Informal Procedures
The District strongly encourages students and staff who believe they are being harassed to file a complaint in a timely manner. Since failure to report harassment impedes the District’s ability to stop the behavior, the District strongly encourages that such complaints be made within 30 days of the alleged incident. Any complaint not involving employment may be made orally or in writing within one year of the date of the alleged discrimination or harassment.
The District has established “designated officers” who are charged with receiving complaints and coordinating their investigation. The designated officer will explain the rights and options available to the individual bringing charges of unlawful discrimination or harassment. If there is a simple misunderstanding or the individual does not wish to file a formal complaint, the individual may elect to pursue an informal resolution process. The informal process is not a prerequisite for filing a formal complaint.
An individual who feels she/he has been subjected to sexual assault may file a complaint with the police department in addition to any other complaint.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to unlawful discrimination, including harassment, may report complaints to the designated officer for Irvine Valley College:
Vice President for Student Services
Irvine Valley College
5500 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, California 92618
949-451-5214
Formal Procedures
If an informal process does not resolve the matter and/or the complainant wishes to pursue formal charges, he or she may elect to follow formal complaint procedures. The informal process may not be appropriate for complaints of sexual assault. Formal complaints of unlawful discrimination or harassment must be filed in writing on a form prescribed by the State Chancellor. Approved complaint forms are available from any one of the following sources:
The Office of the Vice President for Student Services
Irvine Valley College
5500 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, California 92618
949-451-5214
The Office of the Director of Human Resources
South Orange County Community College District
28000 Marguerite Parkway
Mission Viejo, California 92692
949-582-4348 or 949-582-4850
SOCCCD website:
Unlawful Discrimination Complaint Form
Upon receiving a formal written complaint, the District will determine whether the complaint has met the necessary requirements, which include but are not limited to whether it was filed in a timely manner, on an appropriate form, and whether it alleges unlawful discrimination as stipulated in Title 5, section 59300.
The District will investigate properly filed complaints according to procedures prescribed in Board policy. The District will complete its investigation within 90 days of receiving the complaint and report its administrative determination. The District must provide written notice to both the complainant and the State Chancellor of whether there is probable cause to sustain the charges raised in the complaint; a description of the action taken, if any, to prevent similar problems from occurring in the future; the proposed resolution of the complaint; and the complainant’s right to appeal to the District and the State Chancellor.
State Chancellor of the California Community Colleges website:
Complaints Against the College with ACCJC
Students and members of the public who desire to file a complaint regarding Irvine Valley College with the accrediting body of the college, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) may do so via their website. Prior to submitting a complaint, please review ACCJC’s Policy on Student and Public Complaints Against Institutions. The Commission (ACCJC) receives complaints about substantive matters that are related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. The Commission will address concerns that are clearly related to an accreditation action taken by the Commission. However, the Commission does not act as a court of appeal, and therefore cannot settle disputes between individuals and institutions. Areas that would not fall under the purview of ACCJC include: matters of admission, granting or transfer of academic credit, grades, fees, student financial aid, student discipline, collective bargaining, faculty appointments, promotion, tenure and dismissals or similar matters.
Further Information
For more comprehensive information about discrimination and harassment, students are encouraged to read the Harassment Policy and Complaint Procedure brochure, available in the Office of Student Services, Room A 110, at Irvine Valley College. The brochure is also available for downloading from the SOCCCD website: here.
Students may also refer to Administrative Regulation 4000.5 for more information regarding filing a complaint and investigation procedures.