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A student at UTSA neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. Compliance is expected with both the penal and civil statutes of the state and federal governments, the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System, and the policies and procedures of the University.
All students of UTSA are subject to the rules and regulations governing student conduct and discipline as set out in Series 50101, Sec. 2 of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System, and the Handbook of Operating Procedures.
The Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents, the Handbook of Operating Procedures, and UTSA Information Bulletin have full force and effect as they concern all UTSA students. The Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents and the Handbook of Operating Procedures may be consulted in the UTSA Library and on the Internet.
To the extent provided by applicable law, no person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity sponsored or conducted by The University of Texas System or any of its component institutions on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, citizenship, and veteran status. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is also prohibited pursuant to University policy (Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents,Series 10701, Sec. 1; UTSA Handbook of Operating Procedures, Chapter 9, § 9.1; UTSA Information Bulletin, Appendix B, Student Code of Conduct). Students can notify the University of any violations of this policy by contacting the Office of Student Judicial Affairs or the Office of Institutional Diversity. If any student feels he or she has been subjected to prohibited discrimination, including sexual harassment, he or she may file a complaint with the Office of Institutional Diversity. Students must file a complaint within thirty (30) days from the date the alleged incident or problem occurred.
State law (§ 37.151 through 37.157 and 51.936, Texas Education Code) defines hazing as “any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, by one person alone or acting with others, directed against a student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in an organization.”
Hazing includes but is not limited to:
Under state law (§ 37.151 through 37.157 and 51.936, Texas Education Code), individuals or organizations engaging in hazing could be subject to fines and charged with a criminal offense.
According to the statute, a person commits a hazing offense:
The fact that a person consented to or acquiesced in a hazing activity is not a defense under the hazing law.
The penalty for failure to report hazing activities is a fine not to exceed $2,000, up to 180 days in jail, or both. Penalties for other hazing offenses vary according to the severity of the injury that results; they range from individual fines of $4,000 and/or up to one year in jail to individual fines of up to $10,000 and/or a state jail term of not less than 180 days or more than two years. Organizational penalties include fines of not less than $5,000 or more than $10,000. If the organizational hazing activity resulted in personal injury, property damage, or other loss, the penalty is a fine of not less than $5,000 or more than double the amount lost or expenses incurred because of the injury, damage, or loss.
In an effort to encourage reporting of hazing incidents, the law grants immunity from civil or criminal liability to any person who reports a specific hazing event to the Office of Student Life and immunizes that person from participation in any judicial proceeding resulting from that report.
State law does not affect or in any way restrict the right of UTSA to enforce its own rules against hazing, and the University may take disciplinary action for conduct that constitutes hazing regardless of whether public authorities prosecute students under state law. Series 50101, Sec. 2 of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents provides that hazing with or without the consent of the student whether on or off campus is prohibited, and a violation of that prohibition renders both the person inflicting the hazing and the person submitting to the hazing subject to discipline. Initiations or activities by organizations may include no feature that is dangerous, harmful, or degrading to the student, and a violation of this prohibition renders both the organization and participating individuals subject to discipline. (For additional information, see Appendix C of this bulletin.)
A student who has engaged in conduct that violates a rule, regulation, or administrative order of UTSA may have any one or more of the actions listed below imposed (Series 50101, Sec. 6, Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents). The disciplinary actions assessed in a particular case will be dependent upon the nature of the conduct involved, the circumstances and conditions that existed at the time the student engaged in such conduct, and the results that followed as a natural sequence of such conduct. See Appendix B of this bulletin for further explanation of each of the following actions:
UTSA students may need to pursue questions or concerns involving academic or nonacademic aspects of student life. General grievance procedures are set forth below. Students may consult with the Student Ombudsperson in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs if additional information is needed concerning the pursuit of any grievance.
A student with a grade grievance should refer to the “Academic and Grade Grievance Procedure” section in chapter 4, General Academic Regulations, in this bulletin.
A student grievance may involve a UTSA employee or other students. A student with a grievance involving a University employee should first seek to resolve the problem with the employee. If the matter cannot be resolved with the employee, the grievance can be forwarded to the employee’s supervisor. A student who believes another student has violated the Student Code of Conduct may file a complaint with the Office of Student Judicial Affairs.
In conflict situations that do not require a criminal or student conduct response, or have not been resolved through regular grievance channels, it is recommended that students pursue resolution of their conflict with the Student Ombudsperson.
The official means of student communication from The University of Texas at San Antonio regarding administrative issues is the UTSA Lonestar email address. Important information, such as financial aid award notification, registration information, payment deadlines, and how to access bills and grades, is sent to the Lonestar email address. The email address, email user name, and initial password are on the ASAP (Automated Student Access Program) Welcome page after the student has accessed ASAP. If students wish to use an email address other than the Lonestar email address, instructions to forward messages are available in the Lonestar system.
UTSA assigns a student identification number to all students. While a student’s Social Security number is requested at the time of admission, under the provisions of the Federal Privacy Act of 1974, a student is not required to provide the Social Security number. Although providing the Social Security number is voluntary at the time of admission, some students who do not provide it initially may be required to do so later in order to meet federal and state financial aid and other fiscal requirements.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, is the federal law that provides for the review and disclosure of student educational records. The University has adopted the following policy and procedures. Individuals are informed of their rights under these laws through the policy stated in this section.
The University will not permit access to or the release of personally identifiable information contained in student educational records to any party without the written consent of the student, except as authorized by FERPA. FERPA’s authorizations for release without consent include:
In item 1 above, “school official” means a person either: (1) employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position, (2) serving on a University governing body, (3) under contract to the University to perform a special task or service, or (4) who is a student serving in an official capacity for the University. “Legitimate educational interest” means any authorized interest or activity undertaken in the name of the University for which access to a student educational record is necessary or appropriate to the proper performance of the undertaking within the course and scope of the person’s employment and authority in order to further the educational or business purposes of the student or the University.
For records maintained by the Office of the Registrar, a record of requests for disclosure and such disclosure of personally identifiable information from student educational records is maintained by the Office of the Registrar for each student and is made available for inspection pursuant to this policy. If the University discovers that a third party who received student records from UTSA released or failed to destroy such records or information from such records in violation of FERPA, UTSA may not allow that third party access to personally identifiable information from educational records for at least five years. Records subject to disclosure are purged according to regular schedules when no longer subject to audit or presently under request for access.
Directory information means information contained in an educational record of a student which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.
At its discretion, the University may release directory information that includes the following:
Students may have all directory information withheld by notifying the Office of the Registrar in writing by the Census Date of each semester as defined in the online registration calendar. The request for confidentiality will remain in effect until the student makes written authorization releasing the information. The request for confidentiality applies to insurance companies, potential employers, and other interested parties. All UTSA email addresses, including WebCT course email addresses, are subject to restriction. Students are advised to consider carefully the impact of having directory information withheld.
Upon written request, the University will provide a student with access to his or her educational records. Educational records covered by FERPA are made available within 45 days of the request. Students wishing to review their educational records must submit written requests including the item(s) of interest to the appropriate office listed below:
Assistant Vice President and University Registrar, Office of the Registrar
College, department/division, advising, and faculty offices
Director, Counseling Services
Director, Office of Student Activities
Assistant Vice President for Student Life, Office of Student Life
Vice President for Business Affairs, Office of Business Affairs
Assistant Vice President for Financial Aid, Office of Student Financial Aid
Educational records do not include the following:
Limitations on Right to Inspect:
Parents or students may challenge the accuracy of the educational records. Students who believe their educational records contain inaccurate or misleading information or information that is otherwise in violation of their privacy rights may discuss their problems informally with the office responsible for maintaining the records. If agreement is reached with respect to the student’s request, the appropriate records will be amended; if not, the student is notified within a reasonable period of time that the records will not be amended and is informed by the Assistant Vice President for Student Life of his or her right to a formal hearing. The purpose of the hearing is to challenge the content of the student’s educational records on the grounds that the information contained in the educational records is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the privacy rights of the student.
Student requests for a formal hearing must be made in writing to the Assistant Vice President for Student Life, who, within a reasonable period of time after receiving such requests, will inform students of the date, place, and time of the hearing. Students may present evidence relevant to the issues raised and may be assisted or represented at the hearings by one or more persons of their choice, including attorneys, at the student’s expense. The hearing officer who adjudicates such challenges is appointed by the Vice President for Student Affairs in nonacademic matters and by the Provost and Executive Vice President in academic matters. Decisions of the hearing officer are final, are based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing, and include a written summary of the evidence and the reasons for the decision. The decision should be delivered to all parties concerned.
If the decision is in favor of the student, educational records are corrected or amended in accordance with the decision of the hearing officer. If the student finds the decision unsatisfactory, he or she may include with the educational records statements commenting on the information in the educational records, statements specifying reasons for disagreement with the decision of the hearing officer, or both. The statements are placed in the educational records, maintained as part of the student’s records, and released whenever the records in question are disclosed.
Students who believe that the adjudications of their challenges are unfair or are not in keeping with the provisions of FERPA may request assistance in writing from the President of the University.
Students may have copies of their educational records and this policy. Copies will be made within 45 days at the student’s expense at rates authorized in the Texas Public Information Act. Official transcripts are not released for students who have a delinquent financial obligation or financial “hold” at the University.
Complaints regarding alleged failures to comply with the provisions of FERPA may be submitted in writing to the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue S.W., Washington, DC 20202-4605.
No individual, group, association, or corporation may use the grounds, buildings, or facilities owned or controlled by any component institution or by The University of Texas System except as permitted by the provisions of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents and approved institutional rules and regulations. The term “solicitation” means the sale, lease, rental, or offer for sale, lease, or rental of any property, product, merchandise, publication, or service, whether for immediate or future delivery; an oral statement or the distribution or display of printed material, merchandise, or product that is designed to encourage the purchase, use, or rental of any property, product, merchandise, publication, or service; the receipt of or request for any gift or contribution; or the request to support or oppose or to vote for or against a candidate, issue, or proposition appearing on the ballot at any election held pursuant to state or federal law or local ordinances. Contact the Student Activities Office for UTSA regulations regarding solicitation and distribution of material on UTSA campuses.
In compliance with the “Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act,” codified as 20 U.S.C. 1092 (f) as part of the Higher Education Act of 1965, UTSA collects and discloses certain timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies. (See Appendix D of this bulletin.)
Pursuant to federal law, alleged victims of violent crime are entitled to know the results of campus disciplinary proceedings concerning alleged perpetrators.
UTSA publishes an annual Crime Awareness and Campus Security Report that pertains to the prior three years of offenses occurring at UTSA. The report contains certain security policy statements, including sexual assault policies which assure basic victims’ rights, the law enforcement authority of UTSA police, and where students should go to report crimes. The report is available to all current and prospective students and employees through the UTSA Police Department Web site and in various UTSA publications. A copy of these statistics is also provided to the U.S. Department of Education.
The annual report discloses crime statistics for the campus, unobstructed public areas immediately adjacent to or running through the campus, and certain noncampus facilities that are broken down geographically into “on campus,” “residential facilities for students on campus,” “noncampus buildings,” and “public property,” such as streets and sidewalks.
The annual report contains UTSA’s policy regarding sex-related offenses, including sexual assault prevention programs, educational programs to promote awareness of sex offenders, administrative disciplinary procedures and sanctions for offenders as well as counseling and other student services for victims. Included in the report is a statement advising the campus community where to locate law enforcement agency information concerning registered sex offender information as provided by a state under 42 U.S.C. section 14071 (j).
The Student Travel Policy promotes safety by specifying the requirements for motor vehicle travel by University students. The policy applies to the use of motor vehicles to and from University organized and/or sponsored activities. These activities are related, but not limited to, the academic, administrative, research, and student life functions of the department initiating the travel. The policy focuses on travel undertaken by one or more currently enrolled students, including members of registered student organizations, in order to reach a University organized and/or sponsored activity located more than 25 miles from the University campuses. Detailed information regarding this policy can be accessed in the Handbook of Operating Procedures, or by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
(TOP)2007–2008 UTSA Information Bulletin
Appendices
A. Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
B. Student Code of Conduct
C. University Policies
D. Campus Security Report
E. Student Grievances
F. Drug Free Schools
G. Tuition Rebates
H. Accreditation
2007-2008 UTSA Information Bulletin PDF file
Academic Publications
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