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Fort Lewis College Official Seal

Policy identification number: 

File: Enrollment Management > Criminal and Disciplinary History

Criminal and Disciplinary History in Admission

Policy Summary

This policy provides guidelines for seeking and reviewing information about criminal and disciplinary history for applicants who apply for admission and for students who are admitted, confirmed or currently attending Fort Lewis College.

Policy Owner

President

Approval Date

May 1, 2020

Effective Date

May 1, 2020

Search Terms

criminal, disciplinary, admission, d, pres

Scheduled for Review

Spring 2025

I. Policy Statement

Students are required to self-report the following information on their application for admission:

  • Prior convictions for stalking, sexual assault, and/or domestic violence;
  • Prior convictions, within five years before submitting the application, for assault, kidnapping, voluntary manslaughter, or murder;
  • Prior disciplinary history at another academic institution for stalking, sexual assault and/or domestic violence;
  • Any criminal charges pending against the applicant; and
  • Educational records related to academic performance.

If the applicant discloses any of the above information and completes the additional requirements for the application for admission, such as providing high school or college transcripts and standardized test scores, the application will be reviewed in a reasonable time.

If the applicant is denied admission based on their reporting of conduct or criminal history information, the applicant will receive notice of the denial and will have an opportunity to appeal that decision. The right to appeal will be set out in the instructions for the admission application and the appeal will be reviewed in a reasonable time frame by a committee. The Applicant will receive notification of the decision of the appeal committee which will be considered final for the year following the decision unless otherwise noted.

After admission, the College may inquire into an admitted student’s criminal history when obtaining information pertaining to participation in campus life or student housing. When further review is conducted, the following will be considered:

  • The nature and gravity of any criminal conduct and whether it bears a direct relationship to a particular aspect of a student’s participation in campus life, including but not limited to campus residency and campus activities;
  • The time that has passed since the occurrence of any criminal conduct;
  • The age of the student at the time of the occurrence;
  • Any evidence of rehabilitation or good conduct produced by the student; and
  • The benefit of the student participating in campus life.

II. Reason for Policy 

To comply with Colorado Senate Bill 19-170 (The Ensuring Access to Higher Education Act) as codified in C.R.S. §23-5-106.5.

III. Responsibilities 

For following the policy:  Employees involved in review and approval of admission of applicants who disclose criminal or disciplinary history in their application.

For enforcement of the policy: Director of Admission and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs

For oversight of the policy: President

For notification of policy: Policy Librarian

For procedures implementing the policy: Director of Admission and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs 

IV. Cross-Referenced Policies 

C.R.S. §23-5-106.5