Student Rights and Responsibilities
Student Right to Know
Every postsecondary education institution is
required by law to disclose its graduation rate annually. The 2006 graduation rate is 52%, which is
based on a 2002 cohort. This graduation
rate is inclusive of only those students who are full-time postsecondary
students. The students at North Georgia
Technical College (
NGTC
) who are
part-time students and those who are not first-time postsecondary students are
not included in the calculation.
Students attend technical colleges for a variety of
reasons. While many attend with the
intention of completing a program of study, others may desire only to upgrade
their skills to a point sufficient for initial employment or promotion.
Georgia
’s strong economy and the
demand for qualified employees place high premium on the skills possessed by
technical college students. This demand
results in an increasingly high number of students being hired prior to
graduation from a program of study.
Privacy of Student Records
Privacy of Student Records required by the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) –
North
Georgia
Technical
College
encourages students to exercise all rights under the Family Education Rights
and Privacy Act. Because a student’s
educational record is used repeatedly by college officials and others to make
important decisions affecting the student’s program and future career, the
student should assume a personal responsibility to make certain that records
are complete and accurate. Every student
at North Georgia Tech has the right to:
- Inspect and review his/her educational records; students who wish to
inspect, review, or amend their records should complete a Request to Inspect or
Review Educational Records form and submit it to the FERPA Coordinator.
- Exercise control (with some limitations) over disclosure of information
contained in his/her educational records
- Seek to correct his/her educational records (including a hearing if
necessary) when records are believed to be inaccurate or violation of privacy
- Report violation of FERPA to the Family Policy Compliance Office
- Be informed about FERPA rights
North
Georgia
Technical
College has placed overall
responsibility for administration of all student records with the Vice
President of Student Affairs, or his/her designee, who is designated the FERPA
Coordinator. Separate records/files may
be maintained by the following categories: admissions, academic, medical,
psychiatric and counseling, financial aid, disciplinary, and financial. Only faculty and staff with a legitimate
educational interest in the students’ records will be permitted access. Certain third party governmental agencies
have access to a student’s records without prior consent. These records are located in the
Mobley
Administration
Building
on the
Clarkesville campus and in the Student Affairs’ Offices at the Blairsville and
Currahee campus.
Directory Information
Directory information, which is information that is
generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can
also be disclosed to outside organizations without prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not
limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. If you do not want
North
Georgia
Technical
College
to disclose directory information from your education records without your
prior written consent, you must notify the FERPA Coordinator, Ms.
Amanda Mitchell
, in writing within two weeks. Ms. Mitchell’s office is located in the
Mobley
Administration
Building
on the
Clarkesville Campus. The mailing address
is:
P. O. Box 65
,
Clarkesville
,
GA
30523
.
North
Georgia
Technical
College
has designated the following information as directory
information:
- Student’s name
- Participation in
officially recognized activities and sports
- Address
- Telephone listing
- Electronic mail
address
- Degrees, honors, and
awards received
- Date and place of
birth
- Major field of study
- Dates of attendance
- Diploma/degrees and
awards received
- Full or part-time
enrollment status
Student Handbooks are available each quarter and
online. Also, a copy listing the items
of directory information will be posted on institution bulletin boards. The student then has two weeks to notify the
FERPA Coordinator in writing on any items he or she does not wish designated as
directory information.
Policy of Nondisclosure
All North Georgia Technical College officials will
follow a strict policy that information contained in a student’s record is
confidential and may not be disclosed to a third party without the student’s
prior written consent except as otherwise provided in the master policy manual
located in the office of the Vice President of Student Affairs.
Sexual Harassment
It is the policy of
North
Georgia
Technical
College
that all employees and students should be able to enjoy a work and educational
environment that is free from all forms of discrimination, including sexual
harassment.
The U.S. Department of Education defines sexual
harassment as: verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature imposed on the
basis of sex, by an employee or student that denies limits, provides different,
or conditions the provision of aid, benefits, services, or treatment protected
under Title IX. Prohibited conduct is
that which:
- Is sexually motivated or of a sexual nature when that conduct creates
an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment;
- Is used as a factor in employment or academic decision;
- Unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work or academic
performance.
Sexual harassment is an unlawful practice under
Federal Law and is a form of discrimination that is specifically prohibited at
North Georgia Tech. Any student or
employee who violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action.
Anyone believing they have been harassed sexually
should report it immediately to the Equity Coordinator at (706) 754-7766. Any complaint of sexual harassment will be
reviewed under the College’s grievance procedure for handling complaints of
discrimination. Information regarding
the grievance procedure may be obtained from the Vice President of Student
Affairs’ Office.
Student Identification Card
North Georgia Tech ID cards are issued to all
students enrolled for credit. The cards
are to be used for identification in the dining hall, bookstore, library, at
activities and athletic events, and as identification when needed. Many activities sponsored off campus require
an ID card for identification and reduced rates. The ID card is an official document of
North
Georgia
Technical
College
. The use of a student identification card as a
meal ticket or for other function by other than its original holder is
prohibited. A fee of $5 is charged for a
replacement ID card.
Personal Belongings
When a student graduates or terminates training at
North
Georgia
Technical
College
,
all personal belongings must be removed from campus at time of checkout. If a
student cannot remove their belongings at that time, they will be given two
weeks or the last date of the quarter (whichever comes first) to remove all
their belongings from Campus. College
personnel will not be responsible for any personal item left in the classroom,
the residence hall, or any other campus location. Any unclaimed item, including motor vehicles
or major appliances, will be removed from the campus after two weeks and the
student will be charged for the removal.
Checkout
Whenever any student leaves
North
Georgia
Technical
College
through graduation, termination for any reason, or dismissal, in order to clear
his/her record and receive any refunds due, he/she is required to complete a
withdrawal form, and return completed form to the office of Student Records.
Attendance Policies
All students are expected to punctually attend all
classes, labs, and exams as scheduled. The student is responsible for all material covered in classes
missed. Classwork or exams missed may be made up at the discretion of the instructor and/or the
Vice President of Academic Affairs. Instructors will review these attendance policies with all students at
the beginning of each quarter.
The days absent for a warning and termination are as
follows:
Class Meeting
Per Week
4
3
2
1 |
Absences Before
Warning
2
2
1
1 |
Absences Before
Termination
4
3
2
2 |
The instructor will issue a warning before
termination for nonattendance by completing a form to document the absences,
discuss them with the student, and send a copy to the Vice President of Student
Affairs or to the Branch Campus Operations Director. A student with attendance problems may be
referred to a career planner, the Vice President of Student Affairs, or other
appropriate staff before or after a warning. Three tardies may be counted as one absence. Requests for early leave will be handled in
the same fashion as tardies. The
instructor may request termination of a student from a course(s) after reaching
the required absences according to the schedule above by completing a referral
form and sending it to the office of the Vice President of Student
Affairs. Official warning will be issued
if possible before a termination is requested. If a student is absent for three consecutive days without notification
to the college, he/she may be dropped. Students who have maintained a satisfactory rate of progress and who
have made up all assignments and tests missed may, at
the instructor’s discretion, be allowed additional absences. A student who is going on an approved field
trip or plans any other authorized absence from classes is responsible for
advance notification of all instructors to whom he/she would normally have
reported.
Drop/Add
The official drop/add period will be seven
days. This is seven (7) consecutive
calendar days including holidays beginning with the first day of class.
Internships
The following reflect the minimum requirements,
stipulations, and procedures for each program to follow for establishing
student internships:
- Credit toward a diploma/degree for completion of internships will be
provided.
- The student must be in good standing with no academic or unresolved
disciplinary action pending and must complete proper paperwork. The student may stay in the residence hall
with permission of the Vice President of Student Affairs.
- The student must meet the college’s requirements of satisfactory
progress and must have completed all academic requirements necessary to
participate in the internship or receive special approval from the office of
the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
- The instructor must give his/her approval before a student is eligible
to participate in the internship training. The instructor will insure that the student completes all the necessary
forms on file in his/her department.
- The student will pay quarterly registration, i.e. (tuition, student
activity) fees for the quarter he/she is on the internship.
- The student must be employed/trained in the
occupational field in which he/she is enrolled.
- Students must register for the internship and complete hours according
to the stated standards. (FOR EXAMPLE: 6 cr. hrs. internship would be: 6 hrs/day x 3 days or 3
hrs/day x 6 days =18 hrs/wk x 10 wks = 180 hrs for the quarter.)
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