College Policies and Notices

Academic Freedom Statement

It is the policy of the Citrus Community College District to support the principles of academic freedom, built upon the free expression and exchange of ideas that are inherent in the search for scholarly truth and upon which a free and democratic society depends. The District affirms the use of a variety of teaching methodologies to fulfill its obligation to raise difficult and meaningful questions in the educational development of students. Faculty are entitled to freely discuss issues germane to their subject matter. This freedom involves the right to introduce controversial topics, as long as the manner of presentation involves objective reasoning and rational discussion.

Academic freedom must be balanced with the obligation of the District to protect the right of students to learn in an environment characterized by civility, open inquiry, and freedom from unlawful discrimination. While faculty have the right to present ideas and conclusions which they believe to be in accord with available evidence, they also have the responsibility to acknowledge the existence of different opinions and to respect the right of others to hold those views. Faculty and students have a responsibility to engage in teaching and learning that honors and respects divergent viewpoints that are grounded in cultures of reason, logic, evidence and responsible scholarship.

When faculty (or any other District employees) speak or write as citizens, care should be taken to avoid the representation of any personal view as that of the District or of Citrus College.

Academic Honesty

See Code of Conduct section below.

Athletic Eligibility

See Athletics: The Fighting Owls section

Campus Disturbances

The willful disturbance of classes, college activities, or procedures is a misdemeanor. (California Penal Code, Section 626.6)

Campus Safety

From January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2023, the following criminal offenses occurred on campus and were reported to Campus Safety and public agencies:

Catalog Rights and Continuous Enrollment

Catalog Rights:  Students who maintain continuous enrollment may elect to graduate under the requirements of the Citrus College catalog in effect at the time of enrollment to Citrus College or at the intended date of graduation from Citrus College.

Continuous Enrollment:  A student is continuously enrolled if he/she receives a grade (A, B, C, D, F, FW, MW, P, NP, or I) in any semester, fall or spring, during each academic year. Continuous enrollment is maintained at Citrus College if a student transfers to another regionally accredited institution, as long as he/she receives a grade (A, B, C, D, F, FW, MW, P, NP, or I) in any semester, fall or spring, during each academic year at that institution. 

Students will be able to receive a degree in a discontinued program for up to 5 years from the time the program was discontinued.

Please see Administrative Policy 4100 for more information on catalog rights.

Continuous Enrollment

A student is continuously enrolled if he/she receives a grade (A, B, C, D, EW, F, FW, MW, P, NP, or I) in any semester, fall or spring, during each academic year. Continuous enrollment is maintained at Citrus College if a student transfers to another regionally accredited institution, as long as he/she maintains continuous enrollment at that institution.

Continuous enrollment is defined as attendance in one semester or two quarters (excluding summer or winter) within an academic calendar year at a regionally accredited institution.

Discrimination & Sexual Misconduct Information (Title IX)

Citrus Community College District is committed to providing an educational environment that is safe and free from all forms of discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual misconduct.

No community can be totally risk free in today’s society. However, working together, students, faculty, staff, and visitors can help create an atmosphere which is as safe and crime-free as possible. Sections 66281.5 and 67385.7 of the California Education Code require that community college districts adopt and implement procedures to ensure prompt response to victims of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct which occur both on and off-campus, as well as, providing victims with information regarding post sexual assault treatment options and services.

Citrus College is proactive in offering a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors and will not tolerate sexual misconduct. For this, Citrus College offers prevention and education information and orientation programs about domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking to students, faculty, staff, and visitors to help prevent the risk of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct on or off-campus. Additional information is available through the Sexual Violence Prevention Statement on the Citrus College web site.

All Citrus College employees are deemed “responsible employees” and must report any violations or alleged violations of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and retaliation involving students. A “responsible employee” who receives a report of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct must promptly notify the Title IX Coordinator at (626) 914-8830.

Sexual Harassment (Board Policy 7102/Administrative Procedure 7101.1)

Sexual harassment consists of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other conduct of sexual nature when:

• Submission to the conduct is made a term or condition of an individual’s academic status or progress;
• Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct by the individual is used as a basis of academic decisions affecting the individual;
• The conduct is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that the victim is effectively denied access to an educational opportunity or benefit; or
• Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct by the individual is used as the basis for any decision affect- ing the individual regarding benefits and services, honors, programs, or activities available at or through the community college.

Any student or employee who believes that he/she has been harassed or retaliated against in violation of Board Policy 7102 should immediately report such incidents by following the procedure described in Administrative Procedure 7101.1 entitled “Discrimination Complaint Procedure: Students.” Supervisors are mandated to report all incidents of harassment and retaliation that come to their attention. Employees who violate the policy and procedures may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. Students who violate this policy and related procedures may be subject to disciplinary measures up to and including expulsion.

To file a complaint on allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination, or retaliation based on a protected category against a College employee or student, contact the Title IX Coordinator at (626) 914-8830. To file a complaint, refer to Discrimination Complaint Procedures (Administrative Procedure 7101.1).

Sexual and Other Assault (Board Policy 3540/Administrative Procedure 3540)

Sexual assault is defined as any kind of unwanted sexual contact. This includes, but is not limited to, rape, forced sodomy, forced oral copulation, rape by a foreign object, sexual battery, or threat of sexual assault. Sexual violence may include sexual assault, rape, date rape, acquaintance rape, domestic violence, stalking, dating violence, forcing a person to watch/engage in pornography, harassment, exposing/flashing, voyeurism, and/or fondling.

Any sexual violence or physical abuse, including, but not limited to rape as defined by California law, whether committed by a student, faculty, staff or visitor, that occurs on District property, on college owned or controlled property, at college sponsored or supervised functions, or related to or arising from college attendance or activity is a violation of Board Policies and Administrative Procedures, and is subject to all applicable punishment, including criminal procedures and/or civil prosecution, and employee or student discipline procedures. Students, faculty, staff, and visitors who may be victims of sexual and/or other assaults shall be treated with dignity and provided comprehensive assistance.

Any sexual violence against the wishes and without the affirmative consent of the violated person, whether by a stranger or by an acquaintance, whether against a woman or a man, is a violation of the law. “Affirmative consent” means affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreements to engage in sexual activity. It is active, not passive. Silence, in and of itself, is not consent. Prior consent is not consent to future acts. A person must be fully conscious and aware of their actions to be able to give consent. This means that a person who is asleep, drugged, intoxicated, unconscious, a minor, mentally impaired, or incapacitated cannot give consent. Intercourse under any of these circumstances is rape.

Any person who has been the victim of sexual misconduct or who has information regarding sexual violence on campus is strongly urged to call 911 or the police or sheriff department in the city where the crime took place and report the situation as soon as possible. If you are the victim of sexual assault on or off-campus you may also:

1. Go to a safe place. If on campus, you may call Campus Safety 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (626) 914-8611. You may also visit or contact the Student Health Center (SS 147) during business hours at (626) 914-8671.
2. Help preserve evidence. You do not have to decide immediately whether or not you want to pursue a criminal complaint. Collecting evidence immediately following an assault will be helpful if you decide to press charges later.
3. Seek emotional care and support. Don’t try to deal with this situation alone. Call a friend, family member, or someone with whom you feel you can talk to. A 24 hour rape crisis hotline is available where help may be sought by calling (626) 793-3385.
4. Get medical attention as soon as possible to assess and treat physical injuries you may have sustained and to collect evidence of the assault. Choose to go directly to a hospital emergency room for medical care. Please keep in mind that there are many off-campus and confidential resources that can provide different support services to you in a time of crisis. This includes but is not limited to:
   • Rape Treatment Center offers a free rape exam with police officer authorization. Free rape exams are also available without police authorization, although police presence is strongly encouraged. (310) 319-4000, located at 1250 16th Street, Santa Monica CA.
   • Project SISTER Sexual Assault Crisis & Prevention Services offers immediate crisis assistance in seven languages, seven days a week. They also provide accompaniment/advocacy services in which trained volunteers support and advise survivors of sexual violence and child abuse at the hospital, police station, and during court appearances.
   • 24-hour hotlines:
     • San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services:
       (626) 885-8884
     • Peace Over Violence:
       (626) 966-4155
     • Family Counseling Services
       (626) 308-1414
     • Glendora Police Department:
       (626) 914-8250
     • Foothill Presbyterian Hospital:
       (626) 963-8411
     • (909) 626–HELP (4357) or
       (626) 966-4155
5. If the perpetrator is a student at Citrus College, consider reporting the assault to the Manager of Human Resources & Staff Diversity/ Title IX Coordinator at (626) 914- 8830 and/or police. Telling the police does not commit you to further legal action. The Title IX Coordinator, Campus Safety, and Student Health Center are campus Non-Confidential Resources.

Confidentiality and Privacy

The Title IX Coordinator uses discretion and seeks to protect the privacy of all persons involved in complaints of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. Unless explicitly stated, persons or entities on campus are not confidential and may have an obligation to report your disclosure to the Title IX Coordinator at (626) 914-8830.

If you experience any type of sexual misconduct and want to speak to someone confidentially about your options, rights, and experiences, contact a confidential resource.

Driving and Parking

The Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees have adopted traffic and parking regulations in accordance with the California Vehicle Code. Refer to the current Schedule of Classes for details. For further information, please see AP 6750 policy.

Daily permits are $5 and can be purchased at an Automated Pay Station (APS). There are 10 APS machines on campus. Meters are also available for short-term parking.

Student and Staff parking permits are ordered online. The following link provides step-by-step directions.

Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to order a parking permit online from iParq.

Student permits for Fall and Spring are $70 each semester with Winter and Summer at $34 per session.

Drug-Free Policy

References: Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, 20 U.S.C. Section 1145g and 34 C.F.R. Section 861 et seq.; Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, 41 U.S.C. Section 702

The district is committed to maintaining an environment free from the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illegal substances and alcohol by students and employees.

With the exception of alcohol products intended fully for use in classroom scientific experiments and not intended for human consumption, the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of alcohol, marijuana, or any other controlled substance is prohibited on district-owned or controlled property, at district-sponsored or supervised functions, or related to or arising from District attendance or activity.

All employees are required to comply with this policy as a condition of their employment and continued employment.

Any student or employee who violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include referral to an appropriate rehabilitation program, suspension, demotion, expulsion, or dismissal. Any employee convicted under a criminal drug and/or alcohol statute for conduct in the workplace must report this conviction within five days to the superintendent/president.

The superintendent/president shall assure that the college distributes annually to each student the information required by the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 and complies with other requirements of the Act.

Grievance Procedures

Student grievance procedures provide every student with a prompt and equitable means of seeking an appropriate resolution for any alleged violation of their rights. The rights protected under these procedures include, but are not limited to, those guaranteed by the established rules and regulations of the Citrus Community College District and the Education Code of the State of California.

The student grievance procedure does not apply to student disciplinary actions covered under separate board policies and administrative procedures and parking citations “tickets” obtained on campus. Students are advised that grievances must be filed within 20 school days of the occurrence. The procedures do not apply to the employment rights of students. Sexual harassment or discrimination complaints are made to the Office of Human Resources.

Citrus College students are, by law, protected against capricious, arbitrary, unreasonable, unlawful, false, malicious or professionally-inappropriate evaluations or actions by an employee of Citrus College.

For information regarding student grievance procedures, contact the Office of the Vice President of Student Services at (626) 914-8532 or read further on the Citrus website.

Hazing

California - Ed. Code §§ 32050 to 32051

Hazing is defined as an initiation process likely to cause physical harm or personal degradation. The punishment for committing or conspiring to haze is a misdemeanor with a fine between $100 to $5,000 and/or up-to one-year imprisonment. 

Nondiscrimination Policy

The District is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, employment, and all access to institutional programs and activities.

The District, and each individual who represents the District, shall provide access to its services, classes, and programs without regard to national origin, religion, age, sex or gender, race, color, medical condition, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, use of family and medical care leave, genetic information, military or veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, or because he or she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

In addition, it is the stated policy of Citrus Community College District that harassment is prohibited and that regular employees shall not be denied family care leave if eligible under the Fair Employment and Housing Act. All of these categories are protected by the following legislation: Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Fair Employment and Housing Act, California Government Code 12900 et seq., and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Students who have questions or concerns about the nondiscrimination policy can contact the Manager of Human Resources/Staff Diversity & Title IX Coordinator at (626) 914-8830.

Open Enrollment

All courses, course sections, and classes offered by Citrus College are open for enrollment to any person who has been admitted to the college. Enrollment may be subject to any priority system that the college has established. Enrollment may also be limited to students meeting properly validated prerequisites and co-requisites of certain academic programs, or due to other practical considerations such as exemptions set out in statute or regulation.

Registered Sex Offender Information

Information concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained from the
Glendora Police Department
150 S. Glendora Avenue
Glendora, CA 91741
by calling 626-914-8250 or visiting the California Department of Justice's Megan's Law website.

Sex offenders must comply with all of the registration requirements under Penal Code (PC) 290.

Smoking on Campus

See Substance Abuse.

Standards of Conduct

The Superintendent/President shall establish procedures for the imposition of discipline on students in accordance with due process requirements of federal and state laws and regulations.

The procedures shall clearly define the conduct that is subject to discipline and shall identify potential disciplinary actions, including but not limited to the removal, suspension, or expulsion of a student.

The Board of Trustees shall consider any recommendation from the Superintendent/President for a student’s expulsion. The Board shall consider an expulsion recommendation in closed session unless the student requests that the matter be considered in a public meeting. Final action by the Board on the expulsion shall be taken at a public meeting.

The procedures shall be made widely available to students through the District catalog and other means.

The following conduct shall constitute good cause for discipline, including but not limited to the removal, suspension, or expulsion of a student:

1. Causing, attempting to cause, or threatening to cause physical injury to another person;
2. Possession, sale or otherwise furnishing any firearm, knife, explosive, or other dangerous object, including but not limited to any facsimile firearm, knife, or explosive, unless, in the case of possession of any object of this type, the student has obtained written permission to possess the item from a District employee with the concurrence of the Superintendent/President;
3. Unlawful possession, use, sale, offer to sell, or furnishing, or being under the influence of, any controlled substance listed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11053) of Division 10 of the California Health and Safety Code, an alcoholic beverage, or an intoxicant of any kind; or unlawful possession of, or offering, arranging, or negotiating the sale of any drug paraphernalia, as defined in California Health and Safety Code Section 11014.5;
4. Committing or attempting to commit robbery or extortion;
5. Causing or attempting to cause damage to District property or to private property on campus;
6. Stealing or attempting to steal District property or private property on campus, or knowingly receiving stolen District property or private property on campus;
7. Willful or persistent smoking in any area where smoking has been prohibited by law or by regulation of the District;
8. Sexual assault or sexual exploitation regardless of the victim’s affiliation with the District.
9. Committing sexual harassment as defined by law or by District Board Policies and Administrative Procedures;
10. Engaging in harassing or discriminatory behavior based on disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by law;
11. Willful misconduct which results in injury or death to a student or to District personnel or which results in cutting, defacing, or other injury to any real or personal property owned by the District or on campus;
12. Disruptive behavior, willful disobedience, habitual profanity or vulgarity, or the open and persistent defiance of the authority of, or persistent abuse of, District personnel;
13. Cheating, plagiarism (including plagiarism in student publications), or engaging in other academic dishonesty;
14. Dishonesty, forgery, alteration or misuse of District documents, records or identification; or knowingly furnishing false information to the District;
15. Unauthorized entry upon or use of District facilities;
16. Lewd, indecent or obscene conduct on District-owned or controlled property, or at District-sponsored or supervised functions;
17. Engaging in expression which is obscene; libelous or slanderous; or which so incites students as to create a clear and present danger of the commission of unlawful acts on District premises, or the violation of lawful District Administrative Procedures, or the substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the District;
18. Persistent, serious misconduct where other means of correction have failed to bring about proper conduct;
19. Unauthorized preparation, giving, selling, transfer, distribution, or publication, for any commercial purpose, of any contemporaneous recording of an academic presentation in a classroom or equivalent site of instruction, including but not limited to handwritten or typewritten class notes, except as permitted by any District Board Policy or Administrative Procedure;
20. Violation of District rules or regulations including campus policies concerning the student organizations, the use of District facilities, or the time, place and manner of public expression;
21. Persistent violation of classroom standards of conduct as established by the instructor;
22. Accessing restricted portions of the District’s network, operating system, security software, or other administrative applications without authorization. Developing or using programs that may disrupt other computer or network users or that damage software or hardware components of a system. Attempting to use or giving to another person a user’s login, password, or add code to enter an account and/or course without authorization;
23. Any other cause not listed above which is identified as “Good Cause” by the Education Code.

For detailed information regarding student discipline, see Board Policy BP 5500. 

Student Complaint Procedures

Student Rights and Privacy Act

Citrus College student records are maintained in accordance with the Education Code, Title 5, California Civil Code, and the U.S. Patriot Act. Written student consent is required for access and release of information defined as educational records in the federal and state laws as described in Citrus College AP 5040.

A student’s directory information (student’s name, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance and degrees and awards received), may, under certain circumstances or as required by law, be released to any person upon request unless the Admissions and Records Office receives a Withhold Directory Information Request, that a student reserves the right to authorize in writing on an individual request basis the access and release of the directory information. Such a notice of restriction shall remain in effect until it is countermanded in writing. Additionally, the law provides that a student may request access to the college records which are personally identifiable to that student, and may challenge the accuracy or the appropriateness of retention of information in the college record.

Student Right-to-Know

In compliance with the Student Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, it is the policy of the Citrus Community College District and Citrus College to make available its completion and transfer rates to all current and prospective students. Student Right-To-Know (SRTK) refers to a federally-mandated public disclosure of a college’s completion rate and transfer rate. The intent of SRTK is to provide to the consumer a statistic of comparable effectiveness that they can use in the determination of college choice. All colleges nationwide are effectively required to participate in the disclosure of rates by January 2000.

SRTK is a “cohort” study; that is, a group of students who are first-time freshmen, are enrolled full-time and are degree-seeking, is identified in a fall term and their outcomes are measured over a period of time. The outcomes that the two SRTK rates measure are completion (the total number of students in the cohort who earn either a degree, a certificate, or who successfully completed a two-year-equivalent transfer-preparatory program) and transfer (the total number of cohort non-completers who were identified as having enrolled in another institution). The tracking period of the cohorts is three (3) years, at which time the SRTK rates are calculated and made public.

SRTK Rates are derived and reported yearly on the IPEDS-GRS (Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System-Graduation Rate Survey). The IPEDS-GRS also tracks part-time student cohorts over a six (6) year period; however, full-time cohort status after three years is the only basis for calculating SRTK rates.

Access to the Citrus College Student Right-To-Know Rates and further information about the rates and how they should be interpreted is available through the “Student Right-To-Know Information Clearinghouse” website maintained by the Chancellor’s Office, California Community Colleges.

Questions concerning students’ rights under the privacy act should be directed to the Admissions and Records Office, 626-914-8511.

Substance Abuse Policy

The Citrus Community College District prohibits the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees on college property, and as part of any college-sponsored or sanctioned event. The Citrus Community College District is a smoke-free, vape-free, and tobacco-free environment. Smoking, vaping, and the use of tobacco products is prohibited on all District property at all times. This policy applies to students, employees, and visitors.

District property includes both indoor and outdoor areas owned by the college, including parking lots and athletics fields. (Citrus Community College District Board Policy 7103, Administrative Procedure 3570, Education Code 87335, Standards of Student Conduct, and U.S. Public Law 101-226).

Any student or employee in violation of this policy is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including, expulsion from college for violation of the Standards of Conduct or termination from employment for violation of District policy. The decision to take disciplinary action in any instance involving employees rests with the Board of Trustees after consideration of the recommendation of the Superintendent/President. The Dean of Students may take disciplinary action against students who fail to adhere to this policy.