VII. Student Support
Overview
Oakridge College expects students to ask for help when they need it.
Student support may include academic advising, help with courses, residence life support, student organization guidance, safety support, accessibility support, and referrals for personal concerns. Students are not expected to solve every problem alone.
The Details
Student support is shared across several parts of the college.
A student may receive support from faculty, instructors, faculty advisors, Department Chairs, Deans, Student Affairs, Residence Assistants, Campus Security, and other approved college staff.
Different concerns belong in different places. Students should begin with the person or office most closely connected to the issue. If the issue is serious, unsafe, or cannot be solved at that level, it may be moved up the chain.
Academic Advising
Academic advising helps students understand their courses, programs, academic progress, and options.
Students may ask for advising when they need help with:
- Choosing courses
- Understanding a program of study
- Understanding course expectations
- Planning academic progress
- Preparing for graduation or completion
- Understanding academic difficulty
- Deciding whether a course fits their goals
- Finding the right department or office
- Asking about academic opportunities
Academic advising may come from a faculty advisor, instructor, Department Chair, Dean, Registrar, or other approved academic support role.
Advising is guidance. It does not replace official academic records or program requirements.
Faculty Advisors
A faculty advisor is a faculty member who helps students understand academic choices and college expectations.
A faculty advisor may help a student:
- Understand department requirements
- Choose appropriate courses
- Discuss academic interests
- Prepare for future academic work
- Find academic resources
- Communicate with the right college office
- Understand problems affecting academic progress
Faculty advisors are not expected to solve every student problem. If a concern goes beyond academic advising, the faculty advisor may refer the student to Student Affairs, the Registrar, Residence Life, Campus Security, a Dean, or another appropriate authority.
Instructors
Students should usually begin course-specific questions with the instructor.
Students may contact an instructor about:
- Course expectations
- Assignment instructions
- Attendance or participation
- Course materials
- Academic feedback
- Missed class information
- Classroom concerns
- Confusion about a lesson or activity
Students should contact instructors respectfully and allow reasonable time for a reply.
Instructors are not required to be available at all hours.
Department Chairs and Deans
A student may contact a Department Chair when a concern affects a department, program, or course in a way the instructor cannot resolve.
A student may contact a Dean when a concern affects an Academic School, involves multiple departments, or is serious enough to require School-level review.
Examples may include:
- Program requirement concerns
- Repeated course problems
- Concerns about faculty conduct
- Department-level confusion
- Conflicts between students and faculty
- Questions about academic standing
- Serious classroom concerns
- Requests for review after other steps have not worked
Students should not skip directly to senior leadership for ordinary course questions unless the matter is urgent, unsafe, or cannot reasonably be handled at a lower level.
Student Affairs
Student Affairs supports student life outside the classroom.
Students may contact Student Affairs about:
- Student conduct questions
- Clubs and organizations
- Student events
- Residence life concerns
- Student leadership
- Personal concerns affecting college life
- Conflict between students
- Concerns about harassment or discrimination
- Help finding the correct office
- General student support
Student Affairs may also help connect students with faculty, Residence Life, Campus Security, or senior administration when needed.
Residence Life Support
Students who live in residence spaces may receive support from Residence Assistants, residence staff, Student Affairs, or the Dean of Student Affairs.
Residence Life support may involve:
- Roommate concerns
- Guest issues
- Quiet hours
- Common space problems
- Safety concerns
- Residence hall conduct
- Maintenance or access concerns
- Conflict between residents
- Questions about residence rules
A Residence Assistant may help with ordinary residence concerns. Serious or repeated problems may be referred to Student Affairs, the Dean of Student Affairs, Campus Security, or disciplinary review.
Accessibility and Accommodation Support
Students who need support related to disability, access, medical limitations, learning needs, or other barriers should contact Student Affairs or the appropriate college office.
Oakridge will make reasonable efforts to help students access academic and student life activities when possible.
Support may include:
- Referral to the correct office
- Adjustments to participation when appropriate
- Help communicating needs to faculty
- Review of access barriers
- Support during events or activities
- Guidance about available resources
Students should ask for support as early as possible. Some support may take time to arrange.
Students should not assume that faculty or staff know what they need unless the student communicates the concern through the proper process.
Personal Concerns
Students may sometimes face personal problems that affect college life.
These may include:
- Stress
- Conflict with another student
- Family concerns
- Housing concerns
- Health concerns
- Financial pressure
- Relationship problems
- Fear for personal safety
- Grief or crisis
- Feeling overwhelmed
Students may speak with Student Affairs, a faculty advisor, a Residence Assistant, or another trusted college authority.
College staff may listen, offer guidance, and refer the student to the proper support. However, most faculty and staff are not counselors, medical providers, legal advisers, or emergency responders unless they officially hold that role.
Safety Concerns
Safety concerns should be reported immediately.
A student should contact Campus Security, a Residence Assistant, Student Affairs, faculty, staff, or emergency services when there is:
- A threat
- Violence
- A weapon
- Fire
- Medical emergency
- Stalking
- Harassment
- Intimidation
- A person refusing to leave
- A dangerous substance concern
- A person who may harm themselves or others
- Any situation that feels immediately unsafe
In an emergency, students should not wait for an appointment or ordinary office response.
Safety comes first.
Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation Support
Students who experience or witness harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or retaliation should report the concern.
A student may report to:
- Student Affairs
- Residence Assistant
- Faculty advisor
- Instructor
- Department Chair
- Dean
- Dean of Student Affairs
- Campus Security
- Vice President
- President
Students should not be punished for making a good-faith report.
Retaliation against a student who asks for help, reports misconduct, serves as a witness, or participates in a disciplinary process is prohibited.
Academic Difficulty
Students who are struggling academically should ask for help early.
Academic difficulty may include:
- Confusion about course material
- Missed classes
- Trouble completing assignments
- Poor performance
- Difficulty understanding instructions
- Falling behind in a program
- Uncertainty about academic goals
- Concern about graduation or completion
Students may ask for help from the instructor, faculty advisor, Department Chair, Registrar, Student Affairs, or another appropriate academic support role.
Asking for help early is better than waiting until the problem becomes serious.
Conflict with Faculty or Staff
A student who has a concern about a faculty or staff member should use the proper process.
For ordinary academic confusion, the student should usually begin with the instructor or staff member involved.
If the concern cannot be resolved there, or if the student does not feel safe doing so, the student may contact:
- Faculty advisor
- Department Chair
- Dean
- Student Affairs
- Dean of Student Affairs
- Vice President
- President
Concerns involving harassment, threats, discrimination, retaliation, or unsafe conduct may be reported directly to higher authority or Campus Security.
Conflict with Other Students
Students should try to resolve minor disagreements respectfully when it is safe to do so.
A student may ask for support when conflict involves:
- Repeated arguments
- Harassment
- Threats
- Intimidation
- Roommate conflict
- Club or organization conflict
- Student leadership misuse
- Residence hall problems
- Safety concerns
- Retaliation
- Conduct that affects classes or activities
Support may come from Student Affairs, a Residence Assistant, faculty advisor, instructor, Campus Security, or another appropriate authority.
Students should not try to handle serious safety concerns alone.
Student Organizations and Club Support
Students involved in clubs, organizations, athletics, Student Council, Greek Row, or other student groups may receive support from Student Affairs, faculty advisors, coaches, organization advisors, or college leadership.
Support may include:
- Event planning guidance
- Conflict resolution
- Leadership guidance
- Scheduling help
- Safety planning
- Conduct support
- Understanding college rules
- Connecting with faculty or departments
Student groups are expected to ask for help when they are unsure how to handle an event, conflict, or conduct concern.
Privacy and Information Sharing
Students should expect their personal and academic information to be handled with care.
However, college officials may share information when there is a proper college reason.
A proper reason may include:
- Supporting the student
- Addressing misconduct
- Protecting safety
- Handling academic records
- Reviewing a complaint
- Supporting residence life
- Carrying out disciplinary procedure
- Communicating with appropriate college authorities
Students should not expect absolute confidentiality when a concern involves safety, misconduct, harassment, threats, abuse, or serious risk.
Asking for the Right Kind of Help
Students should try to bring concerns to the correct person or office.
A simple guide is:
- Course concern: instructor or faculty advisor
- Program concern: Department Chair or Dean
- Academic record concern: Registrar
- Residence concern: Residence Assistant or Student Affairs
- Club or organization concern: Student Affairs or faculty advisor
- Personal concern affecting college life: Student Affairs
- Safety concern: Campus Security or emergency services
- Faculty conduct concern: Department Chair, Dean, or Student Affairs
- Student conduct concern: Student Affairs, Residence Assistant, faculty, or Campus Security
- Serious college-wide concern: Vice President or President
Students who are unsure where to go may begin with Student Affairs.
Student Responsibility When Seeking Support
Students are expected to seek support honestly and respectfully.
Students should:
- Explain the concern clearly
- Provide accurate information
- Respond to reasonable questions
- Follow instructions given by the proper authority
- Attend scheduled meetings when required
- Ask for clarification when confused
- Avoid using reports or support requests for retaliation or personal conflict
Support works best when students are honest about what happened and what they need.
General Rule
Students are encouraged to ask for help early.
Oakridge College provides support through faculty, advisors, Student Affairs, Residence Life, Campus Security, and college leadership.
Students are not expected to handle every problem alone, but they are expected to use the proper process, communicate honestly, and take responsibility for their part in resolving concerns.