10 Academic Rights
Each student is encouraged to review the following academic rights and responsibilities and to seek clarification from the associate dean of the college or school in which he/she is enrolled.
- Protection of Constitutional Freedoms — Students and all other members of the university community are guaranteed the constitutional freedoms of speech, peaceful assembly, petition and association.
Responsibility: Students and others must exercise their rights by lawful means subject to university rules and regulations regarding time, location, method and duration. Students may not disrupt the operations of the university or interfere with the rights of others to exercise their constitutional freedoms.
- Academic Freedom — Students and all other members of the university community are guaranteed the rights freely to study, discuss, investigate, teach, conduct research and publish as appropriate to their respective roles and responsibilities. In the classroom and in conference students have the right within the scope of the course of study to state divergent opinions, challenge ideas and take reasoned exception to the data or the views offered.
Responsibility: Students and faculty share the responsibility to protect and to preserve conditions which are conducive to the learning process, including withholding judgment on matters of opinion, ensuring a fair hearing for divergent viewpoints and observing rules of courtesy in the classroom.
- Academic Standards — Students have the right to know the standards of academic performance established for each course in which they are enrolled.
Responsibility: Students are responsible for seeking clarification of any standard in question at the beginning of the term, for preparing assignments in advance of each class session and for learning the content of any course of study for which they are enrolled. Rules applying to academic dishonesty must be followed, including those related to plagiarism and cheating.
- Academic Evaluation — Students have the right to be evaluated solely on an academic basis, without regard to issues of diversity, opinions or conduct in matters unrelated to academic standards. Students have the right to review tests and other written work after the instructor has evaluated them and are accorded protection through the Grade Appeals Procedure against prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation.
Responsibility: Students are responsible for bringing academic grievances first to the attention of the instructor who performed the evaluation in an effort to resolve the issue. If the matter cannot be settled at this level, it may be appealed in writing as outlined in the Grade Appeal Policy.
- Improper Disclosure — Except when disclosure may be required by state or federal law, students have the right to confidentiality of information about views, beliefs and political associations which they may share privately with instructors, advisors or academic counselors. Judgment of ability and character may be provided under appropriate circumstances, normally with the knowledge and consent of the student.
Responsibility: Students have the responsibility to state clearly what is and what is not confidential disclosure.
- Personal Safety — Students have the right to a classroom environment that is free of obvious hazards to safety and security.
Responsibility: Students are responsible for compliance with university rules and regulations prohibiting firearms, explosives, incendiaries and weapons of any kind on the campus. Students are also responsible to abide by all health/safety rules and procedures in all academic courses and laboratories.
- Illegal Drugs and Alcohol — Students have the right to a learning environment free from illegal drugs and alcohol.
Responsibility: Students are responsible for compliance with university rules and regulations prohibiting possession, use or distribution of illegal drugs or alcohol in classroom buildings.
- Disruptions — Students have the right to pursue an education without disruption or interference and to expect enforcement of norms for acceptable classroom behavior that prevents disruption of the teaching/learning process.
Responsibility: Students may not disrupt class or any other university process by any means whatsoever (including sideline conversations, comments, arguments, noise of any kind or other activity which would hinder access to or utilization of academic information).
- Non-discrimination — Students have the right to learn in a classroom environment where diversity is respected.
Responsibility: Students are responsible for respecting diversity and for behaving courteously to both faculty members and other students in the classroom regardless of difference in race, creed, color, religion, age, nationality, sex, sexual orientation or disability status.
- Intellectual Property — Students have the right to expect that presentation of material in a class will be in compliance with copyright law and that their own creative work will not be disseminated or published without their permission.
Responsibility: Students who receive written notification from a faculty member that the information provided in his or her course is the faculty member's intellectual property shall not distribute, use for commercial purposes, or create derivative works of the intellectual property without obtaining the express permission of the faculty member. Students shall not assume permission absent written notification from a faculty member. Students shall also respect and treat in similar manner, the intellectual property of other students.