College Policies

Community college polices are frequently being updated. Keep current on the latest bans, free speech initiatives and safety protocols. Learn what schools are doing to increase funding in the midst of widespread budget cuts, determine the best practices to ensure safety on campus and get the latest on school controversies and student rights.

View the most popular articles in College Policies:

Cussing on Campus: Should Community Colleges Fine Students?

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Cussing on Campus: Should Community Colleges Fine Students?
Do you have a right to use profanity on campus? Read about one community college that is fining its students for cussing.

Profanity is generally frowned upon at primary and secondary schools across the country. In fact, one high school in Connecticut has issued a policy that allows police to hand out pricey tickets to students caught in the act of cussing. The rule is designed to teach students self-control and prohibit profanity in the school, where it doesn't belong. Despite the $103 price tag, most parents and students at Connecticut High School have supported these tickets, according to a report in the New Haven Register.

Most of us agree with rules against foul language used by kids, but what about when those kids reach college campuses? Aren't they considered adults, capable of making their own choices, even if the words they choose are offensive to people around them?

According to a community college in Mississippi, the answer is a resounding no. This school is cracking down on cussing on campus, and some say they are violating First Amendment rights in the process. One case has garnered the country's attention, putting the usually quiet campus in a bit of a predicament.

This video explains how not to swear.

The Case of Isaac Rosenbloom

According to a report in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Isaac Rosenbloom is a 29-year-old student at Hinds Community College. One day, he and a few other students remained after class to discuss their grades with the

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How Free is Free Speech on Community College Campuses?

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How Free is Free Speech on Community College Campuses?
Is free speech in jeopardy on community college campuses? Learn about new movements that may limit students' speech to specific "free speech zones."

The Peralta Community College District in California has recently been the subject of intense scrutiny since announcing its plans to establish "free speech" zones around its campuses. According to the Mercury News, school district officials are currently working on a policy to limit where and how groups can speak on campus.

These proposed free speech zones have rankled students and faculty alike and caused many to question whether First Amendment free speech is in jeopardy in venues where the public exchange of ideas has always been welcomed. However, Peralta is not the only college environment where free speech platforms have been limited. This idea has actually been in existence for a decade, and every college campus that has instituted free speech zones has come under fire for its plans.

This report from NCB News reports on free speech on college campuses.

Free Speech on College Campuses

Since the 1960s, college students have led many protests against social issues and stood up for policies and legislation they have believed to be a violation of their rights. Protests during that time primarily revolved around the Vietnam War, but grumblings against the "Establishment" and other social policies were also the topics of debate.

During the final two decades of the previous centuries, protests on college campuses cooled significantly. However, concerns over race and sex have emboldened students once again, according to a report from the

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Sex Offenders: Banned on Community College Campuses

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Sex Offenders: Banned on Community College Campuses
Sex offenders may soon be banned on community colleges. Learn about the community college that has taken this watershed step in preventing children sex offenders from taking classes on campus.

After serving time for their crimes, sex offenders must register their residence, but should more steps be taken to protect society from them? According to a Michigan community college, the answer is a resounding yes.

Lake Michigan College, a community college in Benton Harbor, Michigan, made news recently when it announced that it is banning anyone who is registered as a sex offender of children from enrolling in courses.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the college decided to make the new rule after a student who is a registered child sex offender identified himself as such during course registration in October. The college decided not to let the student register and to suspend other students who are registered sex offenders of children. The college identified three currently enrolled students who are also registered child sex offenders by using a public sex-offender registry, and it suspended these three students in February.

Registered Offenders Cannot Attend On-campus Classes

The college has declared that students who are convicted of sex crimes against children are “suspended” from being on the college campuses until they are no longer required to register as child sex offenders and are no longer on probation or parole. Michigan’s Herald Palladium notes that under Michigan law, those who commit sex crimes against children are required to register themselves as such for either 25 years or life. Thus, these “suspensions” are more like expulsions. Registered child sex offenders will still be

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Should Instructors Be Allowed to Carry Guns on Campus?

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Should Instructors Be Allowed to Carry Guns on Campus?
With the growing number of on-campus shootings, some states are debating whether or not community college instructors should carry concealed weapons on campus. Learn about both sides of the heated debate.

In the last decade, college campuses have become the crime scene for too many violent shootings. From the University of Arkansas and Virginia’s Appalachian School of Law to Arizona Nursing College and Virginia Tech, dozens of students, professors, and deans have been killed or wounded by gunmen. In the last five years, 35% of American college campuses have experienced at least one gun incident, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The violence on campus has sparked a rigorous debate: should instructors and professors be allowed to carry guns on campus? Currently, 13 state legislatures are reviewing bills that would permit concealed weapons on campus.

This video from WJZ television in Baltimore reports on the issue of staff carrying guns on campus.

The Current Law

The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 currently makes it illegal for anyone to carry a gun in a school zone, which is on campus or within 1000 feet of a school. State legislators reviewing pro-gun laws are considering revoking gun-free school zones, allowing permit holders to bring firearms onto campus. Proponents rhetorically argue, “Why can’t people protect themselves on campus, just like they do throughout the state?”

Proponents of Concealed Weapons on Campus

The supporters of the proposed legislation argue that allowing instructors to carry concealed weapons would keep campuses safer, giving the potential victims an ability to

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Budget Crisis: Will Community Colleges Be Declared Financial Emergencies?

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Budget Crisis: Will Community Colleges Be Declared Financial Emergencies?
Amidst state budget crises, community colleges are constantly looking for ways to cope with reduced budgets, often at the cost of students' pocketbooks.

While students enrolled in community colleges across the country in record numbers, these same campuses are simultaneously facing drastically reduced budgets. Because community colleges receive a large portion of their funds from the state, community colleges in states that are experiencing budget crises are hard hit financially. From California to Maryland, two-year institutions are skating on thin ice financially, and the students are feeling the toll of their states’ budget crises.

This video reports on what to expect with budget cuts.

California: Students Paying More as Community Colleges Deal with Overcrowding

In July 2009, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cut funding to the state’s community colleges by $812 million, writes Dean Murakami in Perspective, the quarterly publication of the Community College Council of the California Federation of Teachers.

Unfortunately, the situation gets worse. Over $1 billion of the budget for January to June 2010 is being deferred until July 2010, the next fiscal year. Murakami writes that this deferral means that many districts will struggle to pay their employees and meet other institutional costs. Additionally, the Community College Council is concerned that the deferred money may end up being cut in order to balance the 2010-2011 budget.

Students at California’s community colleges are feeling the direct results of this budget crisis. Student fees have increased to $26 per unit, and classes and programs are being cut as community colleges scramble to

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College Policies

COLLEGE FUNDING
Community colleges are coping with major budget deficits, and this section covers how students are being impacted. From local fundraising efforts to federal grants, we’ll explore how community colleges are staying afloat despite funding cuts and cost increases.
How Community Colleges Fundraise to Improve Campuses
How Community Colleges Fundraise to Improve Campuses
As Community Colleges Set Budgets, Tough Decisions Must be Made
As Community Colleges Set Budgets, Tough Decisions Must be Made
Community College Curriculum: Drastically Changed by Today's Economy
Community College Curriculum: Drastically Changed by Today's Economy
CAMPUS SAFETY
Community college campuses should be a safe place, and these policies, controversial or not, aim to achieve that goal. Schools have banned sex offenders from campus, allowed security to carry guns and installed surveillance cameras in an effort to keep students safe. Here we’ll cover the latest crime and safety policies in place on campuses across the country.
Sex Offenders: Banned on Community College Campuses
Sex Offenders: Banned on Community College Campuses
Campus Safety on Community Colleges
Campus Safety on Community Colleges
Are Guns Coming to Community College Campuses?
Are Guns Coming to Community College Campuses?
SCHOOL CONTROVERSIES
From controversial reform to cursing in the classroom, our articles provide the latest news on school controversies. Here you’ll find information on some of the hot button topics related to community colleges.
California to Reform Community College System
California to Reform Community College System
Changes Coming to Nevada Community Colleges
Changes Coming to Nevada Community Colleges
STUDENT RIGHTS
From free speech to free dress, what rights do students have or relinquish on campus? Smoking bans, faith based initiatives and rights violations are just a few of the topics covered here. Don’t miss out on the latest information on student rights on community college campuses.
Are Maricopa Community Colleges Violating Minority Students Civil Rights?
Are Maricopa Community Colleges Violating Minority Students Civil Rights?
Faith Based Initiatives at Community Colleges: Faux Pas or Politically Correct?
Faith Based Initiatives at Community Colleges: Faux Pas or Politically Correct?
More Smoking Bans at Community Colleges Billow, But Not All is Sunny
More Smoking Bans at Community Colleges Billow, But Not All is Sunny