Information for Staff

Addressing Student Behavior

While proactive steps may be taken to prevent misconduct, they do not prevent ALL inappropriate behaviors. It is important to keep in mind the difference between "inappropriate" behavior and behavior that warrants a formal response from the College, such as the student conduct process or a police response.

How to Have a Difficult Conversation

  • As long as there is no threat to physical safety, we encourage you to speak to students about behaviors that may be concerning or disruptive. This allows you to maximize the opportunity for the student to learn.
  • The following outline can be helpful as you determine how to discuss behaviors of concern with students:
    • Build rapport and explain why you want to talk to the student. Remember that you both have the same goal - for him/her to be successful at Santa Fe College.
    • Describe, in specific detail, the behavior that occurred.
    • Describe the effects of the behavior and how it could negatively impact the student's future.
    • Ask the student why this may have occurred, and then listen to the student's perspective. Do not interrupt them, and do not get defensive.
    • Offer ways that you can help the student to be successful in changing the behavior. It is helpful to ask if the student is connected to any campus resources (such as the Counseling and Wellness Center, the Disabilities Resource Center, My Brother's Keeper, Pathways to Persistence, etc.). If not, you can offer to provide the student with contact information for these offices
    • Describe what will happen if the student continues with the same behavior.
    • Inform the student how you plan to follow up on the situation. Please communicate this clearly, so you and the student are both on the same page. An Email summary of the conversation is convenient because you can summarize the conversation and have the situation documented should this happen again.
    • While these steps may seem simple, they do work when it comes to approaching a tough or frustrating situation with students.

How to Submit a General Misconduct Report

  • If you believe a student violated the student conduct code, please complete file a general Student Conduct Report form. Please contact the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs with any questions or concerns.
  • Many situations can be managed through classroom management techniques, which is preferable since it enables you to give the student timely feedback about their behavior, and reinforces the standards you have already provided. If you address a low-level incident and you just want it documented somewhere in case the behavior continues, you can always report that as an informational incident so that the Student Conduct Officer is aware of it. This report should be submitted using the general Student Conduct Report form – be sure to indicate in the narrative that the submission is intended to be "Information Only."
  • If the situation involves a threat to physical safety or significant disruption that cannot be managed, consider one of the following:
    • If the incident requires an immediate response, contact the Santa Fe College Police Department at 352-395-5555.
    • Use the online "Say Something" form to submit a general concern. It will be reviewed by the SF Behavioral Intervention Team and the appropriate member respond.
  • If the complaint pertains to sexual or gender-based harassment or misconduct, you are encouraged to review the College's Title IX/Sexual Misconduct information. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies or concerns about discrimination or harassment, including concerns about sexual harassment or sexual violence under Title IX, should be directed to SF's Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX Coordinator, 3000 NW 83rd Street, R-Annex, Room 113, Gainesville, Florida 32606, 352-395-5950, equity.officer@sfcollege.edu.

How to Create a Student-Friendly Office

  • Even on a bad day, we need to keep serving students at the forefront of our mission. Here are some tips to help ensure your office is student-friendly:
    • Ensure that everyone in your office understands when and why appeals of decisions might occur.
    • Remember that students and their families don't often know what office is responsible for what - they just need their concerns resolved.
    • Communicate your expectations clearly to students, other staff, and visitors to your office.
    • Welcome any and all visitors that enter your office space
    • Make your space inviting for students, staff, families, and other visitors
    • Standardize your office procedures.
    • Prepare well with staff and procedures for busy work periods.
    • Work as a team!

FAQs

How can I learn about the campus conduct process and what is expected of students?

  • The Student Code of Conduct outlines what is expected of students, as well as the process that the campus follows if it appears a student may have violated those standards of behavior. Please read over the Student Code of Conduct to become more familiar with the College's policies. You may also contact the Chief Student Conduct Officer with any questions.
  • By applying to Santa Fe College, all students agree to uphold these standards

How does the campus conduct process relate to the criminal process?

  • The campus conduct process may occur before, during, or after a criminal process for the same behavior. For example, a student may face campus conduct charges for assaulting another student on campus, and he/she may also face charges in court.
  • The campus conduct process has the goals of providing education to individual students while maintaining the campus standards for behavior, so the process and the outcomes are often very different than those of the criminal process, whose goal is justice.

When and how do I report a concern to the College?

  • You can submit a general misconduct report online any time of day. Reports are reviewed during regular College business hours and it will be reviewed by a Student Conduct Officer. If it pertains to an immediate concern, please contact the Santa Fe Police Department.
  • When you submit the information, please be detailed and objective. Describe the incident with as many relevant details as you can. Avoid making judgments or assumptions about the student. Please include witness information and your on-campus contact information.

What happens after I report a concern?

  • If it appears that a student may have violated a College policy, and sanctions are warranted, the student conduct process and/or a campus investigation will be initiated by a Student Conduct Officer.
  • If so, the student is notified of the receipt of the complaint and is asked to meet with the Student Conduct Officer to discuss the incident. Most cases are resolved informally through this meeting, if the Student Conduct Officer and the accused student can reach agreement about what happened, and if the student is willing to accept responsibility and any appropriate sanctions
  • In cases where the student chooses not to participate, or where agreement is not reached, the case will proceed to a campus hearing. You will be able to present your information in the hearing and the panel will decide if there was a violation and if the student should receive any sanctions because of it. The student will be able to participate in this process, as he/she has a right to respond to the information in the conduct case.
  • Please be aware that the College does not tolerate retaliation of any form, and if you have any concerns for your physical safety you are encouraged to communicate those to the Student Conduct officer.

What are common sanctions for academic misconduct?

  • The most common sanctions start with a warning and educational conversations, where the student and the Student Conduct Officer discuss the incident and the student explores better ways to act in the future. Other sanctions include: visiting another campus office to learn about resources, probationary status, and suspension from the campus for a designated period of time. The goals of sanctions are to help the student learn and succeed, and also to uphold the standards of the Santa Fe College campus community.

What can I know about a student's conduct record?

  • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records. It does allow for sharing of information within Santa Fe College if there is a "legitimate educational interest." This means that if you need the information in order to complete part of your job responsibilities, you can have access to it.