Rio Hondo Community College District

Vision Statement
Rio Hondo College strives to be an exemplary California community college, meeting the learning needs of its changing and growing population and developing a state of the art campus to serve future generations.

Mission Statement
“Rio Hondo College is a collaborative center of lifelong learning which provides innovative, challenging, and quality educational offerings for its diverse students and community.”
(Mission Statement revised 12/13/05)

Values Statement
As a teaching/learning community, we come together and strive to meet the needs, aspirations, and goals of our changing student population and communities. Since what we value forms the core of who and what we are, the college community--trustees, faculty and staff--recognizes the importance of openly and candidly expressing the college's values. Rio Hondo College values the following:

1. Quality teaching and learning
   The college is dedicated to excellence in instruction and student services to develop the intellectual and personal competence of each student. Rio Hondo College is committed to preparing students to adapt to the demands of a multicultural society.
    
2. Student access and success
   Rio Hondo College recognizes the individual worth and potential of every human being. Accordingly, the college offers an open access, comprehensive educational program to its students including basic skills, vocational education certificates and degrees, general education and transfer courses, and, for its community, economic development opportunities.
   
   At Rio Hondo College, students will have an opportunity to develop ethical values, learn the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, develop career skills, and understand the scientific, artistic and social achievements of various cultures including their own.
    
3. Diversity & Equity
   Rio Hondo College remains committed to the diversity of students, faculty, staff, and management Diversity can be defined in many ways including ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, learning styles, political beliefs, or other ideologies. Appreciation of diversity means the following:
    
   • Recognizing that each individual is unique and understanding individual differences.
   • Recognizing the things that people have in common despite being members of diverse groups
   • Creating a safe, positive, and nurturing environment that cultivates respect for what these differences are
   • Moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity as a way of coming together as a community with a common purpose.
     The concepts of educational equity and student learning outcomes are central to the values of the College. Access to education and the opportunity for educational success for all students shall be provided, with particular efforts in regard to those who have been historically and currently underrepresented. Education should prepare students to adapt to the demands of a multicultural society.
      
4. Fiscal Responsibility - Rio Hondo College recognizes the importance of maintaining a fiscally sound, efficient, and effective college operation. It uses its resources—human, facilities, and financial—to the optimum benefit of its students, community, and staff.
    
5. Integrity and Civility - We value integrity, honesty and respect in our actions and words.

Code of Ethics

Ethical persons are those who abide by principles and exemplify virtues as understood within a given moral framework. Many believe that virtue is intrinsically rewarding. At the very least, that one be perceived as ethical is instrumental in establishing credibility and trust. The employees of Rio Hondo Community College District are committed to providing a high quality learning environment to help our students successfully achieve their educational goals and objectives. Accordingly, they have interests in, and commitment to, ethical behavior.

To support this commitment, college employees adhere to standards of ethical and professional behavior related to their duties, and have responsibilities to the institution and to individuals they serve. Although one can not “legislate morality” in the sense of mandating virtuous intentions, we can, and do, establish general expectations of conduct.

There are many sources of inspiration and guidance. All employees of Rio Hondo College are subject to official College policies and procedures, applicable regulatory agency requirements, local, state, and federal laws, and professional standards (when applicable). This includes policies such as the Rio Hondo College Policy on Sexual Harassment (BP 3430), its Policy on Nondiscrimination (BP 3410), and its Policy on Academic Freedom (BP 4030).

In addition, the Board of Trustees is subject to its own Code of Ethics (BP 2715), and most of our employees are members of professional organizations with their own established codes of ethics, such as the CTA, CSEA, and ACCCA. Employees are encouraged to consult their own organizations, when applicable, for further guidance. As constituents of Rio Hondo College, students are likewise encouraged to maintain high Standards of Conduct (BP 5500).

As a further demonstration of commitment to high ethical standards, employees of Rio Hondo College aspire to be guided by the following values statements. They are intended as guidelines and aspirations, to be used for educational rather than enforcement purposes, with our own conscience as the first and most salient means of evaluation.

• This College values open communication, honesty, and truthfulness, and aspires to an “open door” philosophy.
• This Colleges values open inquiry, and honors academic freedom.
• This College strives to protect human dignity and individual freedom.
• This College values clear roles and responsibilities, teamwork, and cooperation (as outlined in AB1725), and therefore aspires to develop a climate of trust and mutual support.
• This College is committed to providing excellent educational opportunities to the community, and the instructional faculty seeks to evaluate students by honest appraisal of student performance against faculty standards.