for details on this process.

Students may also contact the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
1301 Young Street, Suite 106
Dallas, TX 75202
Customer Response Center: (800) 368-1019
Fax: (202) 619-3818 / TDD: (800) 537-7697
ocrmail@hhs.gov

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